Fairfax, Va (May 17, 2011)--The George Mason men's basketball team has earned a Public Recognition Award from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for earning high scores in the latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) compilation. It marks the third-consecutive year that the Patriots basketball program was cited by the NCAA.

The program posted a four-year APR score in the top 10 percent nationally for their respective sport through the 2009-10 academic year. The most recent APR scores are multi-year rates based on the scores from the 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years. The public recognition awards are part of the overall Division I academic reform effort.

"The NCAA APR program is a priority at Mason," Director of Athletics Tom O'Connor said. "Excelling in the classroom and achieving success on the court takes tremendous dedication, hard work and a strong commitment. It's a tribute to the student-athletes and the academic support staff."

The Patriots men's basketball is one of 40 NCAA D1 men's basketball programs to receive this award, and the lone representative from the Colonial Athletic Association. Men's basketball scored a 990 after increasing the score in each of the previous three years. Last year the mark was 995.

The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention, and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.

The 909 teams publicly recognized this year for high achievement represent 14 percent of the 6,385 eligible Division I teams. The list includes 525 women's teams and 384 men's or mixed squads.

For the first time with its public recognition awards, the NCAA is separating the sport of football by its bowl and championship subdivisions.

A total of 239 institutions, out of 335 Division I colleges and universities, placed at least one team on the top APR list. Another 11 schools that offer athletics in more than one division, out of 52 overall within the NCAA, placed Division I teams on the list as well.

Last year, 841 teams were recognized.

In the six years of the NCAA's academic reform program, 1,992 different teams have received Public Recognition Awards, representing 31 percent of eligible sports teams during that time.  Of that total, 260 teams have received Public Recognition Awards each of the six years of the program.