NCAA Changes Could Keep UConn out of '13 NCAA tourney

The NCAA has instituted changes in its academic standards and student-athlete support, and it appears they could keep UConn out of the 2012-13 NCAA tournament.

For the 2012-13 tournament, teams must have a rolling four-year APR average of 900, or a two-year average of 930 to be eligible. The two years to be used for the '13 tourney are the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. UConn had an APR of 826 in 09-10 and is expected to have about a 975 APR for 10-11. That's not going to add up to the necessary 930.

UConn would fall short of the necessary 900 four-year rolling average, too.

Here's my story on the situation.

They may be able to file a waiver, and it's possible the NCAA could reconsider and use UConn's 2011-12 APR (which could be strong) for the '13 tourney.

Determining two-year APR isn't quite as simple as adding the two scores and dividing by two. Rather, the NCAA takes into account all the points student-athletes could earn during that two-year time period and calculates accordingly. Teams can have differing amounts of scholarship athletes on a year-to-year basis.

Still, it's virtually impossible UConn's two-year average would equal 930.

After that, it gets tougher. In 2014-15, teams that don’t achieve the 930 benchmark for their four-year APR or at least a 940 average for the most recent two years will be ineligible for post-season competition.

In 2015-16, the 930 benchmark for post-season competition participation – and additional penalties – will be implemented fully. The APR requirement for post-season competition participation would be waived only in extraordinary circumstances.

Oh, for the good ol' days when being a sportswriter meant calculating PPG and ERA, not APR.