Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Failure to retain players can land an athletic program in hot water with the NCAA. Players transferring out of a school — even when on track to graduate — can negatively impact a sport’s APR score.

Low APR scores — as we’re seeing with Arkansas men’s basketball — can result in loss of scholarship and in some cases, the replacement of practice time with academic activities.

So with what seemed like a transfer per day leaving the football team during a week earlier this month, it is fair to wonder what this could mean down the road for Bobby Petrino and Arkansas football.

No worries, Athletic Director Jeff Long said. Arkansas shouldn’t feel a significant impact in years to come from the players who recently left.

“Football numbers are so large that four or five number would have a devastating effect on a small program like basketball,” Long said. “We don’t see it having an adverse affect.”

Compliance director Jon Fagg said Petrino shows the same attention to academic details as he does to coaching. None of the roster moves are made — or allowed — without looking at how it could impact the APR down the road.

“Coach Petrino is very careful in thinking about the APR,” Fagg said. “He talks to me about it. He talks to us about it to make sure we’re not damaging ourselves.”

Melissa Harwood Rom, associate athletic director for academic support, echoed that sentiment.

“He is fairly strategic in every aspect,” Rom said, eliciting laughter from others in the room.

Arkansas’ APR is up to a 937 after recording a 929 last year. Those totals are an example of academics improving under Petrino. Meanwhile, Petrino led the program to a Sugar Bowl and 10 wins, unprecedented success for the school in the BCS era.

“I generally do feel good about what is going on in football,” Long said.