TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona student-athletes' continued commitment to living the Wildcat Way and fulfilling the department's Commitment to an Athletes Total Success (C.A.T.S.) was highlighted by Arizona Athletics' record-breaking performance in the classroom in the Fall semester. While overcoming the educational challenges of learning during the global COVID-19 pandemic, the athletics department recorded its highest Fall semester overall grade point average ever with a 3.095 for Fall 2020.

"Our student-athletes consistently rise above the unprecedented obstacles of the times to achieve sustained success in the classroom," said Vice President and Director of Athletics Dave Heeke. "The academic excellence of our student-athletes continues its upward trend of the last six years during the extremely challenging times of the last year. Our department's record-breaking academic accomplishments of the last semester are a tremendous tribute to our C.A.T.S Academics staff as well as our student-athletes who display the Bear Down determination of the Wildcat Way."

The Fall 2020 mark of a 3.095 GPA is a sixth consecutive first semester increase from the mark of 2.744 in the Fall of 2014 and eclipsed the Fall 2019 record of 3.066. Last semester saw 324 student-athletes earn a 3.0 GPA or higher, which accounts for two thirds of the entire Arizona student-athlete population. Just over 200 Wildcats posted a GPA of 3.5 or higher with 91 student-athletes earning a perfect 4.0 GPA.

From a program perspective, 14 teams posted 3.0 or higher semester GPA's as Beach Volleyball (3.822) and Men's Tennis (3.463) were Arizona's top performing female and male programs.

Arizona's success this academic year also includes the department setting its all-time high score in the NCAA's Graduate Success Rate data. With a GSR score of 87 percent in the NCAA's report released in November, Arizona Athletics has increased its GSR data by 20 percent since 2011.