Fresno State Athletics
Academic Gameplan Seminar on Set for April 9
4/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 7, 2005
FRESNO, Calif. - For just the second time since 1999, Fresno State Associate Head Football Coach John Baxter will hold an Academic Gameplan seminar. The seminar will be held at the Saroyan Theater in downtown Fresno, from 9a .m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, April 9.
One of Pat Hill's first hires was Baxter, whose patented Academic Gameplan has received national acclaim. Hundreds of junior highs, high school and college programs have adopted the program. Academic Gameplan is used by countless parents to assist their child's academic pursuits.
The seminar is $10 for students and $20 for adults. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 490-5900. The ticket price may be used toward the purchase of the Academic Gameplan program. Tickets are limited and reservations are recommended.
"We are very happy with success we've had with Academic Gameplan" said Baxter. "We are hopeful this program will help parents and students of all ages. It has a proven track record, not only at Fresno State, but at many levels of education across the nation. It's important to get this into the hands of students, not only those who struggle academically, both those that want to excel at a higher level."
By using Academic Gameplan, the Bulldogs continue to be a model program for academic achievement, as 43 players achieved a 3.0 Grade Point Average or higher last year. The Academic Gameplan at Fresno State is used by all freshmen and transfer student-athletes and any student-athlete whose GPA dips below a 2.3.
The Bulldogs produced eight players who earned Academic All-WAC honors for the fall, second-most in the conference. A student-athlete must carry a 3.2 cumulative GPA and play in over 50% of a team's games to qualify.
Since implementing Academic Gameplan, the Bulldogs rank second to Rice University with 65 Academic All-WAC selections. In the five years prior to Hill's arrival, Fresno State produced a total of nine academic All-WAC selections, never more than two in a year. Since 1999, Fresno State has produced at least eight Academic All-WAC players each year, with a program-best 12 in 2002.
This program has worked, as shown not only in the recent rises in the team GPAs and scholar-athletes honored, but in the number of players who have earned their diplomas at Fresno State.
Fresno State's graduation rate jumped 17% points last year and the school's NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 939 was significantly higher than the national average and the best among the 2005 WAC institutions.
By using Academic Gameplan, several Bulldogs have gone on to earn unprecedented nation scholastic awards in recent history:
In 1999, Payton Williams became the first Bulldog to earn Academic All-America status. He went on to a career in the NFL, after being accepted to the USC Law School.
Former Bulldog captain Juan Bautista, an Academic All-WAC performer, was accepted to the Columbia University Medical School.
Former Academic and All-WAC performer Vernon Fox was one of 18 student-athletes honored by the National Football Foundation as an outstanding scholar-athlete. Fox, who is pursuing a Master's degree in Victimology, is currently playing for the Detroit Lions.
"We are happy with the success we've had," said Baxter. "As I've always said, 'this is college football, not football college.' We are working to ensure that every Bulldog has the opportunity to earn their degree and achieve academic success at an equally high level as we play on the football field."
