When you decide to play your sport in college, you become a full-time student-athlete. While athletic performance is important, academics should be your first priority. The Big-12 is an athletically competitive DI conference, while being home to universities that are known for being academically competitive as well. There are 10 schools in the Big-12 (weird, right?), so we chose the top 7, based on the number of academic resources provided, the value and uniqueness of those resources, and how effective they are at boosting overall GPA.
#1 Oklahoma University (OU)
Oklahoma University or OU, offers an abundance of programs. Their academic center, the Prentice Gautt Academic Center, is open about 90 hours a week. This center houses their academic programs for student-athletes including tutoring, computer centers, advising and mentor programs, counseling, their Path to Graduation program, and study skills sessions. The Path to Graduation program places an emphasis on students making the most of their time in college while also teaching life skills. Their academic center also hosts sports psychologists who are available only to athletes to discuss their mental needs. These professionals specialize in helping athletes in addition to the university's general counseling center. OU completed their 18th consecutive semester with an average GPA above 3.0 in the fall of 2021. In this same semester, they had 94 athletes get a 4.0 GPA, and the overall student-athlete GPA was a 3.19.
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#2 Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas, like all other schools in the Big-12, has a tutoring service for student-athletes. However, what sets their program apart from the others on this list, is the amount of varied tutoring programs they have. In addition to traditional tutoring, Kansas offers Strategic Tutors that aim to develop writing, comprehension, note-taking, and other study skills. They also have Learning Assistants that work with athletes to develop time-management and get the most out of syllabi. Finally, Kansas offers Learning Services aimed to help athletes with learning disabilities and other academic challenges. Kansas had a combined 3.23 GPA amongst student-athletes during the Fall 2021 semester, and 86 student-athletes had a 4.0.
#3 West Virginia
Like all of the other colleges on this list, West Virginia offers one-on-one and specialized tutoring for their student-athletes. One thing that sets West Virginia apart from the other schools on this list is their Coliseum Academic Performance Center. This center has tutoring rooms, both a math and writing center, a testing center, and areas for individual study. This location was built for student-athletes and has flexible hours to meet an athlete's schedule. West Virginia's resources have a proven track record of success as their athletics program has had an average above a 3.0 for 10 years. In 2021, their department-wide GPA was 3.34.
#4 Texas Christian University
Like all others on this list, TCU offers academic advising and tutoring programs for their student-athletes. What sets them apart, is their use of Learning Assistants and Specialists. Their job is to evaluate all athletes to determine their strengths and weaknesses, and then build on their academic weaknesses. They also have Writing Specialists available to better student-athletes' writing skills. While TCU does not have a cumulative GPA available, several of their teams, including Swim & Dive, Volleyball, and Baseball have a history of GPAs above a 3.2.
#5 Baylor University
Baylor offers student-athlete services similar to others on this list. They have Academic Coaches that help them navigate the registration process, and to create degree plans. Academic Coaches also advise students, act as faculty liaisons for athletes, and inform student-athletes about the other services Baylor offers. Baylor also has a Learning Support team. This team is aimed to improve student-athletes' study skills, course-related skills, and writing skills. Lastly, Baylor offers a peer tutoring program. Baylor has a high graduation rate amongst student-athletes and has led the Big-12 in Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for the past 8 years.
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#6 Kansas State University
Kansas State offers a few resources such as tutoring, access to a Director of Specialized Learning, and advising. They offer tutoring from both peers and staff, who provide supplemental instruction and supervised study hours. One unique feature of Kansas State's academic resources is the Director of Specialized Learning. This staff member works with athletes who have learning disabilities or are deemed at-risk in their education. They teach athletes how to study, stay organized, and how to use textbooks based on the athletes' specific needs. Kansas State also offers academic advisors and counselors specifically for athletes. Kansas State has a history of academic success with a consistent overall GPA above a 3.0.
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#7 University of Texas
The University of Texas offers a few different resources for athletes. They provide Academic Coordinators that help athletes plan their degree, register for courses, and understand university requirements. They also provide tutoring and learning specialists to better athletes' writing, time management, study skills, and course content comprehension. One unique feature of the University of Texas is that they offer textbook loans and equipment loans to those with qualifying scholarships. During the fall of 2021 semester, UT had 369 athletes on the Big-12 Honor Roll, including 52 who had a 4.0. UT typically has around 400 students make the Big-12 Honor Roll per semester.
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* Originally published on March 2, 2022, by Daley Craft
