Texas Wins the National Championship in College Football But Ranks Near the Bottom in Graduating Its Black Players

After its exciting come-from-behind victory in last week's Rose Bowl, the University of Texas claimed college football's national championship. But among the nation's 25 highest-ranked college football teams, the University of Texas was at the bottom in its record in graduating its black football players. Using the latest four-year average graduation rate, only 33 percent of the blacks on football scholarships at the University of Texas completed their degree program. Only one other university among the nation's 25 highest-ranked football teams had a poorer record in graduating its black athletes. A mere 27 percent of the black football players at the University of Louisville go on to earn their diploma.

At the other end of the spectrum, the University of Notre Dame, Boston College, and Pennsylvania State University all graduated more than 70 percent of their black football players. Texas Christian University was the only other school among the 25 highest-ranked football teams that graduated at least 60 percent of its black players.

Copyright © 2006. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.