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Note the graduation rate at USNA is 98% and, it should be emphasized that the graduation is a ''4-year'' rate. At Annapolis there is no such thing as red-shirt or squeezing four years into six or seven. Moreover, every degree is a B.S., we have no B.A. (although we offer degrees in what would be a B.A. program elsewhere). Every midshipman carries at least 18-20 hours plus daily military training, plus every mid must be involved in a sport (intercollegiate, club or intramural). Every mid, irrespective of which of the 20 degree programs he or she is in, takes history, English, calculus, differential equations, chemistry, physics, electrical engineering (light or heavy), naval architecture, and other similarly real academic courses. They do the work, become officers of Marines or naval officers, play sports, act responsibly, learn to lead others into combat and become outstanding citizens who are not only smart but also intelligent and articulate.

We offer appointments and admit [+/-]1,100 Plebes (entering freshmen) each year. They report at the end of June and endure the experience Plebe Summer until academic classes begin at the end of August.

In the company of a few other institutions of higher learning (of course, the four other service academies: Army, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine), like the ones in the newspaper article with consistently high grad rates, we are the quintessential student athlete for whom higher education is the first priority rather than as a farm team for the NFL or as a money machine to exact dollars from the alumni (like Florida and Florida State,and the majority of other Division I schools).

The sad state to which NCAA football and basketball has devolved has not affected the schools with high grad rates. All one need to do is observe football or basketball players from these two distinct groups of NCAA schools in a TV interview to witness the English language being butchered and lazy speech & Eubonics/ street talk by one group and the contrast with the other. Go through the TV archives of ESPN or another network and compare, you won't need a program to tell.

I'm not sure what study Mr. Jackson is citing (and don't care) but often the graduation rates tie into the recruiting class and cares only if they got their degree at that same school in four years.

I can tell you about the University of Texas football program which has had in recent years:

* 1 player killed in a car crash.
* 1 player paralyzed (and kept on scholarship for two years even though he couldn't play football).
* 2 players turn to professional baseball.
* Numerous players who redshirted because there were good players with more seniority ahead of them (Vince Young among them).
* Numerous players who transfered because they realized they would never be better than the players ahead of them and went to another school where they could start.

All of these players are counted against the team's graduation rate percentage although none of them were for academic reasons and most were outside of the school's control.

Although UT's football program has a strong tradition against it, many other schoold lose their best players because they turn pro early and then neglect getting their degree or get in in 5 or 6 years during the offseasons.

The graduation rates are like media polls. They say what the poll takers want them to say.