| Student athletes are constantly facing scrutiny over whether they should be characterized as
athlete students or student athletes. As a result, student athlete academic support has evolved,
driven by the NCAA metrics for student athletes, and finding new ways to support student
athletes is more important than ever. This study examined the effect of travel time for student
athletes on academic success. Specifically, an analysis on the number of class days missed per
academic term compared to grade-point average (GPA) was conducted. Archival data from fall
2013 to spring 2018 were included for the participants, all student athletes that participated in
an NCAA sanctioned sport that was sponsored by Idaho State University (ISU) during this time
period. Linear regression analyses were conducted to determine the effect of class days missed
on GPA, along with other independent variables such as sport or class standing. Also, a linear
regression analysis was conducted to determine the effect of class days missed on ISU General
Education Objective 1 and Objective 3 course GPA. Results of the linear regression analyses
indicated that class days missed was a significant predictor of GPA. This highlights the need for
athletic departments to continue to find ways to support student athletes in their academics to
maintain eligibility to compete in NCAA events.
Key Words: Student Athlete, NCAA, GPA, academic success |