Our student-athletes hit the books as hard as the boards. Just ask the NCAA. In its latest multiyear data on Division I Academic Progress Rate, 21 BU teams exceeded their sport’s national average—and 7 of them posted perfect scores.

But this year, we took things up a notch. After decades with the America East Conference, which BU helped found in 1979, we threw in with the Patriot League. It’s all part of President Brown’s drive to enroll ever-smarter students. Since 1998, the Patriot League has boasted the highest graduation rates for student-athletes among Division I conferences.

“We are very impressed by the academic quality of the institutions in the Patriot League and by the league’s commitment to student athletics while effectively competing at the NCAA Division I level,” he says.

“BU has a strong tradition of excellence in academics and Division I athletics, both of which reflect the core values of the Patriot League,” says Carolyn Schlie Femovich, the league’s executive director. “They will strengthen the league both in the classroom and on the field of play.”

2013 Was a Year of Firsts for BU Athletics