When athletic director Bob Goin talks about “the package” for the University of Cincinnati's sports programs, he is talking about success on and off the field.

        He had just taken a look at some pleasing numbers from the 2002 NCAA Graduation Rates Report for the freshman class of 1995-96.

        UC graduated 61 percent of its student-athletes during the six-year window, its best mark since the NCAA started monitoring the freshman class of 1983-84. The national graduation rate is 60 percent, and UC's overall population graduation rate is 57 percent.

        “If your graduation rate overall for your athletes is better than the general student body, that's got to make you proud,” Goin said.

        The men's basketball team had a rate of 100 percent (1-for-1), which accounted for Ryan Fletcher. (When it was 0 percent for 1989-90, that was for two players; and when it was 0percent for 1990-91, it was one player.)

        Perhaps the impressive numbers come from the football program, which had a 73 percent graduation rate, including 78 percent for its African-American student-athletes.

        “You talk about where we are on the field, where we are in the stands, now where are we academically?” Goin said. “All three are measuring sticks that are stacking up to be fairly decent.”

        UC's graduate rate in the 2001 NCAA report for the 1994-95 freshman class was 59 percent.

UC ticket sales will measure interest Huggins resting comfortably UC gets high grade from graduates

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