The Jacksonville State men’s basketball team snuck into the Ohio Valley Conference tournament last season, but will be watching the tournament from home this year.

The OVC team was one of ten, including 2011 NCAA tournament champion UConn, to receive a post-season ban from the NCAA because of low academic progress rate.

The APR measures the eligibility and retention of student-athletes competing at the Division-I level, based on a two point system.

One point for academic eligibility, and the other for academic retention.

A team’s score is based on a scale to 1,000 over a four year period.

This year’s APR takes data from the 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years.

Jacksonville State’s men’s basketball team scored an 889, making them ineligible for post-season play by NCAA rules.

By NCAA rules, a team must have a minimum APR of 900.

In addition to the loss of post-season eligibility, Jacksonville State University will also lose two scholarships and face reductions in practice and playing time.

Jacksonville State will be limited to 16 hours of in-season athletically related activities per week with an additional required day off, limited to 4 hours of out of season athletically related activities per week, 10 percent reduction in contests and length of season, as well as financial aid penalties.

Jacksonville State’s men’s basketball team finished with a record of 15-18 last season, losing in the first round of the OVC tournament.

By OVC rules, Jacksonville State’s NCAA ineligibility makes it ineligible for the OVC tournament.

According to article 4.3.4 of OVC Constitution, member schools must meet the scheduling, minimum number of participants, grant-in-aid minimums and eligibility requirements of the NCAA and OVC in conference championship sports.

An institution will not be considered eligible to compete for the conference championship in a particular sport if an NCAA decision or policy renders the institution ineligible for an NCAA Championship in that sport, according to Article 4.3.4 of the OVC Constitution.

Jacksonville State president William A. Meehan said in a press release that the university is already taking plans to improve the university’s academic success.

“We are certainly disappointed with today’s announcement of our post-season ban in Men’s Basketball,” Meehan said. “We are taking significant steps to improve the academic success of our men’s basketball program with an APR Improvement Plan to ensure that we meet and exceed the NCAA’s APR standards in the future.”

The plan includes adding a new position to Coach Green’s staff that will direct men’s basketball operations, including student-athlete support services for members of the team, he said.

The new position will also include the monitoring of increased hours of academic support activities and increased tutoring, as well as academic mentoring and senior mentoring.

Along with Jacksonville State an UConn, other teams receiving post-season bans from the NCAA included Towson, Mississippi Valley State, North Carolina-Wilmington, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Toledo, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, California-Riverside and California State-Bakersfield.

California State-Bakersfield will remain under review because it entered Division-I as a full member in 2010-11.

Walter Harrison, chairman of the NCAA’s Committee on Academic Performance, told The New York Times that the bans send a message to teams.

“I believe very strongly that this is a game-changer,” Harrison said. “It sends a message to our teams and to our critics that we mean business.”

Harrison also said that he hopes the bans will make teams reconsider who they recruit.

“Those teams not eligible for the postseason need to think hard about who they recruit and how they support their student-athletes,” he said.

Jacksonville State is no stranger to NCAA bans.

Three years ago, the university’s football team was banned from the Division I-AA playoffs.

Dominic Renzetti can

be reached at 581-7942

or dcrenzetti@eiu.edu.