Rich Rodriguez retracts claims on football team's GPA

"I have mentioned publicly several times that the football team last year achieved the highest average GPA ever, and I'd like to set the record straight on that statement," Rodriguez said. "Last fall, in order to boost academic performance, I asked the Academic Success Program for the highest-ever team GPA and challenged the players to beat it. The ASP doesn't track team GPAs, so they provided me with an estimate based on their experience dealing with individual performance. They did not make it clear that the number was just an estimate and not an exact calculation. We apologize if this has caused any confusion.

"That said, I want to re-emphasize how proud I am of the academic performance of our team members. We have implemented several activities aimed at motivating each player to succeed in the classroom as well as on the field. A number of them have achieved their 'personal-best' GPAs, and I believe that each of them will continue to strive for excellence."

Neither Michigan nor Rodriguez has specified the football team's grade-point average, and university spokesperson Kelly Cunningham said in a statement the university does not "routinely track a cumulative football team GPA."

"Coach Rich Rodriguez has publicly stated that last winter, the football team had the highest GPA in memory," Cunningham said. "There may have been an impression that it was based on an exact calculation but in fact it was based on a best estimate from our Academic Success Program staff who have years of experience in working with student-athletes on their individual academic success.

"As a way to motivate the players academically, Coach Rodriquez used that estimate as a target for individual team members to surpass. We don't routinely track a cumulative football team GPA. The ASP focuses on addressing each student's individual needs, and monitoring academic success at the individual rather than team level.

"The ASP staff on occasion has calculated an actual cumulative team semester GPA at the request of Coach Rodriguez. This information was not retained as a record because it was solely used for his motivational activities."

Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.