BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Samford University placed second in Inside Higher Ed's academic bracket for the NCAA women's basketball tournament. Using the official tournament bracket, teams were compared based on their most recent academic progress rate (APR), which measures athlete retention and academic eligibility. With graduation success rate (GSR) as the tiebreaker, Samford progressed to the final, only losing out to the Ivy League's Princeton University by one point.
Both Samford and Princeton have a perfect APR score (1000) for women's basketball, and the schools have graduation success rates of 97 and 98, respectively.
Samford's GSR score is the joint-third highest in the nation. The results were announced in November 2025, and Samford has the highest score among Alabama schools and the highest in the Southern Conference. Samford has led the SoCon in the GSR report for eight straight years and has led the state for the last 15 years.
Samford women's sports teams are also the current holders of the Germann Cup, awarded to the top overall women's athletics program in the SoCon—an honor that recognizes athletic and academic success. The Bulldogs have won that honor for five consecutive years.
After qualifying for the NCAA tournament by winning the SoCon tournament, Samford faced Southern University in a 16-seed play-in game. Although the Bulldogs lost on the court, in the academic bracket, they bested Southern, South Carolina, Clemson, Colorado State, Washington and Iowa State on their way to the final. This recognition from Inside Higher Ed highlights Samford's place at the forefront of academic excellence, educating student-athletes to succeed in their sport, in the classroom and in their career.
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford enrolls 6,324 students from 44 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Ranked among U.S. News & World Report's 35 Most Beautiful College Campuses, Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and boasts one of the highest scores in the nation for its 97% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.
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For the latest news and information on Samford women's basketball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordWBB (Facebook) and @SamfordWBB (Twitter).
