Tech nets graduation honor

Louisiana Tech deseves kudos for a recent honor bestowed on it by the American Football Coaches Association. Tech was one of just 32 schools nationwide to graduate 70 percent of its football student-athletes last year.

Tech was the only WAC school and the lone Louisiana school to receive the honor. With all of the hoopla surrounding negative APR ratings and penalties for state schools recently, it's good to see one program is apparently doing things right.

"This confirms the importance that is placed on the graduation of our student athletes," Tech athletic director Jim Oakes said. "We’re constantly emphasizing that our student athletes are students first, and these high numbers show our university importance on our athletes gaining a degree."

The study involved the freshman class from the academic year of 2001-2002, including those who entered at that time but who did not receive financial aid until after their initial year, or who transferred from another institution and subsequently received a grant-in-aid.