Ohio State Athletics Appears to Respond to Marcus Freeman

The Fighting Irish coach commented on his alma mater’s athletic and academic balance.

Ohio State alum turned Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman is under fire for comments he made about his alma mater’s athletes on CBS Sports.

“You don’t go to class [at places like that]?” Freeman said rhetorically during the interview. “Okay, take some online classes, show up for your appointments. At Notre Dame, you’re forced every day to go to class.”

These comments didn’t sit well with Ohio State, its students and fans. 

As Freeman’s comments made the rounds, the Ohio State academic department posted a link to an article on Tuesday that states that the Buckeyes’ student athletes continue to “excel in the classroom.” Specifically, the article shares the different athletic programs’ APR scores, which stands for Academic Progress Rate. Those for the 2020–21 academic year came out on Tuesday for colleges.

16 of Ohio State’s athletic teams received perfect scores of 1,000, including the football program. On top of that, the school earned a 992 overall average score, which is its second highest in history behind the 2019–20 score of 995.

“Our amazing student athletes are to be congratulated for their unwavering commitment to excellence,” said Dr. John Davidson, Ohio State Faculty Athletics Representative, via the article. “The results of their efforts speak for themselves, but it is important to remember that those efforts do not take place in a vacuum. Coaches understand the importance of recruiting players who have the ability and desire to flourish in pursuit of an OSU degree. The staff in academic support and compliance offer invaluable assistance for coaches in the pursuit of such players and provide foundational resources for those student-athletes once they arrive on campus. Athletics administration has created a culture in which academic success and preparation for life after sports are consistent goals. The academic excellence catalogued in the 2020-21 APR data again serves as a reflection of Athletics’ values at Ohio State.”

Many of the comments on Ohio State’s tweet of this article included tagging of Freeman. While the school didn’t specify that this post was in direct response to the Fighting Irish coach, many wonder if it really was a coincidence or not.

• Buckeyes Now: Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman Appears To Take Shot At Ohio State’s Academics 

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