ORLANDO, Fla. -- A study of this year's bowl-bound schools shows the overall academic success of players is the same as last year while the graduation disparity between white and African-American football players grew slightly.
According to Monday's report by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, the average graduation success rate for black football players at bowl schools is 66 percent compared to 85 percent for whites.
The 19-point gap is one percentage point higher than what last year had been the smallest disparity in the study's history.
The four teams selected for this season's College Football Playoff -- Clemson, Alabama, Michigan State, and Oklahoma -- each had above average academic records.