Milwaukee Loses Appeal, Will Be Banned From Postseason Due to Low APR Score

There will be no NCAA Tournament for the Milwaukee Panthers next season. There will be no defending their Horizon League Tournament title.

The Panthers were dealt a blow Wednesday when their final appeal was denied by the NCAA and they learned that they will be ineligible for the postseason next year due to a low APR score.

Milwaukee had an average of 908 over the four year span from the 2009-10 season to the 2012-3 season. A minimum of 930 over four years is required to participate in the postseason, a new higher mark implemented for the next season.

According to the school, all signs point to Milwaukee being back over the threshold and able to play again in the postseason after the 2015-6 season.

This is a major blow to the Panthers who made a pretty impressive run to the NCAA Tournament with a mostly young squad this past season. They defeated conference favorite Green Bay in the semifinals and then went on the road to Wright State to take the crown. This coming year, the team was poised to be one of the better squads in the Horizon League with a real chance to repeat.

But that won't be the case, despite the school making a number of changes over the past few years to help improve its APR score. Two additional academic advisors have been hired, a new screening process identifies athletes with special learning needs, and a new class will be implemented to help athletes transition into college life.

With the new higher score threshold, it is likely that Milwaukee won't be the last school to be hit with penalties in the coming months.