Temple's APR of 868 - its average score for the 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07 academic years - cost the Owls four scholarships and four hours a week of practice/workout time during the coming season.

Next year, teams that don't meet their APR requirements could be banned from postseason play.

Temple needed to be at 900 or above to avoid sanctions.

The Academic Progress Rate, now in its fourth year, measures the eligibility, retention and numbers of graduates among student-athletes, and also is used as a predictor of graduation success.

The most damaging occurrence for a program is when an athlete leaves school while ineligible - he becomes an 0 for 2.

When Golden took over the Owls in December 2005, the team's APR was at a level that would lead to a reduction of nine scholarships that spring. Those scholarships were restored last year because the school was making progress toward upgrading the school's academics, and teams such as Temple that fell below the APR standards were given warnings. But the hole was too deep because of the large number of players from 2004-05, including junior-college transfers, who eventually did not graduate.

Golden has not had an 0 for 2 during his tenure.

"The penalties we received today are historical in nature," Golden said in a press release that was issued with the coach out of town. "Not a single member of our organization was here when these issues transpired. In the world of coaching, we have a saying: 'Yesterday ended last night.' We inherited a liability, and in just 29 months, we made it our greatest single asset."

Under NCAA rules, schools can apply for a waiver request for penalties. Temple did so, and was granted some relief.

If a school submits a waiver request, the NCAA staff reviews the team's improvement plan, which is based in part on goals for improving its APR score.

In Temple's case this year, the university was credited with its reorganization of the Owls' academic support system for all athletes in the fall of '06.

Also, Golden's first recruiting class compiled an APR of 980 while last year's group is projected to finish this year with about a 975.

By contrast, Rutgers football team was ranked No. 3 in the nation with a score of 977.

The top five Football Bowl Subdivision schools in terms of APR are Stanford (986), Navy (979), Rutgers (977), Duke (977) and Air Force (976). Penn State's score was 964.

Erik Christianson, a spokesman for the NCAA, could not speak specifically about Temple when reached yesterday. But he suggested that the Owls could have been hit harder were it not for the academic results they have been turning in the last two years.

"That is one of the benchmarks we review," said Christianson. "We underscore demonstrated improvement, and that is considered as to how penalties are determined."

As for the practice/workout time penalty Temple must deal with, the cut can be applied to either on-the-field activities or strength-training sessions.

The most likely way for a team to satisfy that sanction is make one hour of strength training "voluntary."

Schools That Failed to Make the Grade

Here is the list of schools and teams that have posted two consecutive Academic Progress Rates of less than 900 according to the NCAA report that lists Temple football.

A third consecutive score under 900 next year would ban the teams from postseason competition.

(In alphabetical order)

Cal.State-Fresno - men's basketball

Cal State-Sacramento - football

Centenary - baseball, men's basketball

East Carolina - men's basketball

Florida International - baseball

Hampton - men's basketball

Indiana State - men's tennis

Jacksonville State - football

Louisiana-Lafayette - men's basketball

Montana State - football

Morgan State - women's volleyball

Murray State - football

New Mexico State - men's basketball

New Orleans - baseball

Oral Roberts - baseball

San Jose State - football, men's cross country, men's soccer

Southern - football

Temple - football

Tennessee-Chattanooga - football, wrestling

Texas Arlington - baseball

Texas Southern - men's tennis

Weber State - football

- Associated Press