Concern over the academic talent development of Division I student-athletes has led to increased research to explain variations in their academic performance. Although a substantial amount of attention has been given to the relationship between student-athletes and their levels of academic success, there remain critical theoretical and analytical gaps. The purpose of this article is to develop a conceptual model to understand and explain the cumulative processes and characteristics--as a whole and in stages--that influence academic success for Division I student-athletes. Research on student-athletes and academic success is reviewed and synthesized to provide a rationale for the basic elements of the conceptual model. (Contains 2 notes and 1 figure.)