June 17, 2005

Sports Academy Directors' Cup Standings in PDF Format
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Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - For the first time since the inauguration of the Sears Directors' Cup trophy in 1993-94, the University of Tennessee Men's and Women's Athletics Departments will finish in the top 10 of what is now known as the Sports Academy Directors' Cup presented annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), United States Sports Academy and USA TODAY, to the best overall collegiate athletics programs in the country.

With only baseball remaining to be counted in the standings, Tennessee stands in 8th place with 887.25 points. UT is guaranteed of finishing in the top 10 as Texas (975 points, 5th place) and Florida (884.75, 9th place) are the only teams in the College World Series that could change the order of the top 10. Points awarded to the eight teams in the CWS are 100 (first), 90 (second), 83 (third-fourth) and 73 (fifth-eighth).

The Tennessee Lady Vols had the best top-to-bottom finishes in program history with every team ranked in the top 25 in the nation in 2004-05. Director's Cup points were awarded to the following sports: Indoor Track & Field (1st -100 points), Basketball (3rd-83 points), Softball (3rd - 83 points), Golf (6th-72.75 points), Soccer (9th-64 points), Volleyball (9th-64 points), Tennis (17th-50 points), Cross Country (21st-32 points) and Swimming & Diving (24th-49.5 points). (Note: Points are only awarded to the highest finish in either Indoor or Outdoor Track & Field but not both. The UT Varsity Rowing 8+ did finish eighth in the nation in 2005. However, points are only awarded in the Director's Cup based on total team finish).

The outcome of the baseball results will not affect Stanford, which secured its 11th consecutive award in the Sports Academy Directors' Cup competition for the NCAA Division I. The Cardinal was announced as the 2004-05 Sports Academy Directors' Cup winners at NACDA's 40th Anniversary Convention in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, today. Although the Division I race will not conclude until late June, after the conclusion of the NCAA College World Series, Stanford has already clinched the Sports Academy Directors' Cup.

The Cardinal had a total of 1,209.25 points, surpassing runner-up UCLA by 135.25 points. Stanford won its 11th straight Directors' Cup with national championships in women's volleyball and women's tennis and was the runner-up in men's water polo and men's swimming. The Cardinal placed eight additional teams in the top 10.

Currently in second place is UCLA with 1,074 points, with national titles in women and men's water polo and men's tennis and runner-up finishes in women's softball, track & field, soccer and golf and men's volleyball. Rounding out the current top five are the University of Michigan in third with 1,039.25 points, Duke University in fourth with 1,021.25 points and the University of Texas in fifth with 975 points. The next five include Georgia in sixth with 970 points, North Carolina in seventh with 915.50 points, Tennessee in eighth with 887.25, Florida in ninth with 884.75 and Southern California in tenth with 838.25.

Developed as a joint effort between USA TODAY and NACDA, the United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup program is the only all-sports competition that recognizes the institution in each of the four categories with the best overall athletics program. Final standings will be published June 29 following the conclusion of the College World Series.