University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Rank Fourth in Latest 2000 Sears Directors' Cup Standings
June 14, 2000 | General
June 14, 2000
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The University of North Carolina currently ranks in fourth place in the 1999-2000 Sears Directors' Cup standings released Tuesday by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. It will mark the sixth time in seven years that the Carolina athletic program has finished in the Top 10 of the Sears Directors' Cup standings. North Carolina was the inaugural Sears Cup champion in 1993-94. The Sears Directors' Cup is presented annually by NACDA to the best overall collegiate athletics program in the country. Final standings will be released on Wednesday, June 21.
For the sixth consecutive year, Stanford University will finish first in the NCAA Division I standings, winning the Sears Directors' Cup with a total of 1,269.5 points. Sears and NACDA will award each of the top five institutions in all four categories with Sears Directors' Cup plaques, commemorating their program's dedication to athletics greatness. UCLA is in second with 1,103.5 points, Michigan claims third with 965 points, North Carolina ranks fourth with 908.5 points and Penn State currently rounds out the top five with 859.5 points.
The Sears Directors' Cup program, which awards Waterford Crystal trophies to the top athletics programs and a total of $100,000 in postgraduate academic scholarships each year to students in NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA institutions, is presented in partnership by Sears and NACDA.
The Tar Heels won the inaugural Sears Directors Cup competition in 1994. UNC finished second in 1995, 1997 and 1998 and sixth in 1996. Carolina's worst finish to date was a 17th place in 1999, but that was followed up by an improvement of 13 places in this year's competition.
The Sears Directors' Cup competition honors the school with the best NCAA championship performances in 20 sports. A school can count as many as 10 men's and 10 women's sports in determining its Sears Directors' Cup point total. No more than 20 sports can be counted and no more than 10 sports can be counted per gender. The 10 best finishes for either men or women are used in determining the point totals, regardless of sport. Only NCAA sponsored sports and Division I football are eligible for scoring purposes.
Men's sports are baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.
Women's sports are basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field and volleyball.
The coed sports of fencing, skiing and rifle can be used for either gender, whichever produces the most points for the school. A school uses only one track and field finish per year, indoor or outdoor, whichever is higher.
Sears Directors' Cup points are based on a team's NCAA Tournament finish and the size of the tournament bracket and it varies from sport to sport. A school must qualify for the NCAA Tournament to be eligible for points in any given sport. Poll finishes are not used to determine points in any sport except NCAA Division I football where points are based on the final USA Today/ESPN coaches poll of the season.
This year's Top 10 leaders in the Sears Directors' Cup standings for NCAA Division I include:
1. Stanford 1,269.5 points
2. UCLA 1,103.5 points
3. Michigan 965 points
4. North Carolina 908.5 points
5. Penn State 859.5 points
6. Nebraska 856 points
7. Florida 842 points
8. Arizona 837.5 points
9. Texas 741 points
10. Arizona State 733 points
