Notre Dame Captures Men’s and Women’s BIG EAST Commissioner’s Trophies
Irish men earn seventh consecutive title, while women’s teams finish with the highest point total in school history.

May 21, 2002

Notre Dame, Ind. – For the sixth consecutive year, the University of Notre Dame has captured the BIG EAST Commissioner’s Trophy for both men’s and women’s athletics. The 2001-02 trophy is the seventh consecutive title for the Irish men and sixth straight for the women. The Notre Dame men have won the trophy in every year since the University became a member of the BIG EAST in 1995-96.

Notre Dame took at least a share of the conference title during the ’01-’02 school year in a league-best eight sports. The Irish women were paced by first-place finishes in soccer, volleyball, indoor track & field, swimming & diving and softball. The women also finished second in basketball, tennis, outdoor track & field and lacrosse. The lowest finish was third in cross country.

The men won the cross country and tennis titles and shared the regular season baseball title. Notre Dame took second place in golf and tied for second in soccer and basketball.

This marks the ninth time that the same school has garnered both the men’s and women’s trophies, though Notre Dame is only the second school to earn the distinction. Villanova won both titles in 1982-83, ’83-’84 and ’86-’87, but Notre Dame is the only school to win six consecutive men’s and women’s trophies.

The Irish women tallied 121.5 points, the most by any trophy winner. Notre Dame garnered a league-record 45.5 points more than second-place Connecticut. The Irish men tallied 102.5 points, outdistancing the Connecticut men by 20 points as the Huskies finished with an 82.5 point total.

The men’s trophy was first awarded in 1979-80, the league’s inaugural year, while the women’s trophy was first awarded in ’82-’83. Point totals for each sport are based upon regular season finish when the BIG EAST conducts round-robin competition (field hockey, soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball and lacrosse) or on championship finish when there is no in-season play. In sports where divisional play is in place (women’s soccer and men’s basketball), point totals are awarded on overall league winning percentage at the conclusion of the regular season.

Men's                Points

1. NOTRE DAME 102.52. Connecticut 82.53. Rutgers 70.5t4. Georgetown 62.5 Virginia Tech 62.56. St. John’s 60.5t7. Pittsburgh 51.5 Villanova 51.59. Seton Hall 51.010. West Virginia 44.011. Miami 42.512. Boston College 37.513. Syracuse 33.014. Providence 23.0

Women’s Points

1. NOTRE DAME 121.52. Connecticut 76.03. Miami 74.54. Boston College 73.55. Syracuse 72.56. Villanova 71.57. Rutgers 71.08. Georgetown 65.59. Virginia Tech 63.010. Pittsburgh 53.011. West Virginia 50.512. Seton Hall 47.513. Providence 36.014. St.John’s 28.0