April 28, 2005
The University of Notre Dame stands in 14th place in the final set of winter sports standings released in the 2004-05 United States Sports Academy Division I Directors’ Cup all-sports competition sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (formerly known as Sears Directors’ Cup).
The current standing comes after the Irish finished the fall seasons in first place — marking the first time in the 12-year history of the program that Notre Dame ranked number one. The previous highest ranking for the Irish had been second in the 2004-05 second set of fall standings.
Winter competition netted Notre Dame 203 points — based on its NCAA combined men’s and women’s championship in fencing (50 points), a 24th-place NCAA finish in women’s swimming (49.5 points), a 20th-place NCAA finish in men’s indoor track and field (53.5 points) and a second-round NCAA appearance in women’s basketball (50 points).
Fall NCAA competition earned the Irish 337 points based on their NCAA title in women’s soccer (100 points), their fourth-place finish in women’s cross country (80 points), their 11th-place finish in men’s cross country (57 points) and their second-round NCAA appearances in both men’s soccer and volleyball (50 points each).
Stanford (875 points) is first, thanks to its NCAA title in women’s volleyball and a runnerup finish in men’s swimming. Michigan (856.25) is second, highlighted by an NCAA runnerup finish in wrestling, a quarterfinal appearance in field hockey, a fifth-place finish in women’s gymnastics and sixth-place finishes in women’s cross country and men’s gymnastics.
The current standings include results from NCAA fall competition in football, volleyball, field hockey, water polo, men’s and women’s cross country, and men’s and women’s soccer – and from winter competition in men’s and women’s basketball, women’s bowling, fencing, rifle, skiing, men’s and women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and wrestling.
The first set of spring standings will be available on June 2, with a second set to follow on June 17 and the final overall standings slated for release on June 29.
In previous years in which the Directors’ Cup competition has been held, Notre Dame has finished 11th in 1993-94, 30th in 1994-95, 11th in 1995-96, 14th in 1996-97, tied for 31st in 1997-98, 25th in 1998-99, 21st in 1999-2000, 11th in 2000-01, 13th in 2001-02, tied for 13th in 2002-03 and 19th in 2003-04.
Here are the current standings:
1.Stanford 875, 2.Michigan 856.25, 3.North Carolina 655, 4.Wisconsin 626.75, 5.Texas 618.25, 6.Minnesota 595.75, 7.Florida 575.25, 8.Ohio State 572, 9.Duke 564.5, 10.UCLA 560.5, 11.Tennessee 552.25, 12.Arizona State 545.25, 13.Georgia 543, 14.Notre Dame 540, 15.Auburn 536.