May 28, 2009

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame stands in 17th place in the first set of spring sports standings released Thursday in the 2008-09 Learfield Sports Division I Directors’ Cup all-sports competition sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.

Notre Dame has earned 220 points already from its spring programs via NCAA competition – 83 from its national semifinal appearance in women’s tennis, 60 from a women’s lacrosse quarterfinal appearance, 27 from a 46th-place finish in women’s golf, and 25 each from first-round appearances in both men’s lacrosse and men’s tennis. Still to come are points from Notre Dame’s regional finalist slot in softball, plus potential points from men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.

A second set of spring standings will be issued June 19 — and the final numbers will be published June 26.

Winter sports NCAA competition earned Notre Dame 205.63 points – 90 points from a national runner-up finish in men’s and women’s fencing (combined championship), 43 from a 31st-place finish in women’s swimming, 25 from a first-round appearance in women’s basketball, 25 from a regional semifinal appearance in hockey, 12 from a 60th-place finish in women’s indoor track and field and 10.63 from a 59th-place finish in men’s indoor track and field.

Fall NCAA competition earned the Irish 237 points — 90 points from their national runner-up finish in women’s soccer, 50 from a second-round appearance in NCAA men’s soccer, 52 more based on their 19th-place finish in men’s cross country (36 points) and their 29th-place finish in women’s cross country (16 points) – and 45 from Notre Dame’s postseason football victory in the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl.

Stanford (1,258.75 points) leads the competition, thanks to a national title in men’s gymnastics, an NCAA runner-up finish in men’s water polo, third-place finish in men’s cross country and men’s swimming, and national semifinal slots in women’s soccer, women’s basketball and women’s water polo. The Cardinal is followed by North Carolina (1,062.75, including the women’s soccer and men’s basketball titles – and a runner-up finish in women’s lacrosse), USC (897, including the men’s tennis title and runner-up finishes in men’s volleyball and women’s water polo), Michigan (884.80, the men’s gymnastics runner-up) and California (849, the women’s tennis runner-up).

The current standings include results from NCAA fall competition in women’s volleyball, women’s field hockey, men’s water polo, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, and Football Championship Subdivision and Football Bowl Subdivision play – along with NCAA winter competition in men’s and women’s basketball, women’s bowling, fencing, men’s and women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s ice hockey, rifle, skiing, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s wrestling and men’s and women’s indoor track and field – plus spring results in women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s volleyball and women’s water polo.

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, 19th in 2003-04, 16th in 2004-05, a best-ever sixth in 2005-06, 22nd in 2006-07 and 21st in 2007-08.

Here are the current standings:
1.Stanford 1258.75, 2.North Carolina 1062.75, 3.USC 897, 4.Michigan 884.8, 5.California 849, 6.Florida 836.75, 7.Ohio State 828.8, 8.Minnesota 826.25, 9.Duke 824.5, 10.Virginia 793.5, 11.Texas 789.5, 12.UCLA 737, 13.Penn State 727, 14.Washington 710, 15.LSU 691, 16.Maryland 668.8, 17.Notre Dame 662.63, 18.Florida State 658.5, 19.Illinois 631, 20.Texas A&M 626.

— ND —