May 3, 2007

Notre Dame, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame stands in 14th place in the final set of winter sports standings released in the 2006-07 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).

Winter competition in NCAA events earned Notre Dame 267 points – 80 for a fourth-place NCAA finish in men’s and women’s fencing, 60 for Notre Dame’s appearance as an NCAA regional finalist in men’s ice hockey, 50 for a second-round NCAA appearance in women’s basketball, 47 for its 27th-place finish in women’s swimming and diving, 25 for a first-round NCAA appearance in men’s basketball, and five for a 65th-place finish in men’s indoor track and field.

Fall NCAA competition earned the Irish 279 points based on their NCAA runner-up finish in women’s soccer (90 points), their best-ever NCAA quarterfinal appearance in men’s soccer (73 points), a 19th-place finish in men’s cross country (36 points), their first-round NCAA women’s volleyball appearance (25 points) and their 19th-place finish in the final USA Today football poll (55 points).

Stanford (’06 NCAA women’s cross country champion and NCAA runner-up in both women’s volleyball and men’s swimming) leads the competition with 997.5 points. California is second (659 points), Wisconsin (’07 NCAA champion in women’s ice hockey and men’s indoor track and field) is third (753.5 points), followed by Michigan (731.25 points), Penn State (704.33) and Florida (688).

The current standings include results from NCAA fall competition in I-A and I-AA football, women’s field hockey, men’s water polo, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, and women’s volleyball – plus winter competition in men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s gymnastics, rifle, skiing, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, wrestling, fencing, and men’s and women’s basketball.

The first spring sport standings will be issued on May 31, with a second set available June 8 and the final standings published June 28.

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 and a best-ever sixth in 2005-06.

Here are the current standings: 1.Stanford 997.5, 2. California 761.5, 3. Wisconsin 753.5, 4.Michigan 731.25, 5.Penn State 704.33, 6.Florida 688, 7.Minnesota 649.5, 8.Ohio State 648, 9.North Carolina 644.83.5, 10.Texas 623, 11.Tennessee 605.75, 12.UCLA 604, 13.Ariznona State 548, 14.Notre Dame 546, 15. USC 530.5