June 10, 2007

Notre Dame, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame stands in 18th place in the second set of spring 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).

Spring NCAA competition to date has earned the Irish 197 points based on a second straight quarterfinal appearance in women’s tennis (73 points), a round of 16 qualification in men’s tennis (64), a first-round appearance in men’s lacrosse (25), a regional appearance in softball (25) and a 12th-place finish in women’s rowing (10). Still to come are potential points from contestants in NCAA men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.

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 ’07 men’s golf champion and NCAA runner-up in women’s volleyball, men’s swimming and women’s water polo) leads the competition with 1,345.5 points. UCLA (’07 NCAA women’s water polo champion and men`s soccer and women’s tennis runner-up) is second with 1049 points, followed by Florida (’06 football and ’07 men’s basketball national champions) at 1001.75 points, North Carolina (995.83) and California (979.5).

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 – and spring competition in men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s golf, women’s rowing, men’s volleyball and women’s water polo.

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 1345.5, 2.UCLA 1049, 3.Florida 1001.75, 4.North Carolina 995.83, 5.California 979.5, 6.USC 956.5, 7.Duke 944.75, 8.Tennessee 940.25, 9.Michigan 931.25, 10.Ohio State 897.5, 11.Virginia 871, 12.Georgia 855.50, 13.Texas 852.25, 14.Wisconsin 842, 15.Minnesota 806.75, 16.Penn State 805.33, 17.Arizona State 781, 18. Notre Dame 743, 19.Auburn 717.5, 20.Florida State 712.75, 21.LSU 708, 22.Texas A&M 686, 23.Northwestern 626.5, 24.Wake Forest 617.5, 25.Oklahoma 609.75.