June 26, 2008

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame finished 21st in the final standings released Thursday in the 2007-08 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 produced 217 points — based on Notre Dame’s quarterfinal appearance in men’s lacrosse (60 points), a second-round appearance in women’s tennis (50), a regional appearance in women’s golf (27 points, based on a tie for 46th place), first-round qualifications in men’s tennis (25) and women’s lacrosse (25), an NCAA regional appearance in softball (25), and a tie for 71st at the men’s outdoor track and field championships (5).

Winter competition in NCAA events earned Notre Dame 355.5 points – 90 for its NCAA runner-up finish in the men’s ice hockey Frozen Four, 90 more for its runner-up finish in men’s and women’s fencing (a combined championship), 64 for a regional semifinal appearance in women’s basketball, 50 for a second-round appearance in men’s basketball, 37.5 for a tie for 36th place in the men’s indoor track and field championships, and 24 for a 41st-place finish in men’s swimming and diving (the first points ever won for the Irish in men’s swimming).

Fall NCAA competition earned the Irish 188 points — 32 based on their 21st-place finish in men’s cross country, 83 for Notre Dame’s national semifinal appearance in women’s soccer, and 73 for its national quarterfinal appearance in men’s soccer.

Thanks to 12 top-five finishes, Stanford (1,461 points) won the competition, after winning the NCAA women’s cross country title and finishing as the runner-up in women’s volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s gymnastics and men’s golf. Second was UCLA (1,182), followed by Michigan (1,154.5), Arizona State (1,146) and Texas (1,129.5).

The standings include results from NCAA fall competition in women’s field hockey, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s water polo, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, the football championship subdivision (formerly I-AA) and the football bowl subdivision (formerly I-A). They also include winter results from men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, fencing, men’s and women’s hockey, men’s and women’s gymnastics, women’s bowling, rifle, skiing, and wrestling. Also included are spring sports results in baseball, women’s softball, women’s rowing, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, women’s water polo and men’s volleyball.

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 and 22nd in 2006-07.

Here are the final standings: 1.Stanford 1461, 2.UCLA 1182, 3.Michigan 1154.5, 4.Arizona State 1146, 5.Texas 1129.5, 6.Florida 1126.75, 7.California 1120, 8.LSU 1085, 9.Penn State 1041, 10.Georgia 1040, 11.Ohio State 1034.75, 12.Texas A&M 1031, 13.USC 1011.25, 14.North Carolina 978.5, 15.Florida State 971.5, 16.Tennessee 953.75, 17.Virginia 869, 18.Wisconsin 830.5, 19.Duke 821, 20.Auburn 761.5, 21.NOTRE DAME 760.5, 22.Washington 745.25, 23.Oklahoma 714, 24.Arkansas 697, 25.Alabama 683.

— ND —