University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Climbs to No. 2 in Director's Cup
3/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
A strong push during the winter sports season has boosted Minnesota to No. 2 in the Division I Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings announced by NACDA Thursday.
With 542.75 points, the Gophers trail only Stanford in the national rankings. Minnesota improved 11 spots in the standings after ranking No. 13 in the final fall standings that were release in mid-January.
Minnesota’s jump was fueled by the Gophers’ third-place finish in women's ice hockey, an 11th-place finish in women's swimming, a 12th-place finish in women's indoor track and field and 14th-place finishes in both men's indoor track and field and men's wrestling.
In all, Minnesota earned 303.25 points during the winter, the most of any institution in the country.
The updated standings do not include Minnesota’s NCAA berths in either men’s or women’s basketball or men's swimming and diving, which should both add greatly to the Gophers’ point total.
With the Gopher baseball team off to a strong start, the tennis programs both faring well, and the men’s and women s track and field teams expecting to be strong once again, Minnesota will be out to secure its first top-5 Director’s Cup finish in school history.
The final Division I Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings will be announced June 26.
Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Standings March 26, 2009
1. Stanford, 686.75
2. Minnesota, 542.75
3. Penn State, 536.00
4. North Carolina, 496.25
5. Oregon, 491.25
6. Florida, 490.75
7. Texas, 440.50
8. California, 437.50
9. Michigan, 419.00
10. Wisconsin, 411.50
