By Dallas Oler
In a year when BYU”s football team had a mediocre season, the other teams have dominated the Mountain West Conference and more than done their part in earning the Cougars national recognition.
BYU is currently ranked No. 17 in the 2000-01 Sears Directors” Cup standings. The Sears Directors” Cup is a program which honors institutions that maintain a well-rounded program, achieving success in many sports, both men”s and women”s.
A school earns points based on how well it does in the NCAA championships. There are 20 sports counted in the standings-the top 10 scoring sports for men and the top 10 scoring sports for women.
The Sears Directors” Cup began in 1993-94. BYU has never finished lower than No. 28, in 1994-95, and its highest ranking was in 1998-99 when the Cougars finished No. 12.
Sears Directors” Cup standings are updated throughout the school year with the completion of fall and winter sports. The final standings will not be released until June 16, after spring sports have ended.
BYU”s high ranking in the Sears Directors” Cup standings should come as no surprise to Cougar fans. BYU has won an incredible 16 of 19 Mountain West Conference championships. Only in football, women”s basketball, and women”s golf were the Cougars denied the conference title.
“I can”t remember a year, even in the old WAC, where one school had this dominating of a sports season,” BYU athletic director Val Hale said. “We”ve had a fabulous year.”
BYU should finish in the Top 10 after a strong showing in spring sports. The women”s softball team made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament this year. The men”s and women”s tennis teams both competed in the NCAA field of 64.
Not to mention the men”s volleyball team, which won the national championship. Men”s golf just finished an exciting run in the NCAA tournament, and the baseball team will compete in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994.
Aside from BYU”s competitiveness and consistency, BYU spends significantly less money on its sports budget than other schools that will finish in the Top 25.
Six-time Sears Directors” Cup champion Stanford University is currently No. 1. In second place is Michigan. Rounding out the top five is Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Nebraska.
The Sears Directors” Cup is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and sponsored by Sears, Roebuck and Co.
