Stanford wins 20th Directors' Cup; Five Pac-12 members in Top 20

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Five Pac-12 Conference institutions finished the 2013-14 academic year ranked in the final Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup top 20, and seven were positioned in the top 27, the most of any conference, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced.

Despite capturing just one NCAA title during the 2013-14 academic year, STANFORD won its 20th-consecutive Directors’ Cup. Nine top five finishes, including seven in the top three, propelled the Cardinal in tallying 1,482.00 points. It’s the fourth-highest point total all-time for the Cardinal.

UCLA finished seventh (1,078.50 points) and have now placed among the top 10 three consecutive years and in 19 of 21 Directors’ Cup standings all-time. The Bruins captured the women’s soccer title in the fall, added a women’s tennis title in the spring, and had three top-four NCAA finishes. NCAA championships in men’s water polo and men’s tennis elevated USC to an eighth-place showing with 1,063.75 points. OREGON placed 15th with 943.00 points after picking up three NCAA titles in men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and men’s outdoor track and field. A men’s swimming and diving title led CALIFORNIA to a 20th place finish, while ARIZONA and ARIZONA STATE rounded out the top 27, finishing 26th (795.25) and 27th (793.25), respectively.

WASHINGTON finished 33rd with 646.50 points. COLORADO, aided by a national title in men’s cross country, was 39th overall (543.00). UTAH finished 72nd with 298.25 points, followed by OREGON STATE (75th, 280.75) and WASHINGTON STATE (149th, 104.00).

The success of the Pac-12 in the Director’s Cup was bolstered by the capturing of 10 NCAA titles, most among all conferences. In addition, Pac-12 league members recorded six runner-up finishes and at least one team finished among the top four in 22 NCAA championships.

The Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 20 sports - 10 women's and 10 men's.

Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on the NACDA website at www.directorscup.org.

CONFERENCES WITH TOP-20 SCHOOLS:
1. Pac-12 (12): 5
    ACC (15): 5
    SEC (14): 5
4. Big Ten (12): 2
5. Big 12 (10): 3