Stanford takes over Director’s Cup lead from Michigan

Published 8:24 pm Wednesday, January 16, 2013

CLEVELAND — After the completion of all the fall NCAA Championships, Stanford took the lead in the Division I Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings.

The Cardinal have scored 398.00 finishing third in both women’s soccer and cross country, fifth in women’s volleyball, sixth in FBS football, ninth in women’s field hockey and 16th in men’s cross country.

Michigan fell one spot to second with 373.00 points, finishing third in women’s volleyball, fifth in women’s cross country, ninth in both women’s field hockey and soccer, 17th in men’s soccer, 23rd in men’s cross country and 44th in FBS football.

Florida State climbed three spots from sixth to third with 358.50 points after a third-place finish in women’s soccer, fourth-place finish in women’s cross country, fifth-place finish in men’s cross country, eighth-place in FBS football and 17th in women’s volleyball.

Notre Dame jumped three spots from seventh to fourth in the standings with 353.00 total points, finishing third in FBS football, fifth in women’s soccer, ninth in men’s soccer, 15th in women’s cross country, 28th in men’s cross country and 33rd in women’s volleyball.

The University of North Carolina (UNC) fell three spots to fifth with 342.00 points, capturing the women’s soccer title, finishing runner-up in women’s field hockey, fifth in men’s soccer, 17th in women’s volleyball and 32nd in women’s cross country.

The Pac-12 now leads all conferences with three institutions in the top 10 — Stanford (first), Oregon (sixth) and UCLA (seventh).

To date, all fall NCAA championships have been completed with the following institutions capturing titles: women’s cross country — Oregon; men’s cross country — Oklahoma State; field hockey — Princeton; women’s soccer — North Carolina; men’s soccer — Indiana; men’s water polo — USC; women’s volleyball — Texas, FBS football — Alabama and FCS football — North Dakota State.

The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today.