April 14, 2000
CLEVELAND - Five-time Division I champion Stanford University has once again increased its lead in the race for the Division I Sears Directors' Cup, presented by the nation's athletics directors.
Stanford, which held a 115-point lead in the last set of standings, has increased its margin over the second-place team, Michigan, to 212.5 points. Stanford has scored in nine sports, claiming the runner-up position in men's indoor track and field. Additionally, the Cardinal placed third in women's swimming, fourth in fencing and men's swimming, 11th in men's gymnastics and women's indoor track and field, 17th in women's and men's basketball and 55th in men's wrestling to record 917 points. The Sears Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. It is administered by NACDA and sponsored by Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Michigan moved into second place with 704.5 points. Rounding out the top five are Penn State, third with 689.5 points, Nebraska, fourth with 679 points, and North Carolina, fifth with 635.5 points.
This is the second set of winter standings and includes the sports of women's and men's basketball, fencing, men's gymnastics, men's ice hockey, rifle, skiing, women's swimming, women's and men's indoor track and field and men's wrestling. Winning national championships were Connecticut in women's basketball, Michigan State in men's basketball, Penn State in fencing and men's gymnastics, Georgia in women's swimming, UCLA in women's track and field, Arkansas in men's track and field, and Iowa in wrestling. The highest finish in rifle and skiing, National Collegiate championships, for a Division I institution was Xavier (Ohio), second in rifle, and Colorado, second in skiing. The ice hockey championship was won by North Dakota, a Division II institution. The highest finish for a Division I institution was second by Boston College.
Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 20 sports -- 10 for men and 10 for women. Each national champion receives 100 points. There are four Sears Directors' Cup Awards, one to honor the institution with the best all-around athletics program in each of the NCAA's Divisions I, II and III and the NAIA. It is the first-ever cross-sectional all-sports national recognition award for both men and women. The winner of the award receives a trophy designed by Waterford Crystal, which appears at major men and women's events throughout the year.
Please note that standings published midseason are unofficial standings. Official standings will be published upon the completion of the spring season.
| Rk. | Institution | Total |
| 1. | Stanford | 917 |
| 2. | Michigan | 704.5 |
| 3. | Penn State | 689.5 |
| 4. | Nebraska | 679 |
| 5. | North Carolina | 635.5 |
| 6. | Wisconsin | 625 |
| 7. | UCLA | 616 |
| 8. | Florida | 501.5 |
| 9. | Brigham Young | 500 |
| 10. | Arkansas | 456 |
| 11. | Texas | 449 |
| 12. | Arizona | 443 |
| 13. | Arizona State | 422.5 |
| 14. | Minnesota | 418.5 |
| 15. | Notre Dame | 414 |
| 16. | Michigan State | 409.5 |
| 17. | Connecticut | 387 |
| 18. | Iowa | 381 |
| 19. | Tennessee | 378 |
| 20. | Ohio State | 377 |
| 21. | Virginia | 373.5 |
| 22. | Auburn | 364.5 |
| 23. | Louisiana State | 364 |
| 24. | Texas A&M | 353 |
| 25. | Illinois | 347 |
For more information on the Sears Directors' Cup or NACDA, visit NACDA.com