May 3, 2007
Stanford holds a 236-point lead over second place Cal in the battle for the 2006-07 U.S. Sports Academy Director's Cup. The Cardinal, winners of the last 12 Director's Cups, have 997.5 total points through the winter quarter, far ahead of the second place Bears with 761.5 and third place Wisconsin with 753.5. The Director's Cup is awarded annually top nation's top overall athletic program.
Stanford built its lead based on strong performances by several teams during the winter quarter. Leading the way was the men's swimming team, which finished second at the NCAA championships, and the men's gymnastics team, which placed third. Other outstanding finishes during the winter included a fourth place finish in women's swimming and men's indoor track and field, fifth in women's gymnastics and sixth in women's indoor track and field. Also, Stanford's women's basketball team finished 17th , wrestling was 32nd and men's basketball finished 33rd.
The U.S. Sports Academy Director's Cup is a program that honors institutions maintaining a broad-based program, achieving success in many sports, both men's and women's. It began in 1993-94 for Division I by the National Association of Collegiate Director's of Athletics (NACDA) it was expanded in 1995-96 to include Division II, Division III, and the NAIA.
Division I includes 20 sports, ten men's and ten women's. Division II includes 14, seven men's and seven women's. Division II includes 18 sports, nine men's and nine' women's and the NAIA includes 12, six men's and six women's. Each institution is awarded points in a pre-determined number of sports for men and women. The overall champion is the school that records the highest number of points in their division's U.S. Sports Academy Director's Cup standings.