UW-Milwaukee Ranks Among National Leaders in Fall U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup Standings

Feb. 9, 2006

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Horizon League member University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is tied for 41st through the fall sports standings of the 2005-06 United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup presented by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).


Formerly known as the Sears Directors' Cup, the annual contest awards points for NCAA post-season appearances and performances in all sports.


The Panthers are tied with Appalachian State University and Louisiana State University with 100 points, just two behind 40th-place University of Michigan. Milwaukee earned 50 points apiece in men's and women's soccer by advancing to the second round of both NCAA championships. The Panther men shut out Bradley University 2-0 in the first round of the NCAAs, while the UWM women eliminated Purdue University on penalty kicks (6-5) following a scoreless regulation and two overtimes.


UW-Milwaukee, which has won the McCafferty Trophy as the Horizon League's all-sports champion the past two years, ranks eighth-highest among non-BCS programs and fourth among institutions that do not sponsor football at any level.


Butler University was tied for 86th through the fall standings as the other Horizon League school among the Directors' Cup top 100. The Bulldogs totaled 50 points in the fall, garnering 26 points for a 24th-place finish in women's cross country and 24 for 25th place in men's cross country.


Loyola University Chicago also earned points during the fall with a 31st-place finish in men's cross country and a first-round match in the NCAA women's volleyball championship. The Ramblers, however, did not receive enough points to rank among the top 103 teams (18 teams tied for 86th place) released by NACDA with a minimum of 50 points.


The University of Notre Dame leads the Directors' Cup rankings with 412 points through the fall, followed by Pennsylvania State University (308.5 points) and 11-time defending champion Stanford University (282). Duke University (280) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (277) round out the top five. The next rankings will be released in the spring following the conclusion of winter sports championships.


For the complete fall standings, log on to www.nacda.com.