Burnt Orange Report

Texas Finishes Second in Sports Academy Directors' Cup Division I

By Damon McCullar

The University of Texas finished second in the final 2005 Sports Academy Directors' Cup Division I standings for the third time in four years. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the United States Sports Academy and USA Today present the award annually to the best overall collegiate athletics program in the country. Stanford University won the Cup with 1,209.25 points, while the Longhorns amassed a total of 1,075 points. UCLA finished third with 1,074 points.

During the 2004-05 seasons, Texas won two National Championships, four Big 12 Championships and had 50 athletes earn All-America honors. In addition, of the Longhorns' 20 men's and women's sports, UT qualified a team for NCAA post-season competition in 19 of them. Texas was also the only athletics program to have its football team play in a bowl game, both of its basketball teams reach the NCAA tournament and its baseball and softball teams advance to the College World Series.

The Longhorns were aided by 12 overall Top 10 NCAA Championship finishes. Those Top 10 finishes included: baseball (National Champions), women's outdoor track and field (National Champions), women's tennis (second), softball (third), football (fifth), women's swimming and diving (sixth), men's swimming and diving (seventh), men's outdoor track and field (eighth), women's indoor track and field (ninth), soccer (tied for ninth), volleyball (tied for ninth), men's indoor track and field (tied for 10th).