Jan. 10, 2008

BERKELEY - California is ranked as the No. 1 athletic program in the country in the final fall U.S. Sports Academy Director's Cup standings announced Thursday, marking the second year in a row the Golden Bears have stood atop the rankings at the end of the fall seasons.

Cal accumulated a total of 370 points in six sports, led by a national championship in men's water polo and a national semifinal appearance in volleyball. In addition, the Bears earned points in football, men's cross country, and men's and women's soccer.

The Directors' Cup, which was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today, measures the best overall collegiate athletics programs in the country and awards points based on final national standings in a maximum of 10 NCAA-sponsored sports for both men and women.

Pac-10 schools hold down each of the top four positions in the standings. Cal is followed by USC (343 points), Stanford (315) and Oregon (304). Penn State (303) rounds out the top five.

Cal earned the maximum 100 points for its second straight NCAA title in men's water polo, an 8-6 decision over USC. In volleyball, the Bears reached the Final Four for the first time, earning 83 points.

The men's and women's soccer teams contributed 50 points apiece by advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, while men's cross country completed its best season ever with a 16th-place finish, good for 42 points. Football rounded out the season by adding 45 points following its 42-36 victory over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Last year, Cal also led the nation after the fall (with 364.5 points) and finished ninth in the final standings released in the spring. The Bears have placed in the top 10 four of the last five years, including a program-best seventh in 2006.

California Directors' Cup Points
Sport             Finish    Points
M Cross Country   16        42
Football          26        45
M Soccer          17        50
W Soccer          17        50
Volleyball        3         83
M Water Polo      1         100

2007 Final Fall Standings
School                      Points
1. California               370
2. USC                      343
3. Stanford                 315
4. Oregon                   304
5. Penn State               303
6. Wake Forest              278
7. West Virginia            273.5
8. Connecticut              254
9. Texas                    244.5
10. Florida                 243.5

Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA's Web site at nacda.com.