Stanford Takes Home Directors' Cup

Stanford is No. 1 -- for the 15th consecutive year.

Stanford has won its 15th consecutive Learfield Sports Directors' Cup in recognition of the country's top intercollegiate athletic program. The Cardinals had 10 top-five national finishes this season, taking home the men's gymnastics and women's rowing championships; placing second in women's volleyball and men's water polo; third in men's cross country, men's swimming, women's soccer, women's basketball, and women's water polo; and fourth in women's swimming.

North Carolina, Florida, Southern California and Michigan rounded out the top 5. The Pac-10 was the big winner, placing eight schools in the top 24. And, for trivia buffs, can you guess the last team other than Stanford to win the Director's Cup? It was UNC in 1993-94. Stanford finished second.

"The Directors' Cup trophy is an award we take great pride in," said Bob Bowlsby, Stanford's athletic director. "It's the ultimate team award and is a testament to the hard work and extraordinary talents of our student-athletes and coaches."

Schools vying for the honor are awarded points based on their finish in 20 sports - 10 women's sports and 10 men's.

Stanford teams finished seventh in men's track and field; eighth in women's cross country and women's gymnastics; ninth in fencing, women's softball, women's tennis and men's tennis; 11th in men's track and field; 12th in women's track and field; 20th in men's golf; 40th in women's golf; 43rd in women's track and field and 51st in men's wrestling.

Stanford has won at least one national championship for 33 consecutive years, an ongoing NCAA record. This year Stanford teams placed in 23 postseason championships. UNC captured the women's soccer title and the men's basketball championship, while the Gators won the football crown. UCC took home the men's water polo and men's tennis championships. Michigan's highest finish came in men's gymnastics (second).

The Director's Cup was good news for a Stanford athletic department that saw 21 staff positions eliminated earlier this year and faces an expected $5.4 million shortfall in revenue over the next three years. The cuts represented 13 percent of the department's 163 administrative and service positions.

Part of Stanford's problem has been the football program's inability to fill Stanford Stadium.

The stadium's capacity is 50,000, and that's not including the seven luxury suites or the 400 seats on the Director's Level. The announced attendance for Stanford's homecoming win against Arizona last season, for instance, was 30,689. The team's lone sellout was its season finale against USC, attracting 50,425 fans. Four of five home games failed to attract more than 34,000 fans.

At the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention that was recently held in Orlando, Bowlsby said Stanford's $520 million endowment seemed poised to eventually reach $1 billion, but its value has dropped 20 percent during the past three years.

"Quite frankly, when I came to Stanford, I never thought I'd ever have any money problems again," Bowlsby told Athletics Business. "Now, three years later, that $520 million is $410 million."