Jan. 10, 2008

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- On the strength of a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances by its men's and women's soccer programs, Furman is in 69th place after the fall sports season in United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup standings.

Developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today, the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup is awarded annually to the NCAA Division I institution that compiles the most points in NCAA competition in up to 20 sports, including 10 women's and 10 men's sports.

The recognized fall sports include FBS and FCS football, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's cross country, women's field hockey, and men's water polo.

Furman's men's and women's Southern Conference championship soccer teams combined to tally 75 points, placing the Paladins in a 69th place tie with five other schools, including Central Florida and Texas A&M, among others. Furman's men's soccer team advanced into the second round of NCAA Tournament play before falling to eventual national champion Wake Forest, 1-0.

Furman is second highest ranked state institution, trailing only Clemson, which is in 33rd place with 152 points. The Universty of California leads the field with 370 points. A total of 178 Division 1 institutions earned points through NCAA tournament competition in the fall.