June 17, 1997

MSU Finishes 31st in Sears Cup Standings

Spartans Jump from 40th Place Finish Last Year

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State finished 31st in the nation in the Sears Directors' Cup, presented annually by the nation's athletic directors to the institution with the best all-around athletics program in each of the NCAA's three divisions and the NAIA. Stanford won the Division I trophy for the third consecutive year.

Michigan State has had steady improvement in the rankings over the past three years, moving from 76th place in 1994-95 to 40th last year.

Points are awarded based upon each institution's finish in 22 sports -- nine core sports each for men and women and two wild card sports each for men and women. Among other sports, MSU earned points for its performance in women's basketball, women's gymnastics, hockey, women's track and field, softball, volleyball and wrestling, all of which finished their respective seasons in the top 25 in the nation.

Final 1996-97 Sears Directors' Cup Standings

 1. Stanford
 2. North Carolina
 3. UCLA
 4. Nebraska
 5. Florida
 6. Arizona
 7. Texas
 8. Ohio State
    USC
10. Louisiana State
11. Michigan
    Washington
13. Arizona State
14. Notre Dame
15. Minnesota
16. Brigham Young
17. Tennessee
18. Alabama
19. Auburn
20. Penn State

21. Colorado
22. Virginia
23. Duke
24. Wisconsin
25. California
26. Kentucky
27. Iowa
28. Georgia
29. Oklahoma State
30. Texas A&M
31. MICHIGAN STATE
32. Maryland
33. South Carolina
34. Indiana
35. Harvard
    Northwestern
37. Oklahoma
38. Arkansas
39. Miami
40. Brown

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