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UF 3rd in all-sports Cup; USF near bottom of BCS schools

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Behind Urban Meyer, the Gators posted their highest finish since a second-place tie in 1998-99.

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By BRETT McMURPHY

bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

Published: July 1, 2009

Updated: 07/01/2009 04:00 am

Buoyed by its BCS national football championship and national runner-up finishes in softball and men's indoor and outdoor track, the University of Florida placed third in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup, which ranks the nation's top all-around athletic programs.

The Gators posted their highest finish since a second-place tie in 1998-99. Florida is the nation's only program that has placed in the top 10 of the all-sport standings for 26 consecutive seasons.

The news wasn't as good at the University of South Florida. The Bulls finished in 116th place among all Division I schools and ranked as the third-worst program among the 66 Bowl Championship Series conference schools.

During the past three years combined, Cincinnati is the only BCS program that has a worse all-around athletic program than USF, based on the Directors' Cup standings.

Schools receive points based on their NCAA Tournament success in 10 men's sports, including football, which uses the BCS rankings and bowl berths, and 10 women's sports.

For a third consecutive season, Florida State was No. 15 nationally, which ranked third in the ACC behind overall No. 2 North Carolina and No. 8 Virginia. Stanford won the Directors' Cup for a record 15th consecutive year.

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