June 22, 2006

New Orleans, La. - Two-time defending champion Grand Valley State University has won its third consecutive U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup in Division II, the prestigious award presented annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), United States Sports Academy and USA Today to the best overall collegiate athletics programs in the country.

The 2005-06 U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup winners were announced at NACDA's 41st Annual Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the four winning institutions -- one in each of the NCAA divisions (I, II, and III), and the NAIA -- were awarded with their U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cups.

Grand Valley State won the last two Directors' Cups and had been the runner-up the previous two years. This year, the Lakers accumulated a DII Directors' Cup record 974.75 points, a dominating and DII record 382.25 points ahead of the runner-up, Abilene Christian University (592.5).

Grand Valley State won three national championships, in football and women's volleyball and basketball, to claim the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup. Grand Valley also recorded seven additional top 10 finishes in women's cross country (2nd), women's golf (4th), women's outdoor track and field (4th), men's cross country (4th), women's soccer (5th), baseball (9th) and indoor track and field (10th). The Lakers also placed 13th in women's swimming, 15th in men's swimming, 17th in women's tennis, 27th in men's golf, 32nd in men's tennis, 33rd in softball and 33rd in men's basketball. Grand Valley State scored points in the maximum of seven women and seven men's sports. However, the Lakers do not receive points for softball or women and men's swimming as Grand Valley State had already scored in the Directors' Cup maximum of seven women and seven men's sports. The Lakers averaged an incredible 69 points per sport as all 19 Laker sports advanced to NCAA DII Championship play. GVSU dropped 211 points from its total.

Rounding out the top five in the standings were the University of Nebraska Omaha, third with 591 points; Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, fourth with 569.25 points; and California State University Bakersfield, in fifth with 518 points.

Developed as a joint effort between USA Today and NACDA, the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup program is the only all-sports competition that recognizes the institution in each of the four categories with the best overall athletics program.

GVSU Points By Sport

Men's Cross Country 4th 80 points

Football (National Champion) 1st 100 points

Men's Basketball 33rd 25 points

Men's Indoor Track & Field 10th 66.75 points

Baseball 9th 64 points

Men's Golf 27th 44 points

Men's Tennis 32nd 25 points

*Men's Swimming & Diving 15th 22.5 points

*Men's Outdoor Track & Field 13th 63 points

Women's Cross Country 2nd 90 points

Women's Soccer 5th 70 points

Women's Volleyball (National Champion) 1st 100 points

Women's Basketball (National Champion) 1st 100 points

Women's Golf 4th 80 points

Women's Tennis 17th 50 points

Women's Outdoor Track & Field 4th 80 points

*Women's Swimming & Diving 13th 25.5 points

*Indoor Track & Field 5th 75 points

*softball 33rd 25 points

* Only the top seven point totals for both men's & women's sports are scored...The best point total from men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field are scored.