When the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the United States Sports Academy recently released its final rankings of the best athletic programs in the country for 2007-08, the ETSU Buccaneers made an impressive showing.
Especially when compared with other mid-major programs, the Bucs ranked ahead of every institution from the Atlantic Sun, Southern and Ohio Valley conferences with the exception of longtime rival Furman. ETSU was 121st in the ranking, eight spots ahead of nearby Appalachian State and 13 ahead of in-state foe Chattanooga. The nearest A-Sun school to the Bucs was Jacksonville at 141.
“What this continues to show is our excellence across the board when compared to mid-major programs — and even some so-called major programs,” said ETSU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dave Mullins. “We have dedicated ourselves to a broad-based program of success, and this year we saw that in four teams making NCAA competition, while capturing five conference championships and earning the A-Sun’s All-Sports trophies for best men’s programs and best overall program.”
While ranking ahead of former conference foes such as Davidson (174), Eastern Kentucky (130), UNC Greensboro (163) and Wofford (191), the Bucs were also ranked ahead of current A-Sun rivals Lipscomb (201) and Belmont (237).
Other programs ranked below the Bucs included Xavier (124), Rutgers (126), Middle Tennessee State (128), Colorado State (133), DePaul (151), Cincinnati (164), Winthrop (166), UAB (183), Marquette (197) and Gonzaga (201).
The U.S. Sports Academy Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. The United States Sports Academy, based in Daphne, Ala., is the program’s sponsor. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in up to 20 sports – 10 men’s and 10 women’s.
Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA’s web site at www.nacda.com.