June 29, 2009

USC finished in fourth place in the 2008-09 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings, the Trojans' highest placing since the national all-sports ranking program began in 1993-94.

USC's previous best finish was fifth in 2006-07.

"We are very proud to have recorded our best finish ever in the Director's Cup," said USC athletic director Mike Garrett. "The 2008-09 competitive season will be remembered among USC's finest from start to finish. That success is a reflection of the hard work put in by all of our student-athletes and coaches. They are to be congratulated."

The Directors' Cup is presented annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Learfield Sports and USA Today to the best overall collegiate athletics programs in the country in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III and the NAIA. Each institution is awarded points in a pre-determined number of sports for men and women.

USC finished behind Stanford, which won its 15th consecutive Directors' Cup by scoring 1,455 points, second-place North Carolina (1,184.25 points) and third-place Florida (1,172.75 points). USC totalled 1,137.75 points.

The Trojans won a pair of NCAA team championships in 2008-09 (in men's water polo and men's tennis) and had 7 other teams place in the Top 10 in the NCAAs (men's volleyball and women's water polo were second, women's golf was third, men's golf tied for fifth, women's track was eighth, women's swimming was ninth and men's track was 10th). USC also played in a BCS bowl in football and advanced to the NCAA championships in men's basketball, women's soccer, women's rowing, men's swimming, women's tennis and women's volleyball.