Thirteenth is no joke.
The University of Arkansas athletics program, as a whole, placed 13th in the Directors’ Cup Standings, the highest rank of any school with 19 or fewer sports. It’s the third straight year Arkansas finished in the top 15.
Arkansas’ standing was helped by two national championships, 11 top-10 finishes in the rankings and five SEC titles. Points were awarded in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s beach volleyball, women’s bowling, men’s and women’s cross country, fencing, football, women’s field hockey, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, rifle, women’s rowing, skiing, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s water polo and men’s wrestling.
“Once again, Razorback student-athletes delivered one of the most successful years in our program’s history,” athletic director Hunter Yurachek said. “For the third-consecutive year and only the fourth time since the Directors’ Cup was initiated, Arkansas finished among the top 15 in the nation. That is truly remarkable and even more amazing when you consider we are competing against some programs with more than 30 sports.”
Eight SEC teams were in the Top 25 of the standings. The Hogs finished sixth in the SEC, behind Florida, Tennessee, Florida, LSU and Alabama.
Arkansas finished eighth two years ago and seventh last year. Before the current stretch, the best Arkansas had ever finished was 14th in 1998.
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