WRAL Sports Fan

Colleges

NC State jumps 52 spots in final Director's Cup standings

Jun 27, 2012

Raleigh, N.C. — When Debbie Yow took over NC State's athletics department her message was clear and concise, refuse to accept the status quo.

And in the two years following the Pack took that message and ran with it.

In the final Director's Cup standings, which measure the overall success of an athletic department, NC State jumped 52 spots. That's a two-year ACC record climb.

The Pack ranked 89th in 2010 and are now 37th.

"It was just a verbal representation of what a number of our coaches already felt, they just couldn't shape it in that way. And so I think just finding the right words is always helpful. And of course I have it written on the wall in my office. I look at it every single day to remind myself that's the only reason I'm here, is to help improve the place," said Yow.

State's Director's Cup jump coincides with a jump in men's basketball. The Pack's sweet sixteen run coupled with a Belk Bowl win by the football team and a baseball super regional were three huge parts of the overall improvement.

And having the two marquee sports programs, football and basketball, on firm footing should benefit all sports at State.

"There is no question that the two most highly visible, prominent sports achieving at a high level makes a difference to the other sports teams, their coaches and their student athletes. It's a point of pride," Yow said.

Led by the men’s soccer national championship and field hockey’s second consecutive national runner-up finish, the University of North Carolina placed eighth in the final Cup standings.

The Tar Heels compiled 1000.50 points and earned their fourth consecutive Top 10 finish

Duke ended in sixteenth place, carried by men and women’s tennis, and men’s lacrosse’s third place NCAA finish.

The Blue Devils compiled 894.50 points on the year, marking the fifth-highest total in school history. Duke has placed among the top 20 schools in nine consecutive years.