DRC: Final Learfield Director's Cup standings are out

Brett Vito · June 30, 2017

DRC: UNT tied for 252nd nationally in standings that measure Division I programs' overall performance.

http://beta.dentonrc.com/sports/mean-green/2017/06/29/learfield-final-standings-measure-overall-success-college-athletics

All About UNT · June 30, 2017

While UNT could stand to increase it's ranking by at least 100 spots... I don't think this award system carries much weight.

Tell me that East Tennessee State (139) belongs in front of WKU (155). That's total participation trophy BS. Some schools might rank higher in f'in Basket Weaving (Underwater Type) in combination with high marks in Curling but that shouldn't surpass sports that people GAF about.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/2016-17/misc_non_event/D1final2017.pdf?_ga=2.120655048.1543975918.1497898942-1669119605.1462855347

Not directed towards you Brett but this "Cup" is pointless IMO.

wardly · June 30, 2017

"Tied" for 252nd. That says it all.

oldguystudent · June 30, 2017

Those standings are weird. My other alma mater finished slightly higher than UNT because of women's water polo. Another year, they finish MUCH higher because they won the national championship in men's volleyball, of which there are like six teams in the nation. Every sport pretty much carries the same weight in those standings. I wouldn't put too much thought into it.

VideoEagle · June 30, 2017

12 hours ago, All About UNT said:

While UNT could stand to increase it's ranking by at least 100 spots... I don't think this award system carries much weight.

Tell me that East Tennessee State (139) belongs in front of WKU (155). That's total participation trophy BS. Some schools might rank higher in f'in Basket Weaving (Underwater Type) in combination with high marks in Curling but that shouldn't surpass sports that people GAF about.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/2016-17/misc_non_event/D1final2017.pdf?_ga=2.120655048.1543975918.1497898942-1669119605.1462855347

Not directed towards you Brett but this "Cup" is pointless IMO.

The entire point of this award is to help draw attention to the sports some people don't "GAF" about. The idea is to show a well rounded athletic department is a vital part of a well rounded university. The idea is to penalize schools that only pay attention to revenues and not to the kids.

You'll notice the top of the list is dominated by Power 5 conferences that stress being successful in ALL their varsity sports. Because I got an MBA from Baylor, I'm on their email even though I've never given any money to athletics. Multiple emails this spring have talked about 14 of Baylor's 15 varsity sports made their post-season. Before the scandal broke, Ian McCaw emphasized in 2014 12 of Baylor's varsity sports were ranked in their 25 nationally. (McCaw came to both Dallas and Fort Worth and talked to Baylor business school alumni at least twice a year.) Being well rounded is important to the athletic departments as it does increase overall donations.

As for "no one caring," I live in Coppell where there are a lot of kids trying to get la cross, track, swimming, wrestling and other lesser known sport scholarships to top schools. No, t-shirt fans don't care, but the parents of the kids on a partial scholarship in something like softball do.

By the way, if you don't have these sports Title IX ensures you won't have a football team either.

letsgiveacheer · June 30, 2017

Good post, Video.

One of the big shocks I had when arriving at North Texas as a freshman many years was how few sports the school actually hosted. In the east, almost every school had the usual sports plus things like wrestling, soccer, lacrosse, gymnastics, swimming, etc etc. Old Dominion even has sailing, rowing, and a great field hockey program.

What the Learfield Cup does show is the regrettably poor shape our entire athletics program is in. Spin it all you want but to be among the very bottom of all D1 schools shows just what an uphill battle we have to face.

UNTLifer · June 30, 2017

More sports equal more $$$$. The P5's should dominate when there cut of their conference pie exceeds our total budget. Think about that.

letsgiveacheer · June 30, 2017

The point I was making is UNT and many other schools in this region do not offer the same variety of sports that east coast schools tend to do. Conference mate ODU offers 18 different sports. In nearby Newport News, DIII Christopher Newport offers 21. We offer 12.

Edited June 30, 2017 by letsgiveacheer

VideoEagle · June 30, 2017

1 hour ago, UNTLifer said:

More sports equal more $$$$. The P5's should dominate when there cut of their conference pie exceeds our total budget. Think about that.

Very true - they do have more money. But we should be in the top 100 with New Mexico, Cincinnati, Houston, MTSU, UTEP, San Diego, Tulsa, and Hawaii. #31 is Denver, our old Sun Belt conference mate. I notice a lot of AAC and MWC schools in the top 100. There is more than simply winning at football to being in a better conference!

GrandGreen · July 1, 2017

The only time most pay any attention to these ratings is on a thread like this. It doesn't mean that NT is awful at sports, in fact NT is overall stronger in the non-revenue sports than it is in the big three.

17 hours ago, letsgiveacheer said:

The point I was making is UNT and many other schools in this region do not offer the same variety of sports that east coast schools tend to do. Conference mate ODU offers 18 different sports. In nearby Newport News, DIII Christopher Newport offers 21. We offer 12.

NT actually has 16 official sports the FB division minimum and that is enough. Track is considered three sports: indoor, outdoor and cross country.

18 hours ago, letsgiveacheer said:

Good post, Video.

One of the big shocks I had when arriving at North Texas as a freshman many years was how few sports the school actually hosted. In the east, almost every school had the usual sports plus things like wrestling, soccer, lacrosse, gymnastics, swimming, etc etc. Old Dominion even has sailing, rowing, and a great field hockey program.

What the Learfield Cup does show is the regrettably poor shape our entire athletics program is in. Spin it all you want but to be among the very bottom of all D1 schools shows just what an uphill battle we have to face.

Do you really think NT would be in better shape if it offered additional sports? No, that would make NT less competitive in the sports it already has, not better across the board. I hope that NT adds baseball at some point, but overall the number of sports requirement is another example of why smaller budgeted schools have a difficult time competing against the P5 powers. At most schools only football and basketball generate enough interest to be anywhere close to the cost. It is not that athletes in other sports don't work as hard or harder or are any less deserving, it just that few fans support their sports.