U. Florida finishes second in all-sports rankings

By Andrew Pantazi

Florida is the second-ranked athletic program in the nation, according to the final standings for the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup.

The standings, which will not become official until the conclusion of baseball’s College World Series this week, use a points system based on an individual sports’ final rankings to determine the school with the most success in all NCAA sports.

Regardless of the outcome of the College World Series, the Gators will remain ranked No. 2.

Florida had 10 teams finish with top-five rankings this year, according to Mary Howard, associate athletic director for communications.

Florida has 21 varsity teams, while Stanford, which won the award for the 16th consecutive year, has 31.

The standings use each university’s top 10 rankings from men’s sports and the top 10 rankings from women’s sports.

This year, the Gators won national championships in women’s swimming and diving and men’s indoor track and field, as well as second-place rankings in women’s tennis and men’s outdoor track and field.

“Every sport at the University of Florida is trying to finish as high as possible,” said Howard. “So I don’t think there is going to be any extra emphasis on any specific sports.”

To beat Stanford, Florida would have needed the equivalent of three more national championship wins.

Last year, the Gators took the third-place spot, as Florida had six teams ranked in the top five.

The Gators are the only team in the Southeastern Conference to finish in the top 10 for the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup. Tennessee is the next highest SEC school at No. 13.

The Gators won seven SEC championships in team sports this past year, earning Florida the SEC All-Sports trophy sponsored by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group in May.

It was Florida’s 20th time in 23 years that it won the trophy.

Although Howard said she doesn’t see a direct correlation between the Gators’ all-sports rankings and ticket sales, she said successful sports programs brings more fans.

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