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Pepperdine Finished 36th in U.S. Sports Academy Director's Cup  

June 29, 2006 - Pepperdine University finished a best-ever 36th in the final 2005-06 Sports Academy Directors' Cup for Division I, marking the ninth consecutive year the program has been ranked in the Top 75 nationally. The previous best-ever finish followed the 1997-98 athletics season when Pepperdine tied for 38th.  

The award is presented annually by NACDA to the best overall collegiate athletics program in the country. Pepperdine, which claimed its first-ever national title in men's tennis and had a third-place showing in women's golf, totaled 489 points to finish as the top Division I-AAA (non-football school) program in the country. The Waves placed seven teams in the Top 20, including five in the Top 10. In addition to men's tennis (1st) and women's golf (3rd), the Pepperdine women's soccer and women's volleyball teams each finished ninth while men's golf (16) and baseball (17) recorded Top 20 finishes and women's basketball placed 33rd.

"Placing 36th in the final 2005-06 NACDA Directors' Cup standings is just another testimony to the overall depth and quality of our program," Dr. John Watson, Pepperdine's Director of Athletics, said. "The coaches and student-athletes who work so hard on a daily basis to compete at the highest level should be proud of this accomplishment."

Developed as a joint effort between USA TODAY and NACDA, the United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup program is the only all-sports competition that recognizes the institution in each of the four categories with the best overall athletics program.

Pepperdine has finished among the Top 50 four times and has been among the Top 60 eight times, including the past five years. Additionally, Pepperdine has been the highest ranked West Coast Conference (WCC) school each of the last nine years dating back to the 1997-98 season.

During the recently concluded 2005-06 school year, seven teams advanced to NCAA Championships post-season play. The University was represented in NCAA Championships action by its baseball, women's basketball, men's golf, women's golf, women's soccer, men's tennis and women's tennis teams. Pepperdine teams won five WCC championships as baseball, women's basketball, women's golf, men's tennis and women's tennis captured conference titles. A total of eight Pepperdine teams - baseball (21), women's golf (5), women's soccer (16), men's tennis (1), women's tennis (14), men's volleyball (6), women's volleyball (18) and water polo (7) - earned national Top 25 rankings in their respective sports.

Stanford completed the year with 1,197.375 points, surpassing runner-up UCLA by 126 points. Stanford continued its record winning streak in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Directors' Cup for NCAA Division I programs by claiming the award for the 12th consecutive time.

The Cardinal won national championships in women's cross country and women's tennis and had runner-up finishes in women's indoor track and field and men's water polo. The Cardinal placed 11 additional teams in the Top 10.

UCLA, which won national championships in women's water polo and men's volleyball, totaled 1,071.375 points. The Bruins placed seven teams in the top 10. Rounding out the top five are Texas (966), North Carolina (952.75) and Florida (913).