Nebraska Takes the Lead in Division I Sears Directors' Cup Race

Cleveland, Ohio - The University of Nebraska, in fifth place at the end of the fall season, has taken the lead in the Division I Sears Directors' Cup, presented by the nation's athletics directors.

Nebraska boasts 535.5 points, having scored in five of six winter sports. The Huskers placed sixth in rifle, eighth in men's wrestling, 18th in women's indoor track and field, 23rd in women's swimming and 26th in men's indoor track and field. The Sears Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. It is administered by NACDA and sponsored by Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Wisconsin follows with 506.5 points. Defending champion Stanford is in third place with 504 points, followed by UCLA in fourth with 450.5 points and the inaugural champion, North Carolina, in fifth with 449 points.

This is the first set of winter standings and includes the sports of rifle, skiing, women's swimming, women's and men's indoor track and field and men's wrestling. Winning national championships were Denver in skiing; Georgia in women's swimming; UCLA in women's indoor track and field; Louisiana State in men's indoor track and field; and Minnesota in men's wrestling. The highest Division I finish in rifle, a National Collegiate Championship, was second place by Kentucky.

Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 20 sports -- 10 for men and 10 for women. Each national champion receives 100 points.