June 27, 2005
Endicott College has been recognized again this year as one of the best overall collegiate athletic programs in the country by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), United States Sports Academy and USA Today. Out of approximately 420 NCAA Division III college athletic programs, Endicott is ranked 85th nationally and 14th in New England.
Endicott finds itself in good company in New England. Williams College defended its national title by winning the prestigious Sports Academy Directors' Cup (awarded to the number one ranked school) for the ninth time in the last 10 years. Rounding out the other top New England schools are Middlebury (who finished second nationally), Amherst, Springfield, Bowdoin, Bates, Colby, Keene State, Trinity, Wheaton, Tufts, Wesleyan, and MIT. Endicott is the only Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) team receiving a national ranking.
Endicott received points for winning the CCC Title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament in five of their 15 NCAA eligible sports: women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's basketball, men's lacrosse, and women's softball. Men's lacrosse placed 9th nationally receiving 53 points, women's softball placed 17th (50 points), and women's soccer, women's volleyball and men's basketball all placed 33rd receiving 25 points each.
This is the second consecutive year Endicott has been ranked. Last year the Gulls finished 10th in New England with CCC Championships and NCAA tournament bids in women's soccer, men's basketball, men's lacrosse, baseball and softball.
The 2004-05 Sports Academy Directors' Cup winners were announced at NACDA's 40th Anniversary Convention in Lake Buena Vista, Florida and the four winning institutions - one in each of the NCAA Division (I, II, III) and the NAIA - were awarded with their Sports Academy Directors' Cups.
Developed as a joint effort between USA Today and NACDA, the 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.