Syracuse Takes Top Spot in Director's Cup Standings

Syracuse University has the best overall athletic program in the country.

For now.

The Orange has taken the top spot in the first set of fall standings in the National Association of Collegiate Director's of Athletics Learfield Sports Director's Cup rankings. The Orange finished with 215 points while Stanford finished second with 211.5.

The ranking comes after SU's field hockey team lost in the national championship game to UCONN and both cross country teams finished in the top 25. The men's team finished fifth overall while the women finished 24th.

Cross country coach Chris Fox has now led the men's team to the championship race six straight years while earning a top-10 finish for the second straight year. According to Cuse.com, the fifth-place finish is the best since 1957.

Here's what SU Athletic Director Daryl Gross told Cuse.com:

"We are thrilled to be leading the NACDA Learfield Director's Cup for the first time in school history. The elite company we are keeping, at the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics, is the product of being part of a great institution, having tremendous head coaches and staff, amazing student-athletes and generous supporters – without all of these groups working together this kind of achievement simply isn't possible."

"Moving forward, we are excited about the prospects for many of our teams just beginning their seasons. It's exciting to challenge ourselves to continue build on the great results we've had, and finish in record fashion."

Fellow ACC member North Carolina finished third, while Colorado and Michigan State finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

The second set of standings will be released on Thursday, Dec. 18.