Duke 10th in Director's Cup

[Olympic Fan]

The final standings were released today and Duke finished 10th in the Director's Cup (which measures overall athletic success):

The top 10:

1. Stanford 1508.5
2. Florida 1310.25
3. Virginia 1253.25
4. UCLA 1124.00
5. Florida State 1087.50
6. Texas A&M 1070.75
7. North Carolina 1029.30
8. Ohio State 1015.50
9. California 1013.50
10. Duke 982.75

Amazing that four of the top 10 came from the ACC. Duke was second only to Stanford among private schools.

Other ACC finishes:
28. Maryland 710.30
38. Virginia Tech 600.00
45. Georgia Tech 548.25
48. Clemson 458.50
53. Wake Forest 385.00
58. Miami 366.00
63. Boston College 317.00
(unfortunately, BC gets no credit for its recent national championship in Yachting)
89. NC State 203.88
(which explains why the Pack was so anxious to get a new AD).

[4decadedukie]

Great news for our Blue Devils.

[DevilHorns]

"Duke’s 982.75 points marked the third-highest figure in school history. Additionally, this was the fourth top 10 finish for the Blue Devils (1999, 2005, 2006 and 2010) and a seven-place improvement over 2009. Duke’s men’s basketball and men’s lacrosse teams each earned NCAA championships in 2010 to earn 100 points apiece. "

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.db...CLID=204965578

Awesome!

[4decadedukie]

A remarkable success for our University, especially when combined with last year's fabulous undergraduate admissions metrics.

[Mike Corey]

By chance, does anyone know if that's the closest Stanford has come to relinquishing its throne atop these standings?

Very surprised to see Texas A&M up there.

[bill brill]

unc won the first one 17 years ago. stanford has won the rest. u can check out all years on nacda.com. I went there yesterday to refute a claim in a glopwing debbie yow piece in acc sports journal that maryland had numerous top ten finishes. in fact, terps best finish ever has been 19th in 1998. but it's also true that n.c. state had, by far, its worst two years ever in '09 and '10 with lee fowler at helm. if the recession ever ends and duke can resume bigtime fund raising, kevin white wants to fully fund and endow all duke sports. if that ever happens, I predict annual top five, usually better, finishes. as for texas a&m, they won both track titles and did well in basketball, baseball and softball among others.

[duketaylor]

I've wondered why we don't have softball given all the Title IX consideration.

[Mike Corey]

Thanks, Bill, I appreciate that explanation re: A&M, in particular.

As to softball, I believe Duke used to have softball, but discontinued it in the 1980s.

Might be making that up, however.

[roywhite]

I've wondered why we don't have softball given all the Title IX consideration.

Don't know for sure. It is fairly expensive to field a team with scholarships (12, I believe is the max. number of scholarships permitted by the NCAA), coaching, and travel.

Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, and Miami do not have intercollegiate softball programs.

Duke does field teams in some other women's sports like field hockey and lacrosse that not all ACC schools have (6 ACC teams in each field hockey and women's lacrosse).

Maybe it will happen at some point, pending the overall athletics funding issues that Mr. Brill mentions.

[hughgs]

I've wondered why we don't have softball given all the Title IX consideration.

Where would they put the field? I've always believed that one of the big reasons that crew was approved was because most of their facilities are off-campus.

[4decadedukie]

Where would they put the field? I've always believed that one of the big reasons that crew was approved was because most of their facilities are off-campus.

Duke's campus exceeds 8,600 acres (approximately 7,200 of which are the Duke Forrest); it is one of the largest (if not the largest) university campuses in the nation. Central campus would be one possibility, as would be a venue proximate to a potential new track and field facility (to be built if Wade's expansion plans are ever fully realized). One thought might be the area immediately southeast of the intersection of Cameron and Erwin, which is still on West Campus and is also relatively close to most of Duke's major athletic fields and facilities. IMHO, space for construction is not a problem.

[jimsumner]

Duke considered softball a few years back but elected to go with rowing instead. You can have lots of participants in crew. A boatload.

[devildeac]

Duke considered softball a few years back but elected to go with rowing instead. You can have lots of participants in crew. A boatload.

I don't know whether to believe you oar not.

[Duvall]

Duke considered softball a few years back but elected to go with rowing instead. You can have lots of participants in crew. A boatload.

Also, you don't have to build a stadium for a rowing program.

[devildeac]

Also, you don't have to build a stadium for a rowing program.

Or lower the track.

[hughgs]

Duke's campus exceeds 8,600 acres (approximately 7,200 of which are the Duke Forrest); it is one of the largest (if not the largest) university campuses in the nation. Central campus would be one possibility, as would be a venue proximate to a potential new track and field facility (to be built if Wade's expansion plans are ever fully realized). One thought might be the area immediately southeast of the intersection of Cameron and Erwin, which is still on West Campus and is also relatively close to most of Duke's major athletic fields and facilities. IMHO, space for construction is not a problem.

I don't know where Cameron Ave/St is on campus. Are you thinking Towerview?

On the assumption that you mean Towerview, then while that area is technically on West Campus it would require the destruction of a large amount of forested land. In addition, that area is far, far away from the rest of the athletic areas on campus. One of the driving forces in the athletic strategic plan was to alienate any of the teams. Do you truly believe that putting a softball team out on the very edge of West Campus, away from all current activity supports that notion?

And, to think that Duke is going to clear any part of Duke Forest, parts of which are more than a mile from the main campus, in order to build any athletic arena, seems to be wishful thinking.

[El_Diablo]

I don't know where Cameron Ave/St is on campus. Are you thinking Towerview?

On the assumption that you mean Towerview, then while that area is technically on West Campus it would require the destruction of a large amount of forested land. In addition, that area is far, far away from the rest of the athletic areas on campus. One of the driving forces in the athletic strategic plan was to alienate any of the teams. Do you truly believe that putting a softball team out on the very edge of West Campus, away from all current activity supports that notion?

And, to think that Duke is going to clear any part of Duke Forest, parts of which are more than a mile from the main campus, in order to build any athletic arena, seems to be wishful thinking.

Cameron Blvd = the street you cross when walking from campus to the Washington Duke Inn. There's also a lot of undeveloped space near Towerview and Erwin. And Towerview and Duke University Drive. And pretty much anywhere else along DU Drive. Check google maps...there's a lot of space, and a softball field isn't very big. Yeah, it would involve clearing some forest. But since the entire campus was built in a forest, pretty much every building or parking lot has required clearing trees, so I don't see why the calculus would change for this.

Regarding "not alienating sports teams"...do you think it would alienate softball players more to have a new field on the edge of West Campus or not have a field (or team) at all?

It may never happen, but I really doubt it will be due to lack of space.

[jimsumner]

If Duke were going to start a softball program, I suspect they would have done so by now, especially when one considers the underfunded status of sports like swimming and diving, track and field, and wrestling.

[hughgs]

Cameron Blvd = the street you cross when walking from campus to the Washington Duke Inn. There's also a lot of undeveloped space near Towerview and Erwin. And Towerview and Duke University Drive. And pretty much anywhere else along DU Drive. Check google maps...there's a lot of space, and a softball field isn't very big. Yeah, it would involve clearing some forest. But since the entire campus was built in a forest, pretty much every building or parking lot has required clearing trees, so I don't see why the calculus would change for this.

OK, I see where Cameron is. I always call that Academy or 751. But that doesn't change my argument. While I don't disagree with your statement that there was a large amount of cutting required to build the original infrastructure, that doesn't mean that Duke is interested in clearing more trees from campus. There was a movement about 7 years ago to minimize the number of cars on campus. Part of the strategy was/is to keep a minimum amount of "forest" on campus. Unless that mindset has changed, and there's no reason to think it has, then I think the calculus has changed.

As another piece of evidence, the latest location for a new track doesn't involve cutting "forest". If Duke was interested in clearing large areas of land then one would think that an existing team with NCAA caliber participants would get dibs.

Regarding "not alienating sports teams"...do you think it would alienate softball players more to have a new field on the edge of West Campus or not have a field (or team) at all?

You realize that sports teams only refers to NCAA sports teams and not to club teams. Is your contention that Duke has a number of NCAA caliber softball players on campus that are being alienated by the lack of a team? If so, then could you please substantiate that, because I find that very hard to believe.

It may never happen, but I really doubt it will be due to lack of space.

I think the space issue is of vital importance. Look at the track and field situation. Do you know where the throwers compete? On East Campus. It's so ridiculous, that it's stupid.

[sagegrouse]

I think the space issue is of vital importance. Look at the track and field situation. Do you know where the throwers compete? On East Campus. It's so ridiculous, that it's stupid.

Is the East Campus location so they can use the frosh as javelin catchers? Just asking.

sagegrouse