Stanford University Athletics Makes Program History With A Capital One Cup® Sweep
The Cardinal are first to clinch the annual college athletics award in both the men's and women's race the same year McLEAN, Va. (July, 13 2018) – The Stanford University men's and women's athletics programs have solidified their places in Capital One Cup history as the 2017-18 Capital One Cup champions, and the first-ever university to secure a dual win, as announced today by Capital One® (NYSE: COF), an official NCAA® Corporate Champion. This historic victory marks the fifth Capital One Cup trophy for the Stanford women, who repeat as champions for the second-consecutive year, and the second Capital One Cup for the Stanford men. The Capital One Cup is awarded each year to the nation's top men's and women's NCAA Division I athletics programs. Along with the trophy, the programs that earn the No. 1 spot at the end of the spring season receive a combined $400,000 in student-athlete scholarships and are honored at The ESPYS in July. The Stanford men, who gained traction in the fall with a third-consecutive national championship in soccer, strengthened their position with impressive spring runs in outdoor track and field, swimming and diving, and tennis. The Cardinal finished at the top of the standings with 95 Capital One Cup points and were followed by Alabama at No. 2. The Crimson Tide supplemented points from their College Football Playoff National Championship win with spring top-10 finishes in golf as well as outdoor track and field. Other programs that climbed the ranks include the Duke Blue Devils who debuted in this year's top 10 at No. 3 following their second-place finish in lacrosse and third-place finish in golf, and Ohio State, who finish at No. 4 after a second-place finish in tennis. Rounding out the top ten in the 2017-18 Men's Capital One Cup race is Florida (5), thanks to a third-place finish in the College World Series, Georgia (6), who combined their strong finish in football with their first-ever national championship in outdoor track and field, Yale (7), who clinched a first-time national championship in lacrosse, defeating Duke 13-11, and Michigan, North Dakota State, Oregon State and Villanova (all tied at No. 8). In the women's race, the Stanford women proved they weren't going to rest on their 2016-2017 Capital One Cup Championship. They earned their fifth Capital One Cup victory, holding the record for the most wins in the history of the Capital One Cup. Adding to a highlight-filled season including a second-consecutive national championship in swimming and diving and a second DI Women's Soccer Championship, the Cardinal women also celebrated a 19th national championship in women's tennis, matching their 2016 title as the lowest-seeded team (No. 15) to win it all. Earning a total of 175 Capital One Cup points to clinch the Cup, the Cardinal women held off second place UCLA by more than 40 points. The Bruins, who land at No. 2, secured two National Championships this year, including a first-ever title in beach volleyball, along with a seventh national championship in gymnastics thanks to a NCAA record score on the balance beam in the final rotation. In third place, the Florida Gators built upon their strong finishes in volleyball and gymnastics in the fall and winter with top-10 finishes in lacrosse, outdoor track and field, and softball. Nebraska, who started the athletic year with a national championship in volleyball by besting Florida in four sets, comes in at No. 4 with points from additional top-10 finishes in bowling and rifle this spring. Rounding out the top 10 in the 2017-18 Women's Capital One Cup race is Florida State and USC (tied at No. 5), Notre Dame (7), whose game-winning shot in the final seconds secured its first national women's basketball title since 2001, James Madison (8), who claimed a first-ever women's lacrosse national championship win, as well as Penn State and Duke, whose top-10 finishes across each season land them at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively. "With great humility, we proudly accept the Capital One Cup for both our men's and women's programs, highlighting what has been one of our most memorable athletic campaigns in recent memory," said Stanford University Jaquish & Kenninger Athletics Director Bernard Muir. "The Capital One Cup achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our talented student-athletes representing a broad array of sports across the board. We look forward to celebrating this historic sweep in several ways over the coming months." Below are the official Capital One Cup final standings for the 2017–18 athletics season with the top-10-point earners (including ties) listed in both men's and women's athletics. The complete final standings can be found at www.CapitalOneCup.com.
Highlights from the Capital One Cup during the 2017-2018 athletics season include: From the spring season:
From the fall and winter seasons:
· Nebraska women's volleyball won its fifth national title, placing them two championship wins away from the record of seven titles (held by Penn State and Stanford).
"The 2017-2018 college athletics season was a historic one headlined by many firsts," said Byron Daub, Senior Director of Brand Sponsorships at Capital One. "So many athletics programs won first-ever National Championships across a variety of sports. Stanford University becoming the first athletics programs to secure first place in both the men's and women's races for the Capital One Cup put an exclamation point on what was a great year for student-athletes and collegiate sports. Capital One would like to congratulate Stanford and all competing schools for making our 8th Capital One Cup season one that will go down in history." Each school earns points based on its teams' top-10 finishes in NCAA Division I championships and in final official coaches' polls across 21 women's and 20 men's sports. The Capital One Cup winners are determined at the end of the spring season and presented with the Capital One Cup trophy and a combined $400,000 in student-athlete scholarships. Please visit www.CapitalOneCup.com, www.Facebook.com/CapitalOne and www.Twitter.com/CapitalOne for more information and news on the Capital One Cup as well as updates on the standings. About Capital One Capital One, an NCAA Corporate Champion, began its affiliation with college sports with the sponsorship of the Capital One Bowl (formerly the Florida Citrus Bowl) in 2001. Since that time, Capital One has sponsored programs including the Capital One Mascot Challenge and Capital One Academic All-America Program. In 2010, it created the Capital One Cup to recognize the best men's and women's Division 1 College Athletics Programs in the country and awards a combined $400,000 in student-athlete scholarships. As an NCAA Corporate Champion, Capital One supports all 90 NCAA Championships. In 2014, Capital One became an official sponsor of the Capital One Orange Bowl and the College Football Playoff. About the NCAA |