NORMAL, Ill. – The unprecedented success of the Illinois State fall sports programs in 2014 have led to the department ranking high on a pair of national award listings honoring the top Division I college athletics programs in the country.
ISU achieved its ranking in both competitions thanks to the championship seasons the Redbird soccer, volleyball and football programs put together. The Redbird soccer and volleyball teams each put together undefeated regular-season marks in conference play on the way to regular-season titles and each won their conference tournament, before advancing to NCAA tournament play and picking up a victory each.Â
The Redbird football team tied North Dakota State for the conference title with a 7-1 record in league play and advanced to the 2015 FCS National Championship Game against the Bison with a historic run in the NCAA playoffs.
The Redbirds came in at the No. 22 spot in the final fall Division I Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings, the highest for any Missouri Valley Conference program. Illinois State was just one spot behind Texas and ranked ahead of such programs as Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Alabaman and Illinois.Â
The Learfield Sports Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 20 sports -- 10 women's and 10 men's.Â
The 2014 Capital One Cup Fall Standings were also announced and Illinois State ranked No. 6 in the men's standings. The Redbirds earned 36 points toward the Capital One Cup due to their top finish in FCS football and finished just five points behind Oregon.Â
The Capital One Cup is an NCAA athletics award honoring the top Division I men's and women's college athletics programs in the country. With strong performances in the remaining winter and spring sports, Illinois State has the opportunity to bring home the Capital One Cup and $200,000 in scholarship funds to their athletics department and be honored at the ESPY Awards in July.
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