Gamecock women’s athletics program ranked in top 10 by Capital One
McLEAN, Va. – The University of South Carolina women’s athletics programs is currently ranked in the top 10 of the Capital One Cup Standings, following the fall athletics season, as announced today by Capital One (NYSE: COF), an official NCAA® Corporate Champion. As the collegiate athletics season rolls on, eyes will be on both Cardinal programs and their fellow top-10 contenders to see who will bring home the Capital One Cup this year.
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 conclusion 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 won their first-ever Capital One Cup in 2016, quickly secured the lead in the fall with a national championship in soccer and top-10 finishes in cross country and water polo. Stanford’s soccer title came after an exciting double-overtime match that concluded with a game-winning shot taking place in the 103rd minute. The Cardinal men conclude the fall season with a 16-point lead over both Alabama and North Dakota State; both schools debut in the standings tied at No. 2 thanks to Alabama’s triumphant win at the College Football Playoff National Championship and North Dakota State’s No. 1 finish in the FCS Coaches Poll. Additional men’s athletic programs leading in the standings include Georgia and James Madison, who finished second in FBS and FCS football, respectively, tying them with Indiana at No. 4; and Akron, Oklahoma, and Sam Houston State, who are tied at No. 7.
The Cardinal women also dominated in soccer, defeating UCLA for their second-ever DI Women’s Soccer Championship. Despite UCLA tying the game in the second half, the Cardinal women scored in the 67th minute to secure a 3-2 victory over the Bruins. With the addition of top-10 finishes in cross country and volleyball, the Stanford women take an impressive 32-point lead over No. 2 Nebraska in the Capital One Cup standings. Continued vigor in the coming seasons could mean another record-setting year for the Cardinal women; they’ve won the Capital One Cup four times – more than any men’s or women’s program in the award’s history. Rounding out the top five in the Women’s standings include Penn State, whose top-10 finishes in field hockey, soccer and volleyball lands its program at No. 3; Florida comes in at No. 4, as a result of top-10 finishes in soccer and volleyball; and Duke takes No. 5, with fall points in field hockey and soccer.
Below are the official Capital One Cup standings for the 2017–2018 fall athletics season with the top-10 point earners (including ties) listed in both men’s and women’s athletics. The complete fall standings can be found at www.CapitalOneCup.com.
| Men’s Cup Fall Standings | Women’s Cup Fall Standings | ||
| 1. Stanford | 76 points | 1. Stanford | 92 points |
| 2. Alabama | 60 points | 2. Nebraska | 60 points |
| 2. North Dakota State | 60 points | 3. Penn State | 53 points |
| 4. Georgia | 36 points | 4. Florida | 51 points |
| 4. Indiana | 36 points | 5. Duke | 42 points |
| 4. James Madison | 36 points | 6. UCLA | 36 points |
| 7. Akron | 30 points | 7. South Carolina | 24 points |
| 7. Oklahoma | 30 points | 8. Connecticut | 20 points |
| 7. Sam Houston State | 30 points | 8. New Mexico | 20 points |
| 10. Clemson | 24 points | 10. North Carolina | 19 points |
| 10. North Carolina | 24 points | ||
| 10. South Dakota State | 24 points | ||
Highlights from the fall season include:
- In an overtime victory, Alabama defeats Georgia 26-23 at the College Football Playoff National Championship, winning the program’s fifth national football title in nine years.
- Defeating defending-champion James Madison 17-13, North Dakota State wins its sixth FCS national championship in seven years, tying with Georgia Southern for the most-ever FCS national title wins.
- With the first NCAA title win of the 2017-18 fall championship season, Northern Arizona’s men’s cross country team repeats as national champions for the second-consecutive year.
- The University of New Mexico wins the women’s cross country national championship, marking its second women’s cross country title in three years and third NCAA title in school history.
- Nebraska women’s volleyball wins its fifth national title, placing them two championship wins away from the all-time record of seven titles (held by Penn State and Stanford).
- UCLA defeats USC in the men’s water polo national championship, winning the program’s 11th national title and UCLA’s 114th NCAA Championship overall.
- Stanford’s men’s soccer team clinches its third-consecutive men’s soccer title in a double overtime against Indiana.
- Stanford’s women’s soccer team wins its second DI Women’s Soccer Championship, defeating UCLA.
A press release was used in the writing of this article.
