May 20, 2003
ARLINGTON, Texas...For the third time since the award was initiated
in the 1997-98 athletic and academic year, The University of Texas at
Arlington has claimed the Southland Conference Commissioner's Cup,
representative of the conference's top overall athletic department based on
conference standings in each sport sponsored by the SLC. The Mavericks also
claimed the SLC's Men's All-Sports Trophy, awarded to the athletic
department with the most Commissioner's Cup points by it men's teams only.
Commissioner's Cup standings are determined by adding Men's All-Sports and
Women's All-Sports points.
Texas-Arlington has won the Commissioner's Cup every other year since
1998-99. The Mavericks' total of 170.0 Commissioner's Cup points is the
third highest in conference history, trailing only its 1998-99 total of
171.5 points and Southwest Texas' 171.0 points last year. Southwest Texas
finished second in the standings this year with 167.5 points. The 2.5 point
difference marked the second closest Commissioner's Cup race in history.
Northwestern State beat out UTA by just one point in the award's inaugural
year in 1997-98.
UTA easily outdistanced Southwest Texas in the Men's All-Sports
standings with 77.0 points, 6.5 points more than the Bobcats' total. The
Men's All-Sports championship is the fourth in the past seven years for UTA.
The Men's All-Sports points are based on 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4
and 2 points awarded for first through 11th place in the sports of
basketball and baseball, while the sports of indoor track, outdoor track,
I-AA football, cross country, golf and tennis use a one through 11 point
system, with 11 points going to the champion.
UTA's women's teams combined for 93.0 points, four fewer than SWT's
total of 97.0 points. Women's All-Sports points are based on 22, 20, 18,
16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2 points for first through 11th place in the
sports of volleyball, basketball and softball, while indoor track, outdoor
track, soccer, cross country, golf and tennis use a one through 11 point
system, with 11 points going to the champion.
Texas-Arlington claimed Southland Conference regular season
championships in volleyball, softball and men's tennis in 2002-03.
Along with the three Commissioner's Cups won by the UTA athletics department, the Mavericks won both the Men's All-Sports Trophy and the Women's All-Sports Trophy in 1996-97, the year before the Commissioner's Cup was awarded for the first time.
Overall standings are listed below.
Final 2002-03 Commissioner's Cup Point Standings
School, Men's Points-Women's Points=Total
1. TEXAS-ARLINGTON, 77.0 - 93.0=170.0
2. Southwest Texas, 70.5-97.0=167.5
3. Stephen F. Austin, 61.5-89.0=150.5
4. McNeese State, 56.0-81.5=137.5
5. Sam Houston State, 69.0-59.0=128.0
6. Northwestern State, 55.0-70.0=125.0
7. Texas-San Antonio, 56.0-65.5=121.5
8. Lamar, 62.0-47.0=109.0
9. Louisiana-Monroe, 44.0-54.5=98.5
10. Southeastern La., 40.0-45.5=85.5
11. Nicholls State, 19.5-57.0=76.5
Southland Conference Commissioner's Cup Winners
1997-98: Northwestern State
1998-99: TEXAS-ARLINGTON
1999-2000: Southwest Texas
2000-01: TEXAS-ARLINGTON
2001-02: Southwest Texas
2002-03: TEXAS-ARLINGTON
...utamavericks...