June 20, 2001
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue athletic teams continue to enjoy a record-setting year.
The Boilermakers placed 31st in the Sears Directors' Cup standings, their best-ever finish. Their previous high mark was a tie for 36th in 1998-99. A year ago, they were 40th.
Just five years ago, Purdue ranked 81st.
The Sears 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 for men and 10 for women.
The Big Ten Conference was well represented in the standings, with seven schools ranked among the top 32, a total that ties for the lead among all conferences with the Pac-10. Three Big Ten teams were rated in the top 10: No. 4 Michigan, No. 6 Ohio State and No. 10 Penn State.
Wisconsin was 19th, Minnesota 23rd, Purdue 31st, Indiana 32nd, Michigan State 39th, Iowa 44th, Illinois 45th and Northwestern 67th.