Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Raiders lead C-USA in Director's Cup standings
1/24/2018 8:00:00 AM | General
Ranked ahead of WVU, Tennessee, LSU, and Arizona
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – After the fall sports season, Middle Tennessee finds itself in a solid position in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings.
Announced on Jan. 11, the Blue Raiders are currently ranked 74th in the nation. That's the highest ranking in Conference USA, and if they can sustain through the spring season, it would be the highest ranking in school history, besting their 76th-place finish in 2008-09.
The Blue Raiders rank ahead of programs like West Virginia, Tennessee, LSU, Arizona and Mississippi State.
Middle Tennessee garnered 96 points in the fall season, 51 from its men's cross country team and 45 from the football team. That's 21 points ahead of Florida International and WKU, which are tied for second in C-USA.
The Blue Raider runners capped the best season in school history with a 23rd-place finish in the NCAA Championships, the highest finish in program history. They were also at one time ranked 19th in the country, the highest ranking in school history, and captured their first C-USA and NCAA South Region titles.
Kigen Chemadi and Jacob Choge were named All-Americans after finishing 23rd and 34th, respectively, at the NCAA Championships.
The MT football team also capped its season with a bang, beating old Sun Belt Conference rival Arkansas State 35-30 in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl on Dec. 16.
It was the first Blue Raider bowl win since 2009. They finished the season 7-6.
If Middle Tennessee can keep its place atop the C-USA standings in the Director's Cup, it would be the second time it's finished as the top school in its conference. The Raiders also led C-USA in 2015-16, finishing 91st overall.
During the 2016-17 season, MT finished 91st overall second in the league. UTEP took conference bragging rights by coming in 83rd.
The first Division I winter standings will be released Thursday, March 22.
The Learfield 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 NCAA Championships. To review the updated scoring changes for the 2017-18 year, click here.
Announced on Jan. 11, the Blue Raiders are currently ranked 74th in the nation. That's the highest ranking in Conference USA, and if they can sustain through the spring season, it would be the highest ranking in school history, besting their 76th-place finish in 2008-09.
The Blue Raiders rank ahead of programs like West Virginia, Tennessee, LSU, Arizona and Mississippi State.
Middle Tennessee garnered 96 points in the fall season, 51 from its men's cross country team and 45 from the football team. That's 21 points ahead of Florida International and WKU, which are tied for second in C-USA.
The Blue Raider runners capped the best season in school history with a 23rd-place finish in the NCAA Championships, the highest finish in program history. They were also at one time ranked 19th in the country, the highest ranking in school history, and captured their first C-USA and NCAA South Region titles.
Kigen Chemadi and Jacob Choge were named All-Americans after finishing 23rd and 34th, respectively, at the NCAA Championships.
The MT football team also capped its season with a bang, beating old Sun Belt Conference rival Arkansas State 35-30 in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl on Dec. 16.
It was the first Blue Raider bowl win since 2009. They finished the season 7-6.
If Middle Tennessee can keep its place atop the C-USA standings in the Director's Cup, it would be the second time it's finished as the top school in its conference. The Raiders also led C-USA in 2015-16, finishing 91st overall.
During the 2016-17 season, MT finished 91st overall second in the league. UTEP took conference bragging rights by coming in 83rd.
The first Division I winter standings will be released Thursday, March 22.
The Learfield 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 NCAA Championships. To review the updated scoring changes for the 2017-18 year, click here.
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