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School’s highest ranking ever 

Cal completed the 2000-01 academic year with a final 12th-place standing in the Sears Directors’ Cup competition, the Golden Bears highest finish ever.  

Cal’s best previous placing was 13th in 1994-95. This also mark’s the school’s third consecutive year of improvement after taking 23rd in 1998-99 and 15th last year.  

The Sears Cup measures a school’s overall level of athletic success based on performances of teams in 20 selected sports and ranks all 318 NCAA Division I institutions.  

Cal had a particularly impressive spring, with eight sports receiving NCAA Tournament invitations and six teams finishing in the Top 25 in the nation. Women’s rowing and softball placed sixth, with both men’s and women’s tennis taking ninth place, women’s golf 19th and men’s track & field 22nd. In addition, the Bears received points from baseball (33rd) and men’s golf (48th).  

Other teams that gained Top 25 status during the year were: men’s gymnastics (3rd), women’s gymnastics (19th), women’s swimming (7th), men’s swimming (8th) and women’s soccer (17th). Cal also scored points in men’s basketball with the team’s bid to the NCAA Tournament.  

However, Cal’s finish could have been even higher except that four teams that finished among the top four in the nation did not contribute to the standings. Both rugby and men’s crew defended their national titles, but neither sport competes under the NCAA umbrella. In addition, men’s and women’s water polo were ranked fourth in the final polls, but the Bears were not among the four teams invited to the NCAA championships, and thus received no Sears Cup points.