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AUSTIN, Texas -- The University of Texas finished second in the final 2005 Sports Academy Directors' Cup Division I standings for the third time in four years, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced on Wednesday. NACDA, the United States Sports Academy and USA Today present the award annually to the best overall collegiate athletics program in the country. Stanford University won the Cup with 1,209.25 points, while the Longhorns amassed a total of 1,075 points. UCLA finished third with 1,074 points.

The second-place finish equals Texas' top finishes from 2002 and 2003. Texas has now recorded a Top-10 finish nine times in the 12-year history of the Sears Directors' Cup: 2nd (2001-02, 2002-03 and 2004-05), 4th (1995-96), 7th (1993-94 and 1996-97), 9th (1999-2000) and 10th (1994-95 and 2003-04).

During the 2004-05 seasons, Texas won two National Championships, four Big 12 Championships and had 50 athletes earn All-America honors. In addition, of the Longhorns' 20 men's and women's sports, UT qualified a team for NCAA post-season competition in 19 of them. Texas was also the only athletics program to have its football team play in a bowl game, both of its basketball teams reach the NCAA tournament and its baseball and softball teams advance to the College World Series.

"This has been quite a year for all of our teams," said UT Men's Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds, who was recently named the 2005 National Athletic Director of the Year by Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal. "We need to give credit for this success to the quality young people who performed at such a high level and the coaches who devote their lives to helping our young people.

"For an institution to enjoy this level of success, year-in and year-out, you've got to have a university administration and regents that support and appreciate what you do. We definitely have that at The University of Texas. We also have the best fans in America who support us in every way possible.

"I'm thrilled of the success we have had this year, but I'm even more excited about our chances in the future."

The Longhorns were aided by 12 overall Top 10 NCAA Championship finishes. Those Top 10 finishes included: baseball (National Champions), women's outdoor track and field (National Champions), women's tennis (second), softball (third), football (fifth), women's swimming and diving (sixth), men's swimming and diving (seventh), men's outdoor track and field (eighth), women's indoor track and field (ninth), soccer (tied for ninth), volleyball (tied for ninth), men's indoor track and field (tied for 10th).

"It has been a fabulous year to watch all of our teams compete and finish at such high levels at both NCAA and Big 12 Conference competition," said UT Women's Athletics Director Chris Plonsky. "This demonstrates what a tremendous broad-based program we have at Texas. The Big 12 has proven to be so challenging across the board that it's evident if our teams won or came close to winning at the conference level, then they would be in a great position to challenge for the NCAA Championship.

"We also want to recognize our student-athletes' great accomplishments that we had academically in 2004-05," Plonsky continued. "It is a testament to all the hard work by the athletes, their coaches and our staff, and makes our second-place finish in the NACDA Cup that more rewarding."