SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman’s men’s programs and Samford’s women’s programs lead the Southern Conference all-sport races after the completion of the fall championship seasons.
The Commissioner’s and Germann cups are awarded annually to the Southern Conference schools fielding the league’s best all-around men’s and women’s sports programs, respectively. Scoring is conducted on a percentage basis, with only the top seven sports for each school counting toward its season total. The SoCon sponsors 22 total sports, with the league’s three co-ed rifle teams counting toward the Commissioner’s Cup standings and the two women’s rifle teams counting toward the Germann Cup.
Each sport is worth 10 points, with each spot in the standings given equal measure relative to how many schools sponsor that particular sport. For sports that determine a regular-season champion, a two-point bonus is awarded for winning the league tournament. Each school’s total for the year is divided by 70, the maximum number of points possible when counting seven sports, to find its percentage.
Furman’s men, seeking their first Commissioner’s Cup since winning their only one in 1990-91, lead the standings after another dominant fall that saw the Paladins claim two titles and a runner-up finish. Furman won its seventh straight men’s cross country title before adding a share of the men’s soccer regular-season crown and a second-place finish in football. The Paladins, who finished second in the final cup standings last year, accumulated 28.17 points, good for a .402 percentage and a healthy lead over second-place ETSU.
The four-time defending Commissioner’s Cup champion Bucs totaled 17.25 points and a .246 percentage in the fall, buoyed by a runner-up finish at the cross country championship and a third-place soccer finish. Football champion Wofford is third with 16.29 points and a .233 percentage, followed by men’s soccer co-champion UNC Greensboro in fourth with 15.29 points and a .218 percentage.
Men’s soccer tournament champion Mercer is in fifth with a .215 percentage, followed by VMI at .200. The Keydets posted fourth-place finishes in cross country and football.
Samford, which finished third at the cross country championship, is seventh at .194, with football third-place finisher Chattanooga in eighth at .183. The Citadel (0.094) and Western Carolina (0.075) round out the standings.
In the Germann Cup race, Samford leads after the fall season as it seeks its first women’s all-sport title since 2014-15 and its third overall. The Bulldogs won a share of their sixth straight regular-season soccer title and earned their first volleyball regular-season title since claiming the North Division title in 2012. The Bulldogs won tournament titles in both soccer and volleyball and added a runner-up finish at the cross country championship to total 32.50 points and a .464 percentage.
Four-time defending Germann Cup champion Furman is in second place with 25.06 points and a .358 percentage. The Paladins won their seventh consecutive cross country championship and added a share of the women’s soccer regular-season title.
ETSU is third with 18.89 points and a .270 percentage after posting a runner-up finish in volleyball and a fourth-place finish in cross country. UNCG is a mere thousandth of a point back with a .269 percentage after posting third-place finishes in cross country and women’s soccer.
Western Carolina follows in fifth with a .254 percentage, bolstered by its third-place volleyball finish, while Wofford sits sixth at .238. Mercer, which tied for third in the women’s soccer regular season, is seventh at .199, with Chattanooga in eighth at .159. The Citadel (0.075) and VMI (0.057) check in at Nos. 9 and 10, respectively.
The Commissioner’s Cup was inaugurated in 1970 and the Germann Cup was first awarded in 1987. The latter is named for former SoCon Commissioner Ken Germann, who served as commissioner of the Southern Conference from 1974-86 and spearheaded the effort to introduce women’s athletics to the league.
Six schools have won the Commissioner’s Cup in the 49-year history of the award, including current members ETSU (2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17, 2015-16 and 1982-83), Chattanooga (2014-15 and 2004-05) and Furman (1990-91).
Five schools have won the Germann Cup in its 32-year history. Among current schools, Furman owns a league-best 17, including 12 straight from 1992-2004 and each of the last four. Samford has won two (2014-15 and 2009-10) and Chattanooga won in 2007-08.
Commissioner’s Cup (through fall sports)
(Men’s athletics)
1. Furman 0.402
2. ETSU 0.246
3. Wofford 0.233
4. UNCG 0.218
5. Mercer 0.215
6. VMI 0.200
7. Samford 0.194
8. Chattanooga 0.183
9. The Citadel 0.094
10. Western Carolina 0.075
Germann Cup (through fall sports)
(Women’s athletics)
1. Samford 0.464
2. Furman 0.358
3. ETSU 0.270
4. UNCG 0.269
5. Western Carolina 0.254
6. Wofford 0.238
7. Mercer 0.199
8. Chattanooga 0.159
9. The Citadel 0.075
10. VMI 0.057
-www.SoConSports.com-