Furman men and women claim Southern Conference all-sports races
Paladins’ men win for the first time in five years, Paladins’ women claim the cup for the first time since 2019
SAVANNAH, Ga. – With the completion of the spring seasons of league competition, Furman’s men’s and women’s programs have won the races for the Southern Conference’s all-sport trophies. The winners were honored at the league’s Honors Reception on Wednesday evening at the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District in Savannah, Georgia.
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 20 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.
The Paladins won the Commissioner’s Cup for the third time, moving up three spots from their fourth-place finish in the standings a year ago. Furman claimed four titles in 2025-26, with those coming in men’s soccer, both the regular season and tournament, along with tournament crowns in cross country and men’s basketball. Furman’s men finished with 60.57 points, which is good for an .865 percentage.
Mercer followed in second with a total of 55.08 points, which is good for a .787 percentage. The Bears captured outright titles in football and baseball during the school year. Samford followed closely behind with 53.85 points and a .769 percentage. The Bulldogs won the indoor and outdoor track & field championships along with the men’s tennis tournament crown.
ETSU was fourth, ending the year with 49.97 points and a .714 percentage. The Buccaneers won the regular season titles in men’s basketball and men’s tennis. Western Carolina finished fifth with 46.78 points and a .668 percentage. The Catamounts had second-place finishes in football, outdoor track & field and baseball.
Coming in sixth was Chattanooga with 39.64 points and a .566 percentage. The Mocs won the men’s golf championship and had a second-place finish in wrestling. Wofford followed in seventh with 37.63 points and a .538 percentage.
UNCG (.476) was eighth, The Citadel (.466), who won the baseball tournament title, was ninth and VMI (.369) rounded out the standings.
In the Germann Cup race, Furman won the cross country and women’s golf tournaments along with the regular season crown in women’s tennis. The Paladins also had second-place finish in volleyball. Furman finished with 58.81 points and a .840 percentage, narrowly defeating Samford and ending the Bulldogs’ run of five consecutive Germann Cup victories.
Since joining the league in 2008-09, Samford has finished in the top two of the Germann Cup standings 15 of a possible 17 times and in the top four each year. The Bulldogs took home the regular season and tournament titles in women’s soccer along with an indoor track & field crown. Samford had 58.17 points and a .831 percentage.
ETSU finished third with 54.06 points and a .772 percentage. The Bucs were the outright regular season champions in volleyball, the co-champions in women’s basketball and the conference tournament winners in women’s tennis. Chattanooga came in fourth with 52.99 points and a .757 percentage. The Mocs won a share of the regular season crown in women’s basketball and were second at the women’s golf championship.
Wofford completed the year in fifth with a .702 percentage. Western Carolina (.669), who won the outdoor track & field championship, finished sixth and UNCG (.544), the softball regular season and tournament champion, came in seventh
Mercer was eighth with .514. VMI (.263) and The Citadel (.145) rounded out the standings.
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.
The 2025-26 academic year saw a winner of the Commissioner’s Cup crowned for the 56th time and the Germann Cup awarded for the 39th time. The cups were not awarded in 2019-20 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Seven schools have won the Commissioner’s Cup in its history, including current members ETSU (2024-25, 2021-22, 2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17, 2015-16 and 1982-83), Furman (1990-91, 2020-21 and 2025-26), Chattanooga (2014-15 and 2004-05) and Samford (2022-23 and 2023-24).
Five schools have won the Germann Cup. Among current schools, Furman owns a league-best 18, including 12 straight from 1992-2004 and five of six from 2013-14 to 2018-19. Samford has won seven (2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2014-15 and 2009-10) and Chattanooga won in 2007-08.
Three other conference awards were given during the SoCon’s Honors Reception as well. The winner of the Barrett-Bonner Award, given to the institution that places the highest percentage of its student-athletes on the league's academic honor roll, was UNC Greensboro. The Citadel was the winner of the D.S. McAlister Sportsmanship Award, and Samford won the Graduation Rate Award.
(Men’s athletics – final standings)
1. Furman .865
2. Mercer .787
3. Samford .768
4. ETSU .714
5. Western Carolina .668
6. Chattanooga .566
7. Wofford .538
8. UNCG .476
9. The Citadel .466
10. VMI .369
Germann Cup
(Women’s athletics – final standings)
1. Furman .840
2. Samford .831
3. ETSU .772
4. Chattanooga .757
5. Wofford .702
6. Western Carolina .669
7. UNCG .544
8. Mercer .514
9. VMI .263
10. The Citadel .145