Stanford University is Top School for Academically Minded Athletes
Most Recognized, Comprehensive College Rankings & Resource for High School Athletes Awards Highest Honor to Stanford University for 2nd Straight Year Survey Lists Overall Elite 50 & Individual Team Rankings for 21 Varsity Sports
STACK Media, the leading producer and distributor of sports performance, instruction and lifestyle content for high school athletes, announced the findings from its third annual “STACK Elite 50 College Rankings” – which is the most recognized, comprehensive college rankings and resource of its kind and a powerful research tool for any high school athlete looking to compete and study at the next level. For the second straight year, Stanford University came out on top by finishing number one in seven of the 21 sport-specific rankings. Aside from the overall Elite 50 standings, which highlights the best schools in terms of a strong overall athletic presence, individual team rankings for 21 varsity sports are also listed. The full rankings can be found in STACK Media’s Holiday print edition, which is out today.
In addition to rankings and stories about top ranked schools in the Holiday edition of STACK Magazine, STACK Media has also compiled exclusive interviews with Elite 50 colleges’ coaches, athletes and academic advisors on the dedicated section of the Web site – http://elite50.stack.com/.
“Serious high school athletes want to elevate their game to the next level with credible information on training and performance, but reliable sources on their best options for schools with top academic and athletic programs are extremely limited for them to turn to,” said Nick Palazzo, Co-founder and Co-CEO of STACK Media. “The college recruiting and selection process is demanding, time consuming and stressful, and we aim to make it easier for students in researching and calculating the top colleges out there with the STACK Elite 50 College Rankings. Whatever your sport of choice may be, we’ve listed the right college for you.”
*Stanford University claims top spot
Stanford University was the first ever repeat winner by coming out number one in eight sports and fielding 17 top-15 squads, along with being ranked by U.S. News as America’s fourth best academic college/university. Florida nailed down the number two overall ranking with only one top-ranked sport (softball), but had 15 top-15 squads and was ranked 47 by U.S. News. The school jumped from last year’s number five listing.
The North Carolina Tar Heels, who were number one in ’07 and number three in ’08, claim their third consecutive top-five overall finish. UNC dominates the baseball diamond with an Elite 50 “Triple Crown” – three years running as the top baseball program. This was combined with a well-respected U.S. News spot at 28 and 11 top-15 teams. The Texas Longhorns came in at number four, but dropped from number two overall last year. And rounding out the top five is the University of South Carolina thanks to a sneaky four-sport attack, led by the football squad’s three-peat. Women’s golf, men’s tennis and men’s T&F also ranked number one.
“It was another competitive year for the top spot, with many worthy contenders,” Palazzo added. “We congratulate Stanford University for yet another number one ranking. The men and women of Palo Alto can be very proud for upholding the title of best college for academically minded athletes. And any high school athlete looking to play at the collegiate level has 50 fantastic schools from our Elite 50 list that they should have on their radar screen, as they are all top-notch schools in terms of both academics and sports.”
*College rankings by sport
Below are the top five college rankings in each of the sports that were included in the Elite 50 rankings:
Football
1. USC
2. Florida
3. Ohio State
4. Texas
5. Georgia
Men’s Basketball
1. UNC
2. UCLA
3. Kansas
4. Duke
5. Memphis
Women’s Basketball
1. Stanford
2. UConn
3. UNC
4. Duke
5. Maryland
Baseball
1. UNC
2. Rice
3. Virginia
4. ASU
5. Florida State
Men’s Soccer
1. Wake Forest
2. Maryland
3. Notre Dame
4. Northwestern
5. Indiana
Women’s Soccer
1. UNC
2. Notre Dame
3. UCLA
4. Stanford
5. USC
Men’s Swimming
1. Stanford
2. Michigan
3. Cal
4. Florida
5. Texas
Women’s Swimming
1. Stanford
2. Cal
3. Florida
4. Georgia
5. Texas
Hockey
1. Michigan
2. Notre Dame
3. Boston University
4. Miami (OH)
5. Boston College
Men’s Track
1. USC
2. Texas
3. Stanford
4. Florida
5. Texas A&M
Women’s Track
1. Michigan
2. Stanford
3. USC
4. Texas A&M
5. Florida
Wrestling
1. Michigan
2. Ohio State
3. Northwestern
4. Penn State
5. Cornell
Lacrosse
1. Duke
2. Virginia
3. Notre Dame
4. Cornell
5. UNC
Volleyball
1. Stanford
2. Penn State
3. Florida
4. Nebraska
5. Washington
Softball
1. Florida
2. Michigan
3. Alabama
4. Stanford
5. Arizona State University
In order to determine the sport-specific rankings, STACK Media uses five main indicators of excellence. One source is the 2010 U.S. News & World Report on America’s best colleges, which each year ranks the nation’s top colleges and universities, strictly in terms of academic prowess. Also considered is the Academic Progress Rate (APR) system that measures how well a collegiate athletic team’s members progress toward graduation during their playing careers. A third indicator is the end-of-the-season national rankings and polls from various national outlets that sum up the entire season’s results. A team’s win-loss record is also considered, where the number of games over .500 for each team is calculated over the past three seasons, and then awarded points based on that total. Finally, there’s the ‘STACK Factor,’ or the strength of the overall athletic community in terms of the level of athletic support and ability throughout all 21 varsity sports covered.
Source: STACK Media
World’s Largest Multi-Sporting Event Set for Sydney, Australia in October 2009
Competitors Encouraged to Join Ranks of More Than 25,000 Set to Participate in Seventh World Masters Games
Sydney will be the home of the seventh edition of the World Masters Games, an international sporting event boasting more competitors than the Summer Olympic Games. Held in an international city every four years and sanctioned by the International Masters Games Association (IMGA), the games are set to take place in Sydney from October 10 – 18, 2009.
Thousands of participants from more than 100 countries will travel to Sydney to compete in the most accessible and populous international sporting event. Medals will be awarded in age categories in 28 official sports ranging from archery, basketball and cycling to tennis, volleyball and weightlifting.
Following a motto of “fit, fun and forever young,” the Games is actively searching for sport enthusiasts and competitors to make Sydney the most distinct and successful games yet. Unlike in the Olympic Games, competitors represent themselves or teams from a variety of countries.
“Sydney is thrilled to host the 2009 Sydney World Masters Games, a spectacular and inclusive event that has built a true world community over the years,” said Margy Osmond, Chair of the Sydney 2009 World Masters Organising Committee (SWMGOC). “The Games participants’ passion, unique backgrounds, ages and stories are what make this international event so special. Sydney is committed to increasing the diversity of the competitors attending in 2009.”
The Games are open to “everyday athletes” and only requires registrants to meet a minimum age requirement for the particular sport (between 25 and 35 years of age, depending on the sport) and register online at 2009worldmasters.com for a $220 fee.
The 28 sports at the 2009 Sydney World Masters Games are archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, canoe/kayak, cycling, diving, football, golf, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, orienteering, rowing, rugby union, sailing, shooting, softball, squash, surf life saving, swimming, table tennis, tennis, touch football, volleyball, water polo and weightlifting.
In preparation for the Games – Sydney, no stranger to high-profile international sporting events, is set to showcase over 70 venues, including Sydney Olympic Park and well-known Olympic sites in Bankstown, Blacktown, Liverpool and Penrith. The Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as a multitude of festivities and social centres will welcome competitors and friends, families and spectators.
***U.S. and Canadian athletes and everyday sports enthusiasts are encouraged to register for the 2009 Sydney World Masters Games at www.2009worldmasters.com.
Source: World Masters Games
College Sports Fans Have a New Home on the Internet
Collegiate sports fans around the world are as passionate and dedicated as any athletics fans anywhere. Today, a social networking website and college sports news portal is transforming how athletes and their friends and family interact with each other and how they access current sports scores and news from more than 1,400 American universities of all sizes.
CollegeFanz.com (http://www.collegefanz.com/) is the brainchild of the legendary entrepreneur who brought us ESPN, Bill Rasmussen. Rasmussen’s expansive web site boasts more than 20,000 individual college team sports web pages and provides current information and news about college sports not just concerning NCAA Division I schools, but also from Division II and III schools. Additionally, many NAIA schools are given the opportunity to highlight their own athletics programs on the net.
Not Just College Football, Basketball, and Baseball
The website covers the traditionally best-known collegiate sports of football, basketball, and baseball, and it also highlights less visible college sports like: golf, gymnastics, water polo, wrestling, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, track, cross country, rowing, bowling, field hockey, skiing, skating, and swimming. The site also features a blog by the 76 year old Bill Rasmussen.
“Instead of covering perhaps 200 of the most well-known college athletics programs, we are committed to helping the millions of college athletes and fans at thousands of American schools interact with each other and to create online resources to keep them informed about their schools,” said Rasmussen during a recent interview.
He is quick to highlight one of the powerful constants in achieving success in college athletics and business: enthusiasm. “College sports still seems the same to me as it did back in 1979. Sure, performance and training has improved, but the spirit in these young, dedicated athletes is the same,” Rasmussen opined.
The Future for www.CollegeFanz.com
Despite the current financial and economic crises confronting the United States, Rasmussen is optimistic that the passion of college sports fans around the world will help his venture succeed. “People look to college sports to escape for a while,” he said. “We want to be one of the top 500 websites in the entire world, and the members of our online community are going to be the engine to help us achieve our goal.”
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