UK Finishes Second in CBSSports.com’s Best in College Sports Rankings
#EverythingSchool, indeed.
After a 2018-19 season with memorable moment after memorable moment, UK has finished second in CBSSports.com’s ranking of the best athletics departments in America. The Wildcats trailed only Michigan in the running for the annual Best in College Sports Award.
UK ranked 14th in Learfield IMG Directors’ Cup standings – the third best in school history – released last month, which rank Division I athletics departments based on performance across all sports. The Best in College Sports Award takes a different approach, giving added weight to “sports with more broad fan bases and media interest.”
All FBS schools are rated based on three sports – football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball – along with two “wild cards” from among baseball, softball, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, lacrosse, hockey and wrestling. Football and men’s basketball are then given added weight, resulting in final totals. UK’s scoring went as follows:
- 161.25 – Football (12th in final AP Poll)
- 146 – Men’s basketball (Elite Eight)
- 50 – Women’s basketball (second round)
- 73 – Men’s soccer (Elite Eight)
- 64 – Softball/volleyball (both advanced to round of 16)
That, of course, does not include rifle’s fifth-place finish, gymnastics advancing to a regional final, top-15 finishes by women’s outdoor track and field and women’s swimming and diving, or any of the other seven national finishes by UK teams, but it’s impressive nonetheless.
And in barely a month, it all begins again with the start of the 2019-20 season.
