Clemson Men's athletic programs ranked #2 in Capital One Cup Standings

by Press Release - Wed Feb 24 15:39:05 GMT-04:00 2016

McLEAN, Va. – The journey toward the Capital One Cup is heating up, and two leaders have emerged following the conclusion of the fall college sports season. Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE: COF), an official NCAA® Corporate Champion and sponsor of the College Football Playoff, announced the fall standings for the 2015 – 2016 Capital One Cup, which is awarded each year to the nation’s best men’s and women’s NCAA Division I athletics programs. Along with the award, each athletic program receives a combined $400,000 in scholarships for student-athletes and is honored at the ESPY Awards in July.

During the fall championship season, the NCAA® Division I Men's and Women’s Soccer Championship propelled Stanford and Penn State to No. 1 in the standings. Stanford made history in December by winning the PAC-12 soccer title and the team’s first Men’s College Cup with a convincing 4-0 win over Clemson. On the strength of its national title, along with top 10 finishes in cross country, water polo and football, Stanford men capped the fall season with 106 Capital One Cup points. On the women’s side, Penn State’s women’s soccer team helped propel their program to the top after finishing the year with a 23-2-3 record and winning their first Women’s College Cup in school history. Penn State’s top 10 finish in women’s volleyball helped solidify its No. 1 spot, just inching past Nebraska by six points, finishing the fall season with a total of 66 Capital One Cup points.

Below are the official Capital One Cup standings for the 2015 – 2016 fall athletics season with the top 10 point earners (including ties) listed in men’s and women’s athletics. The complete fall standings can be found at www.CapitalOneCup.com.

Men’s Cup Fall Standings

1. Stanford 106 points

2. Clemson 72 points

3. Alabama 60 points

3T. North Dakota State 60 points

5. Syracuse 44 points

6. Jacksonville State 36 points

7. Akron 30 points

7T. Richmond 30 points

9. Ohio State

9T. Sam Houston State 24 points

Women’s Cup Fall Standings

1. Penn State 66 points

2. Nebraska 60 points

3. Duke 44 points

4. Texas 36 points

5. Florida State 30 points

5T. Minnesota 30 points

7. Virginia 28 points

8. Kansas 24 points

8T. Rutgers 24 points

10. New Mexico 20 points

10T. Syracuse 20 points

Highlights from the fall season include:

In an exciting head-to-head matchup, Alabama football captures the title over Clemson with a 45-40 score to win their fourth national championship in the last seven years.

With the first NCAA title win of the 2015-16 fall championship season, New Mexico’s women’s cross country team took home their first national championship title. Following in stride with equally impressive form, Syracuse’s men’s cross country team took home the national title for the first time in 64 years.

With their national championship, Nebraska’s women’s volleyball team captures their fourth title in front of record fans at the Century Link Center.

UCLA men’s water polo team wins their second straight NCAA Championship, extending the second longest winning streak in school history.

“This is the sixth year of the Capital One Cup, and every year I am proud to be a part of this prestigious program; what school wouldn’t want bragging rights?” said Capital One Cup ambassador Rece Davis. “This year, a thrilling College Football Playoff game punctuated an already exciting fall season. I can’t wait to see what the winter and spring seasons have in store, and encourage all fans to follow along and see how their school stacks up in the standings. With two more seasons ahead it’s any school’s trophy to win.”

“This season has been full of big stories and first-time championships for some very deserving athletics programs,” said Marc Mentry, Chief Brand Officer at Capital One. “Stanford and Penn State should be proud of their accomplishments in the fall season and their top ranking in the Capital One Cup standings. It’s now time to turn our attention to the winter and spring seasons and watch how each championship unfolds. In the end only one men’s and women’s program will take home the Capital One Cup trophy, the student-athlete scholarships and a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the ESPYS.”

Schools earn points based on their teams’ top 10 finishes in NCAA Division I championships and in final official coaches’ polls across 21 women’s and 20 men’s sports as they compete to win the Capital One Cup trophy and a combined $400,000 in scholarships for student-athletes. The Capital One Cup winners will be determined at the end of the spring season and honored at the ESPYS in July. Last year, the Capital One Cup was awarded to the University of Virginia’s men’s athletic program and Stanford University’s women’s athletic program. This is the sixth year of the Capital One Cup.