Sam Houston State Wins Southland Commissioner’s Cup
Southland Conference
Final Commissioner's Cup Standings (PDF)
FRISCO, Texas – On the strength of four regular-season team championships and 10 top-three finishes, Sam Houston State claimed its fourth Southland Conference Commissioner’s Cup, the league office announced Sunday.
Sam Houston State compiled 126 points to edge last year’s cup winner, Stephen F. Austin, which scored 120 points. The Bearkats won their last Commissioner’s Cup in 2007, which capped a three-year run with the Cup for Sam Houston State. Since 2007, Sam Houston has finished fifth in the Commissioner’s Cup standings every year before reclaiming it this year. Sam Houston is one of two current Southland universities to win at least two Commission’s Cups, along with Stephen F. Austin.
The Sam Houston women total 72.0 points to win its first women’s all-sports trophy in program history. Since 2003, the Bearkat women have finished in the top four seven times with two second-place finishes.
The Sam Houston men had 54 points to finish second in the men’s all-sports trophy standings behind Stephen F. Austin, which had 57 points. The Bearkats, who won the men’s all-sports trophy in 2000 and 2007, have finished in the top-three five times in the last 10 seasons.
Sam Houston won the baseball regular-season title and shared titles in football, volleyball and women’s basketball and finished in the top three in seven other sports including second place in women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field and women’s golf.
Stephen F. Austin, the 2012 Commissioner’s Cup winner, was six points shy of claiming its second consecutive trophy and third in the last four years. The SFA athletics program was equally impressive in 2012-13 as the men’s and women’s programs combined to win seven conference championships. The men’s claimed titles in basketball and indoor and outdoor track and field. The women swept championships in cross country and both indoor and outdoor track and field while also claiming the soccer championship.
Lamar (101), McNeese State (96) and Central Arkansas (90), came in third, fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Oral Roberts (85) finished sixth, edging seventh-place Southeastern Louisiana (84.5) by the slimmest of margins in its first season as a Southland Conference member. Northwestern State (72.5) finished in eighth place, followed by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (67) and Nicholls State (51) to round out this year’s standings.
The Commissioner’s Cup is awarded annually to the top overall athletics program in the Southland. Sam Houston State leads all active member institutions with four. In the 16-year history of the Commissioner’s Cup, Stephen F. Austin has two and Northwestern State has one.
The Southland Conference all-sports trophies are awarded annually for men’s and women’s competition based on a 10-point system for all conference sports. Point values are 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1, pending place of finish. Regular-season standings are used for sports that have a conference tournament. The Commissioner’s Cup is awarded to the university compiling the highest combined total of men’s and women’s all-sports points.
The three trophies will be presented at the annual Southland Conference Honors Dinner Tuesday night at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas.
Final Commissioner’s Cup Standings
1. Sam Houston State, 126.0
2. Stephen F. Austin, 120.0
3. Lamar, 101.0
4. McNeese State, 96.0
5. Central Arkansas, 90.0
6. Oral Roberts, 85.0
7. Southeastern Louisiana, 84.5
8. Northwestern State, 72.5
9. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 67.0
10. Nicholls State, 51.0