Sun Devils in a good position after fall 2012 sports
The Learfield Director's Cup Fall 2012 Standings were released this past week and ASU sits in 58th place with 95 points.
At this same time last year, the Sun Devils were in 131st place with 37 points. That's almost a 300 percent improvement in 12 months.
Football finished in 26th place to contribute 45 points, and volleyball and women's soccer each brought in 25 points with 33rd place finishes.
Volleyball, which advanced to the NCAA Tournament, registered 20 wins this past fall – the most for the program since it went 20-8 in 1993. It's nine conference victories, including two over top-six teams, are the most since 2000.
Women's Soccer advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years after it tied for fourth in the Pac-12, its highest finish in conference play since 2004.
Football reached the eight-win plateau for the first time since 2007 and ended the season with three straight wins for the first time since 1978, including a 41-34 Territorial Cup victory in Tucson and a 62-28 win over Navy in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.
ASU has a chance to make a push in the first winter standings, which are set to be released March 21 after the completion of the men's and women's indoor track and field championships.
• The men will open the 2012 season as the defending MPSF Indoor Champions, having claimed their first title in the event last season.
• Coach Kraft is the reigning MPSF Men's Coach of the Year as well as the USTFCCCA West Region Men's Coach of the Year.
• ASU returns 2012 NCAA Indoor runner-up and school record holder Chris Benard in the triple jump after he was granted an extra season of indoor eligibility.
• The Sun Devil men are currently ranked No. 6 in the nation while the women will start the season at No. 30 in the USTFCCCA Preseason Computer Rankings
Men's and women's basketball, along with wrestling, gymnastics, and swimming and diving, will also add to ASU's total.
The Devils are also expected to score a lot of points in the spring as perennial powerhouse programs baseball, softball, track and field, and men's and women's golf, get underway.
The Pac-12 currently leads all conferences with three schools in the top 10, and eight total in the top 60.
What is the the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup?
It was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 20 sports – 10 women's and 10 men's.