Kentucky Sports Achieves Highest Standing Ever in the Director's Cup

It's been in the news of late, but it's past time for us to discuss. As you have probably heard by now, Kentucky has finished 11th this season in the Director's Cup standings, which is a remarkable feat. Kentucky missed the top ten by just six points, and it's quite possible that a win against Baylor in the Women's College World Series, or an advance to the super-regional in the baseball NCAA Tournament would have put us there. What's most remarkable is that Kentucky did this with a football team that won but two games.

In the Capital One Cup, which is similar but measures men's and women's sports separately, Kentucky managed a tie for 17th with fellow SEC member Auburn, and a 23rd place finish on the women's side.

The 11th place finish in the Director's Cup is by far the best showing by Kentucky, who's previous high was #25 reached just last season. This year thus produces the second top 25 performance by Kentucky athletics in a row. Outstanding.

Just in case you're wondering (and I know you are), little brother finished 30th in the DC standings and 39th and 33rd in the men's and women's Capital One Cup. Now, nobody ever goes around bragging about how Kentucky beat the Cardinals in the Director's Cup or anything, but if you needed one more point of pride and schadenfreude, well, here you have one.

Credit for this achievement has to go in large part to Mitch Barnhart, who has done for non-revenue sports at Kentucky what Adolph Rupp did for the basketball program. His careful vetting and hiring of coaches around UK athletics has been, in no small part and arguably in greater part, the main driver of this success. He deserves a lot of credit for getting Kentucky to this level. Now if he can keep us there, it will be impressive indeed.

Congratulations to all involved.