At the end of last month, the Texas Longhorns captured their second consecutive LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup. That was thanks to three spring national championships and four overall titles by the Longhorns during the 2021-22 athletic season.
It meant Texas finished with 1,449.50 points, which cleared second-place Stanford by nearly 1,000 points (1,352.25). Three Big Ten schools made the top 25 of the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup, including Michigan at No. 3 (1,245.25), Ohio State at No. 4 (1,184.50) and Wisconsin at No. 24 (795.00).
In the 2021-22 LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup, Iowa finished No. 55 nationally, which was second-to-last among Big Ten teams.
CBS Sports has a different set of rankings that grades the 2021-22 athletic season and it will make Hawkeyes fans much happier. CBS Sports’ “best in college sports” rankings utilizes a weighted formula that recognizes sports with broad interest.
Every FBS program is rated in three sports — football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball — along with two “wild cards” among the school’s most successful spectator sports: baseball, softball, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, lacrosse, hockey and wrestling.
The weighted formula puts 2.5 times as much emphasis on football and 2.0 times as much on men’s basketball compared to the rest of the sports. Teams that do not finish in the final AP Top 25 in football but play in a bowl are awarded 62.5 points (25 x 2.5). (Teams that either opted out of bowl games or saw postseason contests canceled received 62.5 points in football.) Those that make the men’s NIT are given 20 points (10 x 2), while WNIT teams receive 10 points. For all titles settled via bracket, such as the NCAA Tournament, point totals are based on number of participants. All champions in the other sports receive 100 points for a national championship in the formula created by long-time CBS Sports producer J. Darin Darst. – CBS Sports.
A weighted formula probably makes sense to evaluate college sports. At the very least, it gives fans a different set of rankings to use—or ignore—in any argument on which programs had the best athletic years in 2021-22.
Let’s take a look at how CBS Sports ranked the entire top 25 and how their points were allotted.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 317.75
Football: 153.75
Men’s basketball: 0
Women’s basketball: 0
Wild card No. 1: 100
Wild card No. 2: 64
John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 320.50
Football: 62.5
Men’s basketball: 100
Women’s basketball: 0
Wild card No. 1: 80
Wild card No. 2: 78
Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 323.80
Football: 180
Men’s basketball: 0
Women’s basketball: 0
Wild card No. 1: 80
Wild card No. 2: 78
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 325.50
Football: 135
Men’s basketball: 0
Women’s basketball: 73
Wild card No. 1: 67.5
Wild card No. 2: 50
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 326.50
Football: 62.50
Men’s basketball: 100
Women’s basketball: 0
Wild card No. 1: 100
Wild card No. 2: 64
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 331.25
Football: 62.5
Men’s basketball: 128
Women’s basketball: 10
Wild card No. 1: 66.75
Wild card No. 2: 64
Total points: 336.00
Football: 0
Men’s basketball: 100
Women’s basketball: 73
Wild card No. 1: 90
Wild card No. 2: 73
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 336.50
Football: 62.5
Men’s basketball: 128
Women’s basketball: 64
Wild card No. 1: 57
Wild card No. 2: 25
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 336.50
Football: 137.5
Men’s basketball: 20
Women’s basketball: 25
Wild card No. 1: 90
Wild card No. 2: 64
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 340.00
Football: 165
Men’s basketball: 0
Women’s basketball: 25
Wild card No. 1: 100
Wild card No. 2: 50
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 345.75
Football: 140
Men’s basketball: 50
Women’s basketball: 25
Wild card No. 1: 66.75
Wild card No. 2: 64
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 346.25
Football: 161.25
Men’s basketball: 0
Women’s basketball: 50
Wild card No. 1: 85
Wild card No. 2: 50
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 354.50
Football: 62.5
Men’s basketball: 100
Women’s basketball: 64
Wild card No. 1: 64
Wild card No. 2: 64
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 356.00
Football: 62.5
Men’s basketball: 156
Women’s basketball: 50
Wild card No. 1: 50
Wild card No. 2: 37.5
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 371.25
Football: 172.5
Men’s basketball: 100
Women’s basketball: 0
Wild card No. 1: 66.75
Wild card No. 2: 32
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 373.25
Football: 127.5
Men’s basketball: 50
Women’s basketball: 50
Wild card No. 1: 85
Wild card No. 2: 60.75
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 395.50
Football: 250
Men’s basketball: 0
Women’s basketball: 50
Wild card No. 1: 50
Wild card No. 2: 45.5
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 396.25
Football: 225
Men’s basketball: 50
Women’s basketball: 0
Wild card No. 1: 71.25
Wild card No. 2: 50
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 401.50
Football: 187.5
Men’s basketball: 100
Women’s basketball: 50
Wild card No. 1: 64
Wild card No. 2: 0
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 438.75
Football: 168.75
Men’s basketball: 20
Women’s basketball: 50
Wild card No. 1: 100
Wild card No. 2: 100
Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 459.50
Football: 132.5
Men’s basketball: 146
Women’s basketball: 25
Wild card No. 1: 83
Wild card No. 2: 73
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 470.50
Football: 62.5
Men’s basketball: 180
Women’s basketball: 64
Wild card No. 1: 100
Wild card No. 2: 64
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 506.75
Football: 183.75
Men’s basketball: 100
Women’s basketball: 50
Wild card No. 1: 100
Wild card No. 2: 73
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Total points: 512.50
Football: 187.5
Men’s basketball: 100
Women’s basketball: 64
Wild card No. 1: 83
Wild card No. 2: 78
AP Photo/AJ Mast, File
Total points: 588.50
Football: 212
Men’s basketball: 128
Women’s basketball: 73
Wild card No. 1: 90
Wild card No. 2: 85
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF
Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.
Sign up for the Hawkeyes Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning
During Iowa’s bye week, special teams coordinator LeVar Woods shared his thoughts on the Hawkeyes’ performance thus far.
The Hawkeyes continue to play terrific defense. Here’s everything Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker had to say about his group so far.
Week 7 of the season brings huge Big Ten matchups as conference play is in full swing. Let’s dive into the top five Big Ten games this (…)
© Copyright Hawkeyes Wire 2022
Powered by WordPress.com VIP
Please enter an email address.
Thanks for signing up.
Please check your email for a confirmation.
Something went wrong.
