The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletic department had a very successful 2014-15 school year.
For the second consecutive year, UTC led the Southern Conference in the standings for the Learfield Sports Director's Cup. That is an all-sports trophy that recognizes across-the-board collegiate success. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in NCAA championships in up to 20 sports: 10 women's and 10 men's.
UTC already won the Commissioner's Cup as the top men's athletic department in the SoCon.
The Mocs were 117th out of 351 NCAA Division I schools in the Learfield standings, which is the second-highest finish in the school's history. They were 99th in 2009.
UTC totaled 149 points, with 70 coming in football, 29 in wrestling and 25 in both women's basketball and softball to lead the SoCon for the fifth time since the Director's Cup was started in 1994.
"I am extremely proud of where we finished in the Learfield Sports Director's Cup in each of the last two seasons," UTC vice chancellor and athletic director David Blackburn said in a release. "To place in the top third of all NCAA Division I programs and to lead the SoCon for the second year in a row is a tremendous accomplishment."
The FBS schools that UTC beat included Cincinnati, Colorado State, Memphis, Alabama-Birmingham, UNC Charlotte, Middle Tennnessee State and Washington State. The Mocs' finish would have placed them second in both the Atlantic 10 and Sun Belt conferences and fourth in Conference USA.
"If you look at the list of schools we finished ahead of, it is pretty impressive," Blackburn said. "That is all due to the winning mindset of our student-athletes and coaches, along with outstanding support from our staff, the university and the Chattanooga community."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.