DENVER, Colo. The University of Nevada has captured the 2006-07 Commissioner’s Cup as the top athletic program in the conference, the Western Athletic Conference announced Wednesday.
The Wolf Pack tallied 93.50 points this year to win the fifth annual Commissioner’s Cup for the first time in school history and best runner-up Boise State by seven points.
Nevada took home four conference titles this year, including a regular-season championship by men’s basketball and WAC Championships crowns by women's soccer, women's swimming and diving and men's golf. The Wolf Pack also advanced to the championship games at both the WAC softball and baseball championships, turned in second-place finishes at the cross country and outdoor track championships and made semifinals appearances in women’s basketball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis.
“Winning the Commissioner’s Cup is a tremendous accomplishment for the University of Nevada and is a tribute to the hard work of all of our coaches, student-athletes and staff,” Nevada Director of Athletics Cary Groth said. “The Wolf Pack is enjoying an unprecedented era of success in all of our sports. We are very proud of all of our achievements and look forward to many more in the future.”
The WAC annually awards the Commissioner’s Cup to the school that performs the best in each of the conference’s 19 men’s and women’s championships. Points are awarded for first place, second place, etc. in every sport. Points are dependent on the number of teams. For example, with nine teams playing volleyball, the first-place team is awarded nine points. The points are averaged between a team’s regular-season finish (if applicable) and its WAC championship finish. Ties are not broken but instead are averaged between the tied teams. Affiliate members are not eligible for the Commissioner’s Cup, but their standings in WAC championships are still used for determining points.
“I would like to congratulate the University of Nevada’s athletic department, along with its student-athletes and coaches, for winning this year’s Commissioner’s Cup,” WAC Commissioner Karl Benson said. “Their teams performed at a high level across the board and deserve this award for all of the hard work put in by everyone involved this season.”
Boise State finished second in this year’s standings with 86.50 points, while Fresno State and Hawai’i were third and fourth at 76.00 and 75.25 points, respectively. Utah State finished fifth (69.25), followed by Idaho (62.50), San Jose State (62.25), New Mexico State (52.25) and Louisiana Tech (46.75).
Last season, Nevada finished a close second to Boise State in the Commissioner’s Cup standings, while prior to that, the school’s previous best was fourth in 2002-03.
In addition to the Wolf Pack’s successes on the field, Nevada saw 67 of its student-athletes graduate this fall and spring and numerous others earn WAC All-Academic honors throughout the year.
“Winning the WAC Commissioner’s Cup is a terrific achievement for our athletic program and an important honor for this University,” said University President Milt Glick. “I am very proud of our student-athletes, coaches and administrators. Their success in various athletic arenas is impressive, but just as commendable is their commitment to success in the classroom and in life.”
“It's a great honor to be a part of the overall success of the athletic department,” said Nevada head baseball coach Gary Powers. “It is a great accomplishment for the department to win the Commissioner’s Cup, and I'm proud to have positively contributed.”
