Kansas 11th in mythical standings

By Chuck Woodling     May 25, 2004

Not a single Kansas University sports team managed to capture a Big 12 Conference championship during the 2003-2004 school year.

In fact, in an unofficial compilation of points based on league standings in all sports, only Iowa State had less overall success than the Jayhawks.

Using a formula that awards 12 points for first place, 11 for second, 10 for third, and so on, the KU women were ninth and the men finished 11th in the race for the mythical conference all-sports championship.

And when the men’s and women’s points are added together, KU also finished 11th, ahead of only Iowa State.

As usual, Texas, the largest public university in America, dominated all three categories. The UT men won conference baseball, golf and swimming championships, while the women earned league crowns in golf, swimming, tennis and outdoor track. The Longhorns also shared the women’s basketball title with Kansas State and wound up second in soccer and indoor track.

Texas garnered 92.5 points in the 10 men’s sports and 100.5 in the 11 women’s sports for a total of 193 points. Nebraska was a distant second with 152.

In the men’s compilations, the six southern schools dominated by taking the top five slots. After Texas came Oklahoma State (77.5 points), Oklahoma (75), Texas A&M (63) and Texas Tech (60). Baylor, the other southern school, was seventh with 52 points — seven fewer than Nebraska (59), the only northern school to crack the upper division.

Missouri was eighth with 49 points, followed by Kansas State (48.5), Colorado (46.5), Kansas (40) and Iowa State (31).

KU’s best finishes in men’s sports were a tie for second in basketball, fourth in cross country and sixth in golf.

Kansas is one of four league schools that competes in only seven of the league’s 10 varsity men’s sports. Kansas State, Colorado and Iowa State are the others. None of the conference schools, incidentally, field teams in every sport. Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Missouri and Texas A&M all have nine.

On the women’s side, Nebraska and Missouri were a strong 2-3 behind Texas (100.5) with 93 and 86.5 points respectively. Nebraska won the softball and indoor track titles. Missouri didn’t win a conference championship, but the Tigers were remarkably consistent by finishing in the lower division in only two sports.

Texas A&M was fourth with 82 points, Oklahoma fifth with 69.5 and Baylor sixth with 66.5.

Colorado headed the second division with 64, followed by Kansas State (52.5), Kansas (51), Iowa State (47), Texas Tech (45) and Oklahoma State (32.5).

KU’s highest finishes in women’s sports standings were thirds in both soccer and swimming, and a fifth in volleyball.

Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa State were the only schools that participate in all 11 women’s sports. Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Kansas sponsor 10. Texas, Texas A&M and Kansas don’t have gymnastics while Oklahoma doesn’t have swimming.

Kansas also funds rowing, but the Big 12 does not include that sport on its championship chart.

Thanks mainly to the women earning seventh place, Kansas finished 10th overall — ahead of Texas Tech and Iowa State — in last year’s unofficial ranking. Like this year, the KU men wound up 11th in 2002-2003.

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