Penn State has taken over the #2 spot in the latest Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup rankings, which were released late last week. Previously ranked at #5 after the fall season, the Nittany Lions rode strong performances by wrestling (2011 National Champions), indoor track & field (men finished 11th nationally, women finished 45th), and women’s swimming & diving (finished 35th nationally) to jump to #2. The national championship in wrestling accounted for 100 of Penn State’s 528.5 points.

The Directors’ Cup rankings account points earned from 20 sports (10 men’s and 10 women’s) and was developed “as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and  USA Today” according to the press release. These rankings are the first of three for the winter sports season, with the next scheduled to be released on April 7. The final rankings for the academic year will be posted upon the completion of the spring sports seasons.

Stanford tops the rankings comfortably with 674 points followed by Penn State (528.5), Florida State (505.50), Ohio State (503.00), and Wisconsin (496.25). Wisconsin led all schools with 291.50 points during the first winter session, and overall the Big Ten placed five schools in the top ten (Minnesota finished 9th and Indiana rounded out the top ten).

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