GENERAL
Furman men, Samford women claim all-sports races
Paladins win first Commissioner's Cup since 1990-91, Bulldogs win first Germann Cup since 2014-15
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – With the completion of the spring seasons of league competition, Furman’s men’s programs and Samford’s women’s programs have won the races for the Southern Conference’s all-sport trophies. The winners will be honored at the league’s Honors Dinner on Wednesday evening at the Sonesta Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
The Commissioner’s and Germann cups are awarded annually to the Southern Conference schools fielding the league’s best all-around men’s and women’s sports programs, respectively. Scoring is conducted on a percentage basis, with only the top seven sports for each school counting toward its season total. The SoCon sponsors 22 total sports, with the league’s three co-ed rifle teams counting toward the Commissioner’s Cup standings and the two women’s rifle teams counting toward the Germann Cup.
Each sport is worth 10 points, with each spot in the standings given equal measure relative to how many schools sponsor that particular sport. For sports that determine a regular-season champion, a two-point bonus is awarded for winning the league tournament. Each school’s total for the year is divided by 70, the maximum number of points possible when counting seven sports, to find its percentage.
The all-sports cups were not awarded in 2019-20 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Furman’s men, who won the Commissioner’s Cup for the second time overall and for the first time since 1990-91, have finished in the top three every year the Cup has been awarded since 2015-16. The Paladins, who won championships in cross country and soccer and finished third in indoor track and field, basketball, golf, tennis and outdoor track and field, totaled 58.00 points for an .829 percentage to edge ETSU, which had won four straight Cup titles from 2015-19.
ETSU’s men totaled 56.63 points for an .809 percentage. The Bucs captured the men’s golf championship and secured regular-season and tournament titles in tennis in addition to tying for second in the soccer regular season and posting third-place finishes in the football regular season and the cross country championship.
Samford, which claimed championship titles in indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and baseball and a runner-up finish in tennis to go with the Blue Division title and second-best record in the baseball standings, finished third in the Commissioner’s Cup standings with 51.68 points and a .738 percentage.
VMI, which won its first football title since 1997 and finished second at the cross country championship, amassed 47.06 points and a .672 percentage to finish fourth in the Commissioner’s Cup standings, its highest finish since 2000-01. Baseball regular-season champion Wofford finished fifth with a .580 percentage (40.61 points), just ahead of basketball regular-season and tournament champion and soccer tournament champion UNCG, which finished at .573 (40.11 points).
Mercer (.544), Western Carolina (.523), Chattanooga (.502) and The Citadel (.378) round out the standings.
Samford won its third Germann Cup title and first since 2014-15. The Bulldogs claimed regular-season titles in soccer, volleyball and basketball and championship titles in indoor track and field, volleyball and outdoor track and field this academic year. Samford, which totaled 66.69 points and a .953 percentage, also turned in a runner-up finish in cross country as six of its seven counting programs finished in the top two in the league. Since joining the SoCon in 2008-09, Samford, which won its first Germann Cup in 2009-10, has finished in the top two of the Germann Cup standings 10 of a possible 12 times and in the top four each year in the league.
Furman, which had won the previous four Germann Cups that had been awarded, totaled 64.56 points and a .922 percentage. The Paladins won championship titles in cross country, soccer and tennis and regular-season crowns in tennis and lacrosse, also posting runner-up finishes in the soccer regular season and the golf championship.
Basketball and lacrosse tournament champion Mercer, which also shared the regular-season volleyball title and finished second in the basketball and baseball regular-season standings, finished third in the Germann Cup standings with 52.97 points and a .757 percentage.
Women’s golf champion ETSU finished fourth at .700. The Bucs also posted a runner-up finish in the tennis regular season and finished third in the cross country and indoor track and field championships. Wofford, which posted runner-up finishes in both the indoor and outdoor track and field championships, finished fifth with a .682 percentage.
Chattanooga finished sixth with .615, followed by Western Carolina (.591), softball regular-season and tournament champion UNCG (.546), The Citadel (.258) and VMI (.217).
The Commissioner’s Cup was inaugurated in 1970 and the Germann Cup was first awarded in 1987. The latter is named for former SoCon Commissioner Ken Germann, who served as commissioner of the Southern Conference from 1974-86 and spearheaded the effort to introduce women’s athletics to the league.
Six schools have won the Commissioner’s Cup in the 49-year history of the award, including current members ETSU (2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17, 2015-16 and 1982-83), Furman (2020-21 and 1990-91) and Chattanooga (2014-15 and 2004-05).
Five schools have won the Germann Cup in its 32-year history. Among current schools, Furman owns a league-best 17, including 12 straight from 1992-2004 and four straight from 2015-19. Samford has won three (2020-21, 2014-15 and 2009-10) and Chattanooga won in 2007-08.
The Commissioner’s and Germann cups are awarded annually to the Southern Conference schools fielding the league’s best all-around men’s and women’s sports programs, respectively. Scoring is conducted on a percentage basis, with only the top seven sports for each school counting toward its season total. The SoCon sponsors 22 total sports, with the league’s three co-ed rifle teams counting toward the Commissioner’s Cup standings and the two women’s rifle teams counting toward the Germann Cup.
Each sport is worth 10 points, with each spot in the standings given equal measure relative to how many schools sponsor that particular sport. For sports that determine a regular-season champion, a two-point bonus is awarded for winning the league tournament. Each school’s total for the year is divided by 70, the maximum number of points possible when counting seven sports, to find its percentage.
The all-sports cups were not awarded in 2019-20 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Furman’s men, who won the Commissioner’s Cup for the second time overall and for the first time since 1990-91, have finished in the top three every year the Cup has been awarded since 2015-16. The Paladins, who won championships in cross country and soccer and finished third in indoor track and field, basketball, golf, tennis and outdoor track and field, totaled 58.00 points for an .829 percentage to edge ETSU, which had won four straight Cup titles from 2015-19.
ETSU’s men totaled 56.63 points for an .809 percentage. The Bucs captured the men’s golf championship and secured regular-season and tournament titles in tennis in addition to tying for second in the soccer regular season and posting third-place finishes in the football regular season and the cross country championship.
Samford, which claimed championship titles in indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and baseball and a runner-up finish in tennis to go with the Blue Division title and second-best record in the baseball standings, finished third in the Commissioner’s Cup standings with 51.68 points and a .738 percentage.
VMI, which won its first football title since 1997 and finished second at the cross country championship, amassed 47.06 points and a .672 percentage to finish fourth in the Commissioner’s Cup standings, its highest finish since 2000-01. Baseball regular-season champion Wofford finished fifth with a .580 percentage (40.61 points), just ahead of basketball regular-season and tournament champion and soccer tournament champion UNCG, which finished at .573 (40.11 points).
Mercer (.544), Western Carolina (.523), Chattanooga (.502) and The Citadel (.378) round out the standings.
Samford won its third Germann Cup title and first since 2014-15. The Bulldogs claimed regular-season titles in soccer, volleyball and basketball and championship titles in indoor track and field, volleyball and outdoor track and field this academic year. Samford, which totaled 66.69 points and a .953 percentage, also turned in a runner-up finish in cross country as six of its seven counting programs finished in the top two in the league. Since joining the SoCon in 2008-09, Samford, which won its first Germann Cup in 2009-10, has finished in the top two of the Germann Cup standings 10 of a possible 12 times and in the top four each year in the league.
Furman, which had won the previous four Germann Cups that had been awarded, totaled 64.56 points and a .922 percentage. The Paladins won championship titles in cross country, soccer and tennis and regular-season crowns in tennis and lacrosse, also posting runner-up finishes in the soccer regular season and the golf championship.
Basketball and lacrosse tournament champion Mercer, which also shared the regular-season volleyball title and finished second in the basketball and baseball regular-season standings, finished third in the Germann Cup standings with 52.97 points and a .757 percentage.
Women’s golf champion ETSU finished fourth at .700. The Bucs also posted a runner-up finish in the tennis regular season and finished third in the cross country and indoor track and field championships. Wofford, which posted runner-up finishes in both the indoor and outdoor track and field championships, finished fifth with a .682 percentage.
Chattanooga finished sixth with .615, followed by Western Carolina (.591), softball regular-season and tournament champion UNCG (.546), The Citadel (.258) and VMI (.217).
The Commissioner’s Cup was inaugurated in 1970 and the Germann Cup was first awarded in 1987. The latter is named for former SoCon Commissioner Ken Germann, who served as commissioner of the Southern Conference from 1974-86 and spearheaded the effort to introduce women’s athletics to the league.
Six schools have won the Commissioner’s Cup in the 49-year history of the award, including current members ETSU (2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17, 2015-16 and 1982-83), Furman (2020-21 and 1990-91) and Chattanooga (2014-15 and 2004-05).
Five schools have won the Germann Cup in its 32-year history. Among current schools, Furman owns a league-best 17, including 12 straight from 1992-2004 and four straight from 2015-19. Samford has won three (2020-21, 2014-15 and 2009-10) and Chattanooga won in 2007-08.
| Commissioner’s Cup | |
| (Men’s athletics – final standings) | |
| 1. Furman | .829 |
| 2. ETSU | .809 |
| 3. Samford | .738 |
| 4. VMI | .672 |
| 5. Wofford | .580 |
| 6. UNCG | .573 |
| 7. Mercer | .544 |
| 8. Western Carolina | .523 |
| 9. Chattanooga | .502 |
| 10. The Citadel | .378 |
| Germann Cup | |
| (Women’s athletics – final standings) | |
| 1. Samford | .953 |
| 2. Furman | .922 |
| 3. Mercer | .757 |
| 4. ETSU | .700 |
| 5. Wofford | .682 |
| 6. Chattanooga | .615 |
| 7. Western Carolina | .591 |
| 8. UNCG | .546 |
| 9. The Citadel | .258 |
| 10. VMI | .217 |
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