While the leaves have been falling in the City of Trees, the citiy's University, Chico State, has been rising toward the top of the list of the nation’s best NCAA Division II athletic programs. The Wildcats finished the fall ranked second in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup fall standings, released Thursday.

As the nation’s lone program with teams earning berths in the men’s and women’s cross country championships and men’s and women’s soccer championship tournament, the Wildcats finished the fall with 257 points, just three shy of Grand Valley State’s 260. The Wildcats finished third in soccer, fourth in men’s cross country, seventh in women’s cross country, and 17th in men’s soccer.

The 257 points are the most ever scored in the fall by Chico State, which has finished among the nation’s top 28 out of 300-plus schools in the final standings in each of the last 10 years. The 2003-04 Wildcats also finished the fall in second place, with 250 points, and went on to finish the campaign fifth in the standings.

Tampa (Fla.) is in third with 224 total points, Colorado School of Mines fourth with 198, and California (Pa.) and Western State (Colo.) tied for fifth with 190.
The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 14 sports -- seven women’s and seven men’s.

The final Division II fall standings will be released Thursday, December 21, following the completion of the football playoffs. However, the Wildcats’ second-place standing will not change.

CURRENT DIRECTORS' CUP STANDINGS