Measuring the success of this year in Syracuse Athletics
Katherine Sotelo | Staff Photographer
Syracuse field hockey players kissed the trophy after winning the national championship. Their title helped SU have at least the second most successful school year since 2001-02.
UPDATED: April 29, 2016 at 2:42 p.m.
Syracuse sports had a very successful 2015-16 school year. Highlighted by SU’s first-ever national title for a women’s sport (field hockey) and a national championship in men’s cross country, the Orange is having its second-most successful school year since 2001-02, according to a metric created by The Daily Orange sports staff.
Ranking the last 15 years in Syracuse athletics:
1. 2012-13 — 118
2. 2015-16 — 91
3. 2010-11 — 85
4. 2014-15 — 84
5. 2009-10 — 81
6. 2011-12 — 80
7. 2001-02 — 76
8. 2008-09 — 71
9. 2013-14 — 63
10. 2007-08 — 50
11. 2002-03 — 48
12. 2003-04 — 33
T-13. 2004-05 — 29
T-13. 2005-06 — 29
15. 2006-07 — 24
The metric dates back 15 years, to the first year since wrestling was cut from SU Athletics. In the “modern era” of Syracuse sports only 2012-13 has been more successful than this year. Included in the metric are points allotted for end of season poll finishes, regular season conference championships, conference tournament championships and NCAA tournament finishes.
Final Four appearances by the men’s soccer, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams bolstered this year’s mark, but still the Orange is 19 points behind the 2012-13 pace. In order to surpass that mark, the most likely scenario would be for the two lacrosse teams, both of which are currently ranked inside the Top 10, to make deep postseason runs. If both reach the NCAA quarterfinals, that alone would total 16 points, just three short of the first-place 110. The softball team, tennis team and men’s and women’s track and field teams could all contribute as well. So with just a couple teams still in action, these last few weeks could determine where this year ranks in modern history.
Here’s a more comprehensive look at the scoring system:
Men’s lacrosse
National championship — 16 points (19 when no conference)
National championship appearance — 12 points (13 when no conference)
National semifinal — eight points
National quarterfinals — six points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Regular season conference championship — five points
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — four points (six when no conference)
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — three points (four when no conference)
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — two points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — one point
Note: Big East added men’s lacrosse in 2010
Total points accumulated in 15 years: 202
Field hockey
National championship — 16 points
National championship appearance — 12 points
National semifinal — eight points
National quarterfinals — six points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Regular season conference championship — five points
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — four points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — three points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — two points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — one point
Total points accumulated in 15 years: 151
Katherine Sotelo | Staff Photographer
Women’s lacrosse
National championship — 16 points
National championship appearance — 12 points
National semifinal — eight points
National quarterfinals — six points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Regular season conference championship — five points
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — four points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — three points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — two points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — one point
Total points accumulated in 15 years: 131
Men’s rowing
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — 12 points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — 10 points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — eight points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — seven points
Conference championship — five points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Total points accumulated in 15 years: 104
Men’s cross country
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — 10 points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — eight points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — six points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — four points
Conference championship — five points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Total points accumulated in 15 years: 86
Men’s basketball
National championship — 16 points
National championship appearance — 12 points
National semifinal — eight points
National quarterfinals — six points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Regular season conference championship — five points
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — four points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — three points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — two points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — one point
Total points accumulated in 15 years: 80
Logan Reidsma | Senior Staff Photographer
Football
Bowl game berth — four points
BCS / New Year’s Six berth — seven points
BCS / New Year’s Six win — eight points
Bowl game win — six points
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — four points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — three points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — two points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — one point
Regular season conference title — five points
Conference championship game title — six points
Total points accumulated in 15 years: 56
Women’s rowing
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — 12 points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — 10 points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — eight points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — seven points
Conference championship — five points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Total points accumulated in 15 years: 40
Women’s cross country
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — 10 points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — eight points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — six points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — four points
Conference championship — five points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Total points accumulated in 15 years: 28
Men’s soccer
National championship — 16 points
National championship appearance — 12 points
National semifinal — eight points
National quarterfinals — six points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Regular season conference championship — five points
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — four points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — three points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — two points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — one point
Total points accumulated in 15 years: 22
Bryan Cereijo | Staff Photographer
Softball
National championship — 16 points
National championship appearance — 12 points
National semifinal — eight points
National quarterfinals — six points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Regular season conference championship — five points
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — four points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — three points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — two points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — one point
Total points accumulated in 15 years: 17
Women’s basketball
National championship — 16 points
National championship appearance — 12 points
National semifinal — eight points
National quarterfinals — six points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Regular season conference championship — five points
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — four points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — three points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — two points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — one point
Total points accumulated in eight years: 15
Women’s soccer
National championship — 16 points
National championship appearance — 12 points
National semifinal — eight points
National quarterfinals — six points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Regular season conference championship — five points
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — four points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — three points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — two points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — one point
Total points accumulated in 15 years: 12
Hannah Wagner | Staff Photographer
Men’s track and field
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — 10 points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — eight points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — six points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — four points
Conference championship — five points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Total points accumulated in 15 years: six
Women’s swimming (until 2010-11)
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — 10 points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — eight points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — six points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — four points
Conference championship — five points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Total points accumulated in 10 years: zero
Men’s swimming (until 2010-11)
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — 10 points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — eight points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — six points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — four points
Conference championship — five points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Total points accumulated in 10 years: zero
Volleyball
National championship — 16 points
National championship appearance — 12 points
National semifinal — eight points
National quarterfinals — six points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Regular season conference championship — five points
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — four points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — three points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — two points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — one point
Total points accumulated in 15 years: zero
Logan Reidsma | Senior Staff Photographer
Ice hockey (since 2008-09)
National championship — 16 points
National championship appearance — 12 points
National semifinal — eight points
National quarterfinals — six points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Regular season conference championship — five points
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — four points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — three points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — two points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — one point
Total points accumulated in eight years: zero
Women’s track and field
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — 10 points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — eight points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — six points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — four points
Conference championship — five points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Total points accumulated in 15 years: zero
Tennis
National championship — 16 points
National championship appearance — 12 points
National semifinal — eight points
National quarterfinals — six points
Conference tournament championship — six points
Regular season conference championship — five points
No. 1 finish in end of season poll — four points
Top 10 finish in end of season poll — three points
No. 11-20 finish in end of season poll — two points
No. 21-25 finish in end of season poll — one point
Total points accumulated in 15 years: zero
CORRECTION: In a previous version of this article, the point totals for men’s and women’s rowing were misstated. Men’s rowing accumulated 104 points and women’s rowing accumulated 40. The Daily Orange regrets this error.
Published on April 28, 2016 at 8:12 am
