Trev Alberts’ bonus in sight as Nebraska moves up in Director’s Cup standings

After the men’s and women’s track teams helped the Huskers jump 63 spots in the midwinter standings, the top 25 finishes from bowling and gymnastics have pushed NU to 19th overall in the Cup standings. Nebraska’s current point total is higher than last year’s full total, almost guaranteeing a better result than 2021-2022 when the Huskers finished a school-worst 49th.

Like predecessor Bill Moos, Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts’ contract has a bonus tied to NU’s Cup performance. A percentage of the bonus kicks in when the Huskers finish at least 30th, which hasn’t happened since Moos had the incentive added to his contract. Nebraska got closest in 2020-21, Moos’ last year, at 35th.

The Huskers haven’t been in the top 30 since finishing 27th in 2015-2016, and haven’t finished in the top 25 since 2013-2014 when a 23rd-place result was fueled by both Nebraska basketball teams making the NCAA Tournament. Neither did so in 2022-2023, but Nebraska got strong contributions from both indoor track and field teams, bowling (third at the NCAA Championships), men’s gym (fifth) and women’s gym (25th).

Nebraska’s outdoor track and field teams — flush with elite throwers drawn to training under head coach Justin St. Clair — have a chance to help keep NU in the top 25 when they compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Husker softball — with an RPI of 37 — is in position for an at-large NCAA Tournament berth, as well.

The Cup assigns points to schools that make the postseason of a given sport. National champions get 100 points with points reducing after that. Schools can count points in up to 19 sports, four of which must be men’s and women’s hoops, volleyball and baseball. Schools with more sports, especially niche Olympic sports, tend to do better.

It’s part of why Ohio State, Stanford, Penn State, Texas and Michigan make up the top five of the current standings. The Buckeyes are able to rack up points in fencing, swimming and later, this spring, men’s volleyball. Ditto for Penn State, ranked second nationally in men’s volleyball. The Nittany Lions field a fencing team, as well.

Overall, the Big Ten occupies six of the top 20 spots in the Cup standings — OSU, PSU, UM, Wisconsin (10th), Minnesota (14th) and NU. In the last calendar year, however, it won no national titles in the largest “million viewer” sports of football, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, softball or baseball, all of which tend to draw the most eyeballs for their respective championships. If wrestling, which tends to draw between 500,000 and 750,000 viewers for its championships, is thrown into mix, Penn State puts the Big Ten on the board.

Among other local teams, Creighton is 71st overall — second among Big East teams — after an Elite Eight finish for men’s basketball and a NCAA Tournament berth for the CU women. Omaha is 211th overall — tied for fifth among Summit League squads.

In Division II, Nebraska-Kearney is 29th, Chadron State is 85th and Wayne State is 97th. Nebraska Wesleyan ranks 89th in Division III. In NAIA, Midland University ranks 13th, followed by Hastings (23rd), Concordia (27th), Doane (29th), Morningside (44th), Briar Cliff (83rd), College of Saint Mary (88th), Bellevue (100th) and Peru State (142nd).