HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC – For the second time in the past three years, USC Upstate matched its best conference cup finish in history!
The Big South Conference announced the final rankings for the George F. "Buddy" Sasser Cup Trophy for the 2022-23 season on Thursday evening and
USC Upstate finished the year with a third-straight top-five finish, marking the best three-year stretch since moving to Division I, placing fourth of the 10 institutions in the Big South. The Spartans finished fifth of 12 Big South schools a year ago and fourth of 11 institutions two seasons ago. This milestone encompasses the Spartans' two conference memberships since making the move to Division I in 2007-08.
"I'm so proud of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff for their overall performance in the Sasser Cup this year," said vice chancellor and director of athletics Daniel Feig. "Regardless of sport, our student-athletes and teams competed at the highest level and persevered through each challenging circumstance, ending the year in a tie for our highest finish ever on the field, while simultaneously earning our highest departmental Grade Point Average in back to back semesters, illustrating the comprehensive excellence this group achieved through all facets of their collegiate experience! They are a special group that is headed for success in whatever they choose in life!"
Since moving to the Big South, USC Upstate has appeared in one other Sasser Cup ranking, 2018-19, placing seventh out of 11. The award was not given during the 2019-20 year due to the cancellation of all spring sports at the on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic. USC Upstate's best finish as a member of the ASUN Conference (2007-2018) came in 2011-12, placing sixth out of the league's then 10 institutions.
The Spartans in 2022-23 were paced by its men's sports programs, finishing fifth in the Men's All-Sports Standings. The Spartans were led by baseball, men's soccer and men's basketball posting the most points. Men's basketball and men's soccer both reached the conference tournament semifinals, while baseball finished runner-up in the recently completed conference championship.
On the women's side, the Spartans ranked sixth and were led by the softball, women's soccer and women's cross country. The softball program reached the tournament semifinals as did women's soccer, while cross country finished fourth at the conference meet in the fall.
The Sasser Cup Trophy is named for former Big South Commissioner Buddy Sasser and is awarded to the Big South member institution with the most successful year athletically, based on an average points system. Points are awarded for both regular-season and tournament finishes in each of the League's 19 championships, and the average of the combined total is used to determine the overall point allocation in the respective sport. One bonus point is added to the average total for each Conference Champion/AQ representative, as well as any teams that receive at-large NCAA Championships berths. Teams tied in regular-season or tournament play split the points earned. Each member's overall point totals are then divided by the number of sports sponsored by that school to determine the average.
2022-23 Sasser Cup Standings
1. High Point ............................. 8.55
2. Campbell ................................. 8.14
3. Charleston Southern ................7.23
4. USC Upstate .............................5.90
5. Radford ................................ 5.84
6. Gardner-Webb .................... 5.82
7. UNC Asheville ..................... 5.60
8. Longwood ............................ 5.08
9. Presbyterian College................... 4.25
10. Winthrop .................................. 4.03
2022-23 Men's All-Sports Award
1. Campbell .................................. 8.03
2. Charleston Southern.................. 7.542
3. High Point ................................ 7.536
4. UNC Asheville .......................... 6.57
5. USC Upstate ......................... 6.36
6. Radford .................................. 6.04
7. Gardner-Webb .................... 5.31
8. Winthrop ..................... ……. 5.29
9. Longwood ............................... 4.92
10. Presbyterian College .............. 4.33
2022-23 Women's All-Sports Award
1. High Point .............................. 9.44
2. Campbell ................................. 8.23
3. Charleston Southern.................. 7.03
4. Gardner-Webb ................... 6.23
5. Radford ............................. 5.73
6. USC Upstate ..................... 5.50
7. Longwood .......................... 5.21
8. UNC Asheville ..........................4.75
9. Presbyterian College .......... 4.19
10. Winthrop .................................. 3.06
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