The 35th anniversary convention of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) attracted more than 1,200 administrators who attended sessions dealing with contemporary issues in college sports.

The convention featured keynote speeches from J.C. Watts, a Congressman from Oklahoma; an awards ceremony that included NCAA President Cedric W. Dempsey receiving NACDA's James J. Corbett Memorial Award; and several discussion forums and round-table sessions covering a broad range of topics in intercollegiate athletics administration.

One of the discussion sessions was a diversity speakers forum featuring Anita DeFrantz, vice-president of the International Olympic Committee; Richard Lapchick, director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society; and Ronald J. Stratten, NCAA vice-president for education services. The forum was followed by a diversity training seminar presented by Lin Dawson, chief operating officer of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society.

DeFrantz, a former NCAA Silver Anniversary Award recipient who delivered the keynote address at the Association's 1999 annual Convention, emphasized equality as well as diversity in her comments to forum participants.

"Everyone has something to contribute to sports," she said. "In the world of sports, we believe women hold up half the sky."

Stratten, who oversees diversity programming for the NCAA, said, "Diversity is a national issue, but also a personal issue."

During the training seminar, Dawson's presentation emphasized diversity not only as the right thing to do, but as a fiscally prudent approach.

"Diversity fits into the bottom line of your company," he said.

In his convention keynote speech, Watts, who starred in football at the University of Oklahoma in the 1980s, discussed the impact athletics has, particularly on young people. "You never know where that young man or lady you encourage will end up," he said. "We have to see kids as they can be, not as they are. Athletics has taught me a lot of valuable tools. Regardless of where we are, we can apply athletics to any arena we participate in."

Other convention highlights included sessions on Internet presence, stress management for athletics administrators, nontraditional-season legislation in Division III, proper athletic training coverage and trends in intercollegiate athletics.

Sears Directors' Cups

The convention's awards luncheon included the presentation of Sears Directors' Cup trophies to Stanford University; the University of California, Davis; and Williams College, winners in Divisions I, II and III, respectively.

The Sears Directors' Cups, presented annually by Sears, Roebuck and Co. and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), are awarded to the nation's top collegiate athletics programs based on schools' finishes in various NCAA sports.

In Division I, Stanford earned its sixth consecutive trophy, scoring in the maximum of 20 sports allowed in the standings -- 10 women's and 10 men's sports. The Cardinal won two national championships during the 1999-00 season in men's tennis and men's outdoor track and field.

Stanford also had runner-up finishes in women's tennis, women's golf, women's volleyball and water polo.

"Each year, Stanford's student-athletes and the athletics department strive to win the Sears Directors' Cup, the measuring stick for college athletics," said Stanford director of athletics Ted Leland.

UC Davis did not claim any national championships during the 1999-00 season but the Aggies sealed their win with 10 top-10 finishes.

After placing second for the past two years in the Division II race, UC Davis reclaimed the Cup the school had won in 1996 and 1997. UC Davis edged runner-up North Dakota State University by 27 points.

Williams claimed its fourth Cup, recording nine top-10 finishes. Williams scored in seven women's and seven men's sports. The Ephs finished 60 1/2 points ahead of runner-up University of California, San Diego, the Division III winner in 1998. The Ephs recorded a runner-up finish in women's lacrosse and placed third in women's cross country, women's soccer and women's indoor track and field.

Other awards

The awards luncheon also featured Dempsey as the recipient of the Corbett Award, presented annually to the athletics administrator who most typifies the late NACDA president's devotion to intercollegiate athletics.

Dempsey is in his sixth year as the leader of the NCAA.

Also presented at the luncheon was the NACDA/NIT Athletics Directors Award, which went to Gary Cunningham, director of athletics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In addition the NACDA/Continental Airlines AD of the Year Awards honored the following 16 regional winners.

* Division I-A -- Joseph R. Castiglione, University of Oklahoma; John J. Crouthamel, Syracuse University; Dave Hart Jr., Florida State University; Barbara A. Hedges, University of Washington.

* Division I-AA/I-AAA -- Charles S. Boone, University of Richmond; William J. Hogan, University of San Francisco; Lewis Perkins, University of Connecticut; Helen Smiley, Western Illinois University.

* Division II -- Rita M. Castagna, Assumption College; Ed Harris, West Texas A&M University; Hal Smeltzly, Florida Southern University; Thomas E. Spicer, Fort Hays State University.

* Division III -- John S. Biddiscombe, Wesleyan University (Connecticut); Mike Clary, Rhodes College; Bob King, Trinity University (Texas); and John M. Schael, Washington (Missouri).

Sears Directors' Cup standings

Standings in the Divisions I, II and III Sears Directors' Cups, presented annually by Sears, Roebuck and Co. and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics:

Division I*

1. Stanford -- 1,269.5
2. UCLA -- 1,103.5
3. Michigan -- 965
4. North Carolina -- 908.5
5. Penn State -- 859.5
6. Nebraska -- 856
7. Florida -- 842
8. Arizona -- 837.5
9. Texas -- 741
10. Arizona State -- 733
11. Georgia -- 728.5
12. Virginia -- 698.5
13. Ohio State -- 682
14. California -- 671.5
15. LSU -- 664
16. Wisconsin -- 661.5
17. Brigham Young -- 658
18. Minnesota -- 627
19. Tennessee -- 621
20. Southern California -- 606.5
21. Notre Dame -- 594.5
22. Michigan State -- 587
23. Auburn -- 572
24. Duke -- 566
25. Oklahoma -- 563.5
*does not include College World Series competition.