CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Through the completion of the Big South Conference winter sports season, Liberty University has taken over the lead for the League’s 2008-09 George F. “Buddy” Sasser Cup Trophy.  The Flames have accumulated 116.5 points in 10 sports for a Conference-best 11.65 average, ahead of second-place Coastal Carolina (10.92 average, 98.25 total points in nine sports) and third-place High Point (10.17 average, 91.5 total points in nine sports).  The Flames jumped from third-place in the fall Sasser Cup standings to first-place after the winter seasons.

Liberty, which won the Sasser Cup in 2008-09, won the men’s indoor track & field championship and women’s basketball championship during the winter season, in addition to finishing runner-up in women’s indoor track & field and third-place in men’s basketball.  For the season, Liberty has won five of the League’s 10 conference championships thus far in 2008-09, including fall championships in volleyball, football and men’s cross country.

VMI stands in fourth-place in the Sasser Cup standings with an average of 8.72 (69.75 total points in eight sports), followed by Radford at 8.36 (75.25 points in nine sports).  Winthrop holds the sixth position with a 7.92 average (71.25 points in nine sports), while UNC Asheville is seventh at 6.50 (58.5 points in nine sports).  New Big South member Gardner-Webb is eighth at 6.10 (61 points in 10 sports), followed by Charleston Southern (4.61; 48.75 points in nine sports) and new League member Presbyterian (3.10; 15.5 points in five eligible sports).

In addition to the overall lead, Liberty leads the Men’s All-Sports Award race.  LU’s current average of 11.70 (58.5 points in five men’s sports) is ahead of VMI’s 8.75 average (43.75 points in five sports).  High Point is third in the men’s race with an 8.38 average (33.5 points in four sports).

Coastal Carolina leads the race for the Women’s All-Sports Award, which CCU won four consecutive years from 2004-07.  The Chanticleers sit atop the standings with a 13.30 average (66.5 points in five sports), with High Point and Liberty tied for second with identical averages of 11.60 (58 points in five sports).
 
The Sasser Cup Trophy, named for former Big South Commissioner Buddy Sasser, is awarded to the Big South member institution with the most successful year athletically based on a points and ratio system.  Points are awarded based on both regular-season and tournament finish in each of the League’s 18 championships, based on the number of teams participating in the regular-season and tournament, respectively.  A school must be eligible to participate in a specific sport championship to receive Sasser Cup points in that sport.  There shall be a weighted factor of 1.5 for those sports that only participate in regular-season play (football) or a tournament (cross country, track, golf), but not both.  Teams tied in regular-season or tournament play split the points earned.  Each member’s point totals are then divided by the number of sports sponsored by that school to determine the average.

The current 2008-09 Sasser Cup and Women’s and Men’s All-Sports standings appear below:

2008-09 Sasser Cup Standings
1. Liberty............................11.65
2. Coastal Carolina.............10.92
3. High Point......................10.17
4. VMI................................8.72
5. Radford...........................8.36
6. Winthrop.........................7.92
7. UNC Asheville................6.50
8. Gardner-Webb................6.10
9. Charleston Southern........5.42
10. Presbyterian..................3.10

2008-09 Women’s All-Sports Award 
1. Coastal Carolina............13.30
T-2. High Point..................11.60
T-2. Liberty.......................11.60
4. VMI................................8.67
5. Radford...........................8.40
6. Winthrop.........................7.70
7. Charleston Southern........6.30
8. Gardner-Webb...............6.10
9. UNC Asheville................5.50
10. Presbyterian..................3.17

2008-09 Men’s All-Sports Award
1. Liberty..........................11.70
2. VMI...............................8.75
3. High Point.......................8.38
4. Radford..........................8.31
5. Winthrop........................8.19
6. Coastal Carolina.............7.94
7. UNC Asheville...............7.75
8. Gardner-Webb..............6.10
9. Charleston Southern.......4.31
10. Presbyterian.................3.00