Capital One Cup to honor best program

espn.go ^ | September 1, 2010, 12:59 PM

[Bad~Rodeo]

INDIANAPOLIS -- There's an added incentive to prove which college or university has the best athletic program in America -- $200,000 in graduate scholarship money.

On Wednesday, the NCAA and corporate sponsor Capital One announced they were joining forces to create the Capital One Cup, which will be awarded to best all-around men's and women's Division I programs.

Standings will be released at the end of the fall, winter and spring seasons, with the overall winners announced in July at the ESPY Awards.

"Honestly, I'd love to see it become the elite award in college athletics where it becomes synonymous with hard work and everything that's good," former Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie said in a phone interview from New York City, where the announcement was held. "Along with that, I'd like to see some respect for the non-revenue generating sports."

Points will be awarded in 13 men's sports and 13 women's sports. Schools will earn points, much like a track meet, for finishing among the nation's top 10 in NCAA championships and media polls. Twenty points will be awarded to each national champion with descending points awarded to each of the next nine finishers.

It's not the first time colleges have competed for such an award.

Since 2003-04, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics has awarded the Directors Cup for the best overall program. From 1993-94 through 2002-03, the award was called the Sears Cup after the previous corporate sponsor.

That award looked at the combined men's and women's scores, with North Carolina winning the title in '93-94, and Stanford claiming it every year since. As a result, organizers decided to split it into two awards for men's and women's programs.

"We know that