BOSTON – For the second time in the past three seasons, Vermont is leading the Commissioner’s Cup Standings after the winter sports season.
The Catamounts concluded the winter season with 254 points after winning the women’s basketball regular season and tournament championship, and appearing in the men’s basketball championship game. Vermont’s 254 points are the highest for a team through the winter since UAlbany had 257 in 2021-22.
UMBC moved up from seventh in the fall to second after the winter with 218 total points. The Retrievers had a league-best 141 during the winter by capturing championships in men’s basketball, women’s track & field and men’s swimming & diving. Defending champion Bryant (193) is in third, while Binghamton (175) and Maine (166) round out the top five.
Need to Know:
- Following the winter season, six different schools have won tournament championships, including four that have won at least two. UMBC has a league-high four championships thus far.
- This is the second time in league history that Vermont has led the Commissioner’s Cup following the winter season. In 2023-24 the Catamounts had 219 points for a one-point lead over eventual champion Binghamton after the winter season.
- UMBC led all schools in the winter with 141 points, followed by Vermont with 116 points. Maine was third with 85 points, while NJIT was fourth with 82 points and Binghamton was fifth with 81.
- Vermont had a league-best 98 points from men’s and women’s basketball, while UMBC was second with 91, Maine had 67 and NJIT was fourth with 64.
- UMBC finished fourth or better in all six winter championships and became the first school since Boston University in 2002 to win championships in track & field, swimming & diving and basketball in the same season.
- Bryant won its first-ever women’s swimming & diving championship this winter, while UMBC women’s track & field won its first-ever indoor track & field title.
- Binghamton is fourth with 174 points, highlighted by a second place finish men’s swimming & diving.
- Maine is in fifth with 166 points, thanks in part to a runner-up finish in women’s basketball.
- UMass Lowell won its third indoor track & field title in the last five years this winter.
The scoring system for the Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner's Cup is as follows: In sports where regular-season round robin competition is conducted, the first-place institution in the final standings receives four points times the total number of teams involved in conference play. The second-place institution receives four less points; third place receives eight less points, and so on. Additionally, the America East (tournament) champion receives two points times the total number of teams participating in the championship. The second-place institution receives two less points; third place receives four less points and so on down to the last-place institution which receives two points.
In sports where regular-season round robin competition is not conducted (cross country, track & field, swimming & diving), the first-place institution at the America East championship receives two points times the total number of teams participating in the championship. The second-place institution receives two less points; third place gets four less points and so on down to the last place team which receives two points.
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -