October 2, 2002

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED RANKS FURMAN 82ND BEST
SPORTS COLLEGE; FU TOPS SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

GREENVILLE -- Sports Illustrated magazine, in its Oct. 7 issue entitled "America's Best Sports Colleges," ranks Furman University as the 82nd best sports college among the nation's 324 NCAA Division I athletic programs.

Furman, whose ranking topped all Southern Conference schools, was singled out for its national runner-up finish in football in 2001; LPGAers Betsy King, Dottie Pepper, Beth Daniel; and the school cheer: "FU all the time!"

Sports Illustrated combined a variety of factors in ranking athletic programs, including performance during the 2001-02 school year in the big five sports (baseball, football, hockey and men¹s and women¹s basketball); position in the '01-02 Sears Cup NCAA all-sports standings; number of varsity, club, and intramural sports; and range of recreational facilities.

The University of Texas was ranked No. 1 and Stanford ranked No. 2. Furman's No. 82 ranking was followed by Southern Conference schools Georgia Southern (No. 86), Appalachian State (No. 136), Chattanooga (No. 187), and Davidson (No. 195).

The remaining 124 Division I athletic programs not ranked in the Top 200 were listed alphabetically and included league schools College of Charleston, East Tennessee State, The Citadel, VMI, Western Carolina, and Wofford.