GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman University's men's and women's athletics programs recorded second place finishes in the Southern Conference's Commissioner Cup and Germann Cup all-sports competitions for the 2021-22 school year, it was announced today at the conference's annual meetings being held on Hilton Head Island.

The Commissioner's Cup is awarded annually by the SoCon to the top men's program in the league based on a points system, as is the Germann Cup, which goes to the SoCon's top women's program.

Utilizing a system modeled after the one used in determining the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup, scoring is done on a percentage basis, with seven sports for each school counting toward its season total. 

The SoCon sponsors 22 total sports, with 11 men's sports, 10 women's sports, and one co-ed sport, rifle. 

Each sport represents 10 points, with each position in the standings given equal measure relative to how many schools sponsor that particular sport. For sports that recognize a regular-season champion, there is a two-point bonus for winning the league tournament. Each school's combined points total for the year is divided by 70 — the maximum number of points possible when counting seven sports — to determine its percentage.

Furman racked up 54.18 points in the Commissioner's Cup race and finished with a .774 ranking percentage, just behind East Tennessee State (56.00/.800).  Samford (51.65/.738), Mercer (46.46/.664), and UNCG (45.36/.648) rounded out the top five.

A championship in cross country, as well as regular season runner-up performances by basketball and men's tennis fueled Furman's solid second place showing in the Commissioner's Cup.

Furman's women finished second to Samford (64.29/.918) in the Germann Cup competition, registering 60.21 points and .860 ranking percentage. ETSU (50.58/.723), Wofford (48.53/.693), and Mercer (46.01/.657) completed the top five.

Paladin women combined to capture SoCon championships in cross country, tennis (regular season & tournament), and golf, while also notching a second place regular season finish in soccer.

Furman has captured two Commissioner's Cups — in 1991 and in 2021 — and has won a league-best 17 Germann Cups since the award was initiated in 1987, including 12 straight from 1992-2004.

In 2020 both Furman's men's and women's programs enjoyed solid leads in both Commissioner's Cup and German Cup races before the Covid-19 pandemic halted athletic competition in mid-March.  The league subsequently voted to not award a winner in either competition for the 2019-20 school year. 

Commissioner's Cup    
(Men's Athletics – Final Standings)
1. ETSU    .800
2. FURMAN    .774
3. Samford    .738
4. Mercer    .664
5. UNCG    .648
6. Chattanooga    .606
7. VMI    .572
8. Western Carolina    .558
9. Wofford    .478
10. The Citadel    .380

Germann Cup    
(Women's Athletics – Final Standings)
1. Samford    .918
2. FURMAN    .860
3. ETSU    .723
4. Wofford    .693
5. Mercer    .657
6. UNCG    .579
7. Western Carolina    .569
8. Chattanooga    .553
9. The Citadel    .333
10. VMI    .185