SDSU hopes for fourth consecutive win

SDSU has won the Summit League Commissioner’s Cup for the past three years, showcasing SDSU’s success in sports across the entire league.

 “I like to say it just measures the broad base success of a program,” said Justin Sell, director of athletics. “It’s not just based in one or two sports—you have to be good in all of your sports to have a chance to win the Commissioner’s Cup.”

 The 20-year-old competition adds points from men’s and women’s sports ranging from football to basketball to softball, and each sport counts to win the cup.

 One story Sell tells to remind student athletes about their important part within the competition is how SDSU won the 2010-2011 Commissioner’s Cup. SDSU took the cup that year with a .5 win over Oakland University because of a softball game.

 The Jacks softball team was playing for seventh place in the league against Oakland University. Although the team wasn’t the best in the league, their win over Oakland gave SDSU just the right advantage to win the cup. Once all scores were tallied up, Oakland stood at 97 points and SDSU at 97.5.

 Sell said the story is a good way to “pump people up, get them excited and get them focused.”

 The Commissioner’s Cup is decided by adding points gathered in men’s and women’s sports. Separately, the men’s division can earn the Dr. William Steinbrecher Men’s All-Sports Award while the women’s division competes for the Dr. Helen Smiley Women’s All-Sports Award.

 Sell hopes to keep the title for another year.