131

The Mountaineers lost their football coach to the Big Ten, but not the strong sport-specific ranking he built [10].

71

The Hoosiers were fast in the pool [both swim teams finished 12th] and on the pitch, where men’s soccer finished eighth.

66

Maybe they fear change. The Mustangs, 43rd in last year’s list, rode men’s soccer [6] and women’s swimming [14], just like they did in 2007.

131

Though unranked by U.S. News, the Cowboys showed up in men’s golf [6], men’s cross country [7] and wrestling [9].

14

Brains and brawn define Big Red lacrosse [4], wrestling [7] and hockey [12].

71

If you’re going to excel in one sport, it might as well be football [11].

40

The Illini, a respectable 18th in 2007, almost fell out of the Elite 50 this year. They hung in thanks to women’s cross country [3], wrestling [11] and men’s tennis [13].

53

Please welcome the Colonials and their women’s basketball team [12] to the Elite 50.

2

Men’s cross country [7], lacrosse [9] and hockey [13] rode the coattails of the Tigers’ brilliant U.S. News ranking [2].

71

The ninth Big Ten team scored with hockey [4] and women’s cross country [9].