Arizona Athletics set a nearly impossible standard to match in mid-'90s | Greg Hansen

The Wildcats reached the Final Four in men's basketball and men's golf, the Elite Eight in men's tennis, and had NCAA Tournament teams in volleyball and women's tennis. The 9-4 football team finished the regular season ranked No. 21 in the AP poll and the gymnastics team reached the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

It may yet finish near the top 10 in this week's men's NCAA track and field championships.

The Wildcats were ranked No. 48 in the Learfield Director's Cup entering May; the Director's Cup is the measurement of each Division I school, sport by sport. It has a chance to finish 20th or thereabouts in the final Learfield Cup standings.

Here's some perspective: When the Director's Cup began in the 1993-94 school year, Arizona was ranked in the Top 10 in nine consecutive seasons. Those were the glory days of UA sports history.

For example, for the 1994-95 school year, Arizona finished No. 4 in the Director's Cup. Here's what it took to have that historic season:

– The men's cross country team finished No. 3 nationally.

– The softball team finished No. 3 nationally.

– The men's track team finished No. 4 nationally.

– The women's swimming team finished No. 5 nationally.

– The women's cross country team finished No. 6 nationally.

– The men's swimming team finished No. 8 nationally.

– The men's golf team finished No. 10 nationally.

– The women's golf team finished No. 12 nationally.

– The men's basketball team finished No. 12 in the final AP poll.

– The women's tennis team reached the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

That's what it takes to finish in the Top 10 of the Director's Cup.

In 1995, Arizona had a historically bad baseball season, 20-35-1 overall, and a so-so football finish at 6-5. But otherwise, the UA athletic department of the mid ’90s set a standard that almost seems impossible to match today.