HILTON HEAD, S.C. — Five-Peat!

For the fifth consecutive year, High Point University has been crowned the George F "Buddy" Sasser Cup Champions as the Big South Conference's top overall athletic institution during the 2025-26 academic year. Conference officials presented the Sasser Cup to HPU President Nido R. Qubein, Vice President and Athletic Director Dan Hauser, and Faculty Athletic Representative Brielle Spencer-Tyree at the Big South Spring Meetings Thursday night in Hilton Head, S.C.

The Panthers swept all three trophies for the third straight year, winning the eighth consecutive Women's All-Sports Cup and third straight Men's All-Sports Cup. HPU's fifth consecutive Sasser Cup is the second-longest streak in conference history, while the Panthers become the first institution ever to sweep all three trophies in back-to-back-to-back years. 

HPU now owns the Big South's longest consecutive streak with its eighth Women's All-Sports Trophy, while joining only three other universities to win the Men's All-Sports Trophy three years in a row.

"Our High Point University Panthers completed a record-setting year, winning 16 conference championships and the Sasser Cup for a fifth consecutive year," HPU Vice President and Athletic Director Dan Hauser said. "Every HPU student-athlete, coach, and staff member contributed to this historic championship year. On top of the conference success, multiple teams advanced in the NCAA Tournament, securing our highest finishes on the national stage. We celebrate the outstanding championship year, and the future is bright at High Point University!"
 
HPU won an extraordinary department-best 16 conference championships: volleyball (regular season and tournament), women's cross country, women's soccer (tournament), men's soccer (regular season and tournament), men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, men's basketball (regular season and tournament), women's basketball (regular season and tournament), women's golf, and baseball (regular season).
 
The Panthers' dominance continued on the national stage behind nine NCAA Tournament appearances. Men's soccer won its first second round match for the school's first-ever Sweet Sixteen appearance, while men's basketball won a first round game for the first time in program history. Additionally, men's indoor track & field had a seventh-place finisher for First Team All-American honors.

High Point was nearly three points higher than every Big South school in the Sasser Cup Standings, scoring 9.23 in the overall leaderboard as Charleston Southern (6.27) and UNC Upstate (5.52) respectively followed.

The Panthers continued their reign of being the only active Big South institution to win the Women's All-Sports Cup behind 9.50 points compared to Radford (6.42) and Charleston Southern (6.00). The Men's All-Sports Trophy comes to High Point for the third year in a row after the Panthers' 8.93 points surpassed Charleston Southern (6.67) and USC Upstate (6.29).
 


SASSER CUP STANDINGS
1. High Point .................................................... 9.23
2. Charleston Southern ....................... 6.27
3. UNC Asheville .............................................. 5.52
4. USC Upstate ............................................................. 5.30
5. Radford .......................................... 5.22
6. Gardner-Webb ......................................... 4.74
7. Winthrop...................................................... 4.66
8. Longwood ........................................................... 4.59
9. Presbyterian College ...................... 3.73
 
WOMEN'S ALL-SPORTS STANDINGS
1. High Point .................................................... 9.50
2. Radford ....................................................... 6.42
3. Charleston Southern .......................................... 6.00
4. UNC Asheville............................................... 5.75
5. Longwood ........................................... 4.89
6. Gardner-Webb ........................................................ 4.60
7. Winthrop............................................... 4.444
8. USC Upstate ......................................................... 4.437
9. Presbyterian College ...................... 2.59
 
MEN'S ALL-SPORTS STANDINGS
1. High Point .................................................... 8.93
2. Charleston Southern .......................... 6.67
3. USC Upstate ................................................ 6.29
4. UNC Asheville ............................................. 5.25
4. Presbyterian ......................................... 4.97
6. Winthrop ........................................................... 4.93
7. Gardner-Webb ...................... 4.91
8. Longwood ............................................................. 4.25
9. Radford ..................................................... 3.68