Sports
UA athletics secure 5th consecutive top-20 finish in Learfield Directors’ Cup standings
The Arkansas Razorbacks have earned a top-20 finish in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings for a program-record fifth consecutive year, the university announced Thursday.
The award is given annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to the colleges and universities with the most success in collegiate athletics.
The Razorbacks ranked No. 5 in the Southeastern Conference and No. 11 overall in the final standings released by the NACDA, a news release said.
Arkansas earned a total of 966.7 points and is one of 11 league programs in the top 25 of the final standings.
Arkansas finished No. 18 in 2023-24, No. 13 in 2022-23, No. 7 in 2021-22 and No. 8 in 2020-21.
Arkansas has won eight NCAA championships and 39 Southeastern Conference team championships in the past seven years, including 31 conference titles in the past five years alone, the release said.
Both conference championship totals lead all SEC programs and the Hog’s 39 titles are more than seven other league programs combined in that same time-frame.
“Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and the loyal support of our Razorback Foundation members, the University of Arkansas once again ranks among the nation’s top performing collegiate athletics programs,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek in the release.
“Our program has finished in the top 20 of the Directors’ Cup for a school record five years in a row, even while competing against programs that have far more than 19 sports. We are grateful for the loyal support of Razorback fans who have and will continue to play an integral part in our success as we move forward into a new era of intercollegiate athletics.”
Football
A win over Texas Tech capped the season in style as the Razorbacks won their fourth straight AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
The win was also the third bowl win under Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, the release said.
Pittman is 3-0 as a head coach in bowl games at Arkansas, becoming the first Razorback coach to win his first three bowl outings. The victory earned Arkansas 45 Directors’ Cup points.
Baseball
The final Directors’ Cup standings include points awarded in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s beach volleyball, women’s bowling, men’s and women’s cross country, fencing, women’s field hockey, football, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, rifle, women’s rowing, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, skiing, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s indoor track & field, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s water polo and wrestling, the release said.
Arkansas ended a strong baseball season with its 12th appearance at the College World Series. Led by Golden Spikes Award winner Wehiwa Aloy, the Hogs swept through the NCAA Regional and Super Regional rounds at Baum-Walker Stadium to earn a trip to Omaha.
Arkansas finished tied for third at the CWS and ended one step short of the championship series. The Hogs finished the season with a record of 50-15 and earned a top-5 national finish for the seventh time in school history. For their baseball season, Arkansas earned 83 Directors’ Cup points, it said.
Basketball
New head coach John Calipari’s Razorback men’s basketball team made an improbable run into the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 after starting SEC play winless in its first five games.
Arkansas finished the season with a 22-14 record, earned its 37th NCAA appearance and its 15th NCAA Sweet 16, including its fourth in the last five years, the release said.
The Hogs were a No. 10 seed and topped No. 7 seed Kansas (79-72) in the opening round, before upsetting No. 2 seed St. John’s (75-66) in the second round of the tournament.
Arkansas’ season came to an end to No. 3 Texas Tech (85-83). The Razorbacks earned 64 Directors’ Cup points for the NCAA Tournament run, it said.
Softball
Led by Bri Ellis, the Softball America and USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, Arkansas finished the 2025 campaign with a 44-14 overall record while making its fourth Super Regional appearance in program history, the release said.
The Hogs’ 44 wins were the most since 2022, with 48.
The Razorbacks were named the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and won the NCAA Fayetteville Regional, before falling in game three of the Fayetteville Super Regional to Ole Miss. The Hogs earned 64 points towards the Directors’ Cup from softball.
Soccer
Razorback Soccer continued its recent run of success on the pitch. Arkansas earned a No. 2 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament and hosted three rounds of postseason play in front of capacity crowds at Razorback Field.
Head coach Colby Hale’s squad advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history in 2024, including the third time in the past four seasons, it said.
The postseason success gained Arkansas 64 points in the Directors’ Cup standings.
Men’s track and field
The 2025 SEC Champion Arkansas men’s track and field team made a strong run at yet another national championship at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship.
A strong final day of performances clinched the Razorbacks a No. 3, just one point shy of two teams that tied for the national championship, the release said.
Head coach Chris Bucknam and the Razorback men in the past eight NCAA championships held in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field. Jordan Anthony starred for the Razorbacks, capturing the individual title in the 100m with a time of 10.07. This marked the seventh podium finish for Bucknam’s Hogs.
Arkansas collected 85 Directors’ Cup points for its top-three national finish in men’s outdoor track and field.
Women’s outdoor track and field
Arkansas women’s outdoor track and field tallied 70.5 Directors’ Cup points after the Razorbacks finished eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship.
Led by a runner-up finish in the 4-x-400-meter relay and a bronze medal effort from Rosey Effiong in the 400 meters, the Hogs earned a top-10 finish at the national meet for Coach Chris Johnson.
This marked the fourth straight top-10 finish and the 10th time in the past 12 NCAA Outdoor meets, the Running Razorback women’s squad has accomplished that feat, it said.
Women’s golf
While making history, the Razorback women’s golf team pushed its way to a deep run in the postseason.
Arkansas advanced through the NCAA Regional and team stroke play at the NCAA Championship, before losing in the quarterfinals of match play competition to the eventual national championship team in Northwestern.
Sophomore Maria José Marin led the team and, in the process, became the third Razorback in history to win the individual national championships. For its NCAA quarterfinal finish, Arkansas scored 72.75 in Directors’ Cup points, the release said.
Men’s golf
Returning to a familiar place again in 2025, Arkansas men’s golf made the NCAA postseason. The Razorback men’s team played in its 17th straight NCAA Regional and competed as a team or with individuals in 31-of-36 Regionals held since 1989, it said.
Arkansas finished in the top seven as a team at the NCAA Amherst Regional and stumbled just short of qualifying for the NCAA Championship. For its regional appearance, the Razorbacks earned 33.5 Directors’ Cup points, it said.
Gymnastics
Razorback Gymnastics netted Arkansas 60.8 Directors’ Cup points in a strong season. The Hill’s Gymbacks advanced to the NCAA University Park Regional as a team before finishing one step shy of the NCAA Final.
Senior Maddie Jones and freshman Joscelyn Roberson moved to the NCAA Championship in individuals, with Jones competing on the uneven bars and Roberson competing in the all-around competition.
Men’s and women’s indoor Track and Field
Arkansas was on the podium following both the men’s and women’s competition at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Jordan Anthony won the 60-meter and a silver medal finish for Jack Turner in the heptathlon propelled the Arkansas men to a fourth-place trophy finish.
Anthony became the first Razorback to win the 60-meter at the NCAA Indoor, it said.
Turner’s score of 5,962 points placed second to Peyton Bair of Mississippi State in the heptathlon. The Running Razorbacks collected 80 Directors’ Cup points for the team finish.
Isabella Whittaker ran an amazing performance, producing an American and collegiate record in the 400-meter as she blasted a 2025 world-leading time of 49.24 seconds to lead the Razorback women, it said.
Arkansas finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in team standings with 31 points, earning 76.2 Directors’ Cup points.
Swim and dive
Freshman diver Maria Sanchez competed in three different events and led the Razorbacks to a 40th-place finish at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Sanchez-Moreno competed in the 1-meter (20th), 3-meter (13th) and platform (24th) dives.
Her performances at the national meet earned All-America Honorable Mention honors and earned Arkansas 26 Directors’ Cup points in women’s swimming and diving, the release said.
Cross country
The Razorback men’s cross country team earned the program’s first top-5 national finish of the year.
No. 3 Arkansas secured a third-place finish at the national meet with 202 points, it said.
Three Razorbacks earned All-America honors as the Hogs secured their 24th top-four NCAA Cross Country finish in school history. Bucknam’s squad earned 85 Directors’ Cup points for its championship performance.
Paityn Noe led the Razorbacks women’s cross country team recorded a top-20 finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, it said.
Noe crossed the line seventh in the individual race to earn All-America honors and lead the Razorbacks to a No. 17 team finish. Arkansas earned 57 Directors’ Cup points for the performance.
Sports
Nebraska Women’s Volleyball Upset Eliminates Highest-Spending Team
The NCAA women’s volleyball tournament will go on without the sport’s highest-spending team, after undefeated Nebraska, the event’s top overall seed, was stunned by Texas A&M in the quarterfinals on Sunday.
Nebraska was 33-0 heading into the game and is also the sport’s financial powerhouse. The university spent $5.91 million on its women’s volleyball team in the 2023-24 season, the most of any program in the country, according to Sportico’s College Sports Finances Database. Nebraska is the only public FBS school to spend more on women’s volleyball than women’s basketball, and first-year head coach Dani Busboom Kelly earned a base salary of $700,000 this season.
The team also brought in $2.57 million in ticketing revenue, which is the third-highest for any women’s sports team at a public FBS school, trailing only Iowa’s and UConn’s women’s basketball teams. The Aggies, for contrast, made just $288,000 from ticket sales.
Women’s volleyball has taken off in recent years, with top college programs spending more and multiple pro leagues raising millions to get off the ground. Average viewership for the 2025 college regular season on ESPN was up 36% year-over-year. Nebraska, which drew 92,003 fans to a game at Memorial Stadium in 2023, has been a big part of the sport’s success.
Texas A&M is no slouch when it comes to volleyball spending, though, ranking in the top 10 in budget each of the past four years and seventh at $3.75 million in the most recent season for which data is available. On the other side of the bracket, Wisconsin is the No. 3 highest-spending program in the nation at $4.68 million and will face Kentucky, whose $3.21 million in expenses ranked 11th. The fourth semifinalist, Pittsburgh, is public but does not provide its financial details via open records requests.
The semifinals and final will be played on Thursday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 21, respectively, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, less than a four-hour drive from Lincoln, Neb.
Sports
Wildcats of the Week: December 8-14
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jakobi Heady of B-CU Men’s Basketball has been named Wildcat of the Week for the week of December 8-14, 2025.
Jakobi Heady was a standout again for the Wildcats in the teeth of the nonconference season, leading the way offensively with 15 points on 5-9 shooting with a rebound, an assist, and a steal at SEC opponent Missouri. .
Each week, The Bethune-Cookman Office of Athletic Communications recognizes one male and one female student-athlete through the Wildcats of the Week award.
This award recognizes student-athletes who have excelled in competition, in the classroom, and in the community over the past week, exemplifying the Championship Culture of Wildcat Athletics.
2025-26 Wildcats of the Week
December 8-14
W: N/A (No Women’s Competition This Week
M: Jakobi Heady, Men’s Basketball
December 1-7
W: Daimoni Dorsey, Women’s Basketball
M: Sha’Nard Walker, Track & Field
November 24-30
W: Chanelle McDonald, Women’s Basketball
M: Jakobi Heady, Men’s Basketball
November 17-23
W: Jordan Brooks, Women’s Basketball
M: Timmy McClain, Football
November 10-16
W: Shayla Henry, Volleyball
M: Javon Ross, Football
November 3-9
W: Madison Molock, Tennis
M: Arterio Morris, Men’s Basketball
October 27-November 2
W: Amya Jennings, Volleyball
M: Andrew Kiplagat, Cross Country
October 20-26
W: Sthefany Carvalho, Volleyball
M: Jaylen Lewis, Football
October 13-19
W: Melissa Gonzalez, Volleyball
M: N/A (No Men’s Competition this Week)
October 6-12
W: Valencia Butler, Cross Country
M: Andrew Kiplagat, Cross Country
September 29-October 5
W: Amya Jennings, Volleyball
M: Ali Scott Jr., Football
September 22-28
W: Sierra Herndon, Volleyball
M: Javon Ross, Football
September 15-21
W: Zahara El-Zein
M: Maleek Huggins, Football
September 8-14
W: Nola Hemphill, Volleyball
M: Cam’Ron Ransom, Football
September 1-7
W: Reese Wilson, Women’s Golf
M: Stephen Sparrow Jr., Football
August 25 – 31
W: Kaleigh Williams, Volleyball
M: Andrew Kiplagat, Cross Country
For all the latest Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Facebook (Bethune-Cookman Athletics), X (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUAthletics.com.
Sports
Winston Morgan Breaks Program Record in Track and Field First Home Meet
“Solid day in Leverone Field house for the Big Green track & field programs. It’s always exciting to host a meet at home and compete in front of your friends and family. This meet is a nice way for us to end our Winterim training period,” Mike Nelson, the Marjorie & Herbert Chase ’30 Director of Dartmouth Track & Field and Cross Country, said. “We’ll have a few weeks off now, and then we’ll be back with another home meet on January 10. We look forward to the indoor season kicking into high gear once we get back from winter break. Go Big Green!”
Winston Morgan set a new program record in the 300m with a time of 34.50. Jack Roussaeu put himself at fourth all-time in the event with his 35.68 finish, while Jack Inglis placed sixth all-time with a 36.35 finish. As for the women’s 300m, Mariella Schweitzer placed second all-time with her final time of 39.62, while Veronika Simova put herself at third all-time with a 40.27 mark.
Jada Jones continues her success from last season, putting herself at second all-time in the 60m with a final time of 7.46. Daniela Ruelas Lomeli followed behind, placing ninth all-time with her 7.73 finish.
Charlotte DiRocco cleared 1.72m in the high jump of the women’s pentathlon, putting herself at seventh all-time in the event.
The Big Green will return to action on Jan. 10 when they host their second and final home meet of the season, the Ivy vs. America East Challenge.
Sports
Central’s Meyer earns weekly USTFCCCA national honor
PELLA — Central College men’s track and field hurdler and high jumper Gunner Meyer (senior, Fairbank, Wapsie Valley HS) was named the USTFCCCA Division III Men’s National Athlete of the Week Monday.
In the 60-meter hurdles race at the Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational hosted by the University of Iowa Saturday, Meyer clocked in at 7.92 second. It’s the fastest time by any Division III athlete so far this season. It’s also the fastest in American Rivers Conference history. He placed third in the meet behind a pair of Hawkeyes.
At the Dutch Holiday Preview on Friday, Meyer cleared 6 feet, 7.5 inches in the high jump. He finished second after teammate Lance Bunde (sophomore, Guthrie Center, ACGC HS) cleared the same bar but in fewer attempts. He is tied for seventh in Division III with that height.
This is the second time a Central athlete has received the national weekly honor for the indoor season. The first was Eric Larson in 2015.
Sports
Keresey, Pierre, Monday Bring Home GNAC Weekly Recognition
STANDISH, Maine – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) weekly honors have been released and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine was well-represented, with sophomore Isaac Keresey (Pittsfield, Maine) named GNAC Track Athlete of the Week, junior Tudum Monday (Lewiston, Maine) selected as GNAC Field Athlete of the Week, and freshman Stephen Pierre (Turner, Maine) earning GNAC Rookie of the Week recognition following their performances at the USM Alumni Open.
Keresey claimed Track Athlete of the Week after placing second in the mile with a time of 4:31.81 and running on Saint Joseph’s second-place 4×400-meter relay that clocked 3:42.01. Keresey is now the top-ranked miler in the GNAC and sits ninth in Division III New England early in the 2025-26 indoor season.
Pierre was tabbed Rookie of the Week after setting two school records at the USM Alumni Open. He won the long jump with a mark of 6.81m (22′ 4.25″), meeting the New England Division III automatic qualifying standard, and placed second in the 55-meter hurdles in 7.98, a New England Division III provisional time. Pierre now leads the GNAC in both events and is ranked sixth in Division III New England in the long jump and eighth in Division III New England in the hurdles as of December 14.
Monday earned Field Athlete of the Week honors by winning the triple jump with a mark of 13.03m (42′ 9″), meeting the New England Division III provisional standard. He also ran 8.24 in the 55-meter hurdles prelims, meeting the New England Division III provisional standard in that event as well. Monday ranks first in the GNAC in the triple jump by 60 centimeters and sits 14th in Division III New England.
Sports
Saint Joseph’s Women Sweep Three GNAC Weekly Awards
STANDISH, Maine – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) weekly honors have been released and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine was well-represented, with freshman Amber Pendleton (Warren, Maine) named GNAC Track Athlete of the Week, sophomore Olivia Bean (South Portland, Maine) selected as GNAC Field Athlete of the Week, and freshman Olivea Miller (Livermore Falls, Maine) earning GNAC Rookie of the Week recognition following their performances at the USM Alumni Open.
Pendleton claimed Track Athlete of the Week after winning the 500 meters in 1:27.86, setting a Saint Joseph’s program record. She also competed on the winning 4×400-meter relay that recorded a time of 4:30.61.
Miller was tabbed Rookie of the Week after placing second in the 200 meters in 27.37, meeting the New England Division III provisional qualifying standard. She also finished second in the high jump with a clearance of 1.47m (4′ 9.75″). Miller now leads the GNAC in both events and is ranked 21st in Division III New England in the 200m and 26th in Division III New England in the high jump as of December 14.
Bean earned Field Athlete of the Week honors by winning the triple jump with a school-record mark of 10.72m (35′ 2″), meeting the New England Division III provisional standard. She also placed eighth in the long jump with a best of 4.68m (15′ 4.25″). Bean’s record-setting triple jump mark currently ranks seventh in the New England region.
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