Sports
LMU Sets New High Mark with Best Ever Director’s Cup Finish
Story Links CLEVELAND – LMU Athletics has earned the school’s highest finish in the annual LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup Division I Final Standings. LMU placed 94th overall among Division I schools, surpassing 2024’s previous high mark of 115th in the nation. Additionally, the Lions placed 7th among DI non-football schools. This is the first time […]
CLEVELAND – LMU Athletics has earned the school’s highest finish in the annual LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup Division I Final Standings.
LMU placed 94th overall among Division I schools, surpassing 2024’s previous high mark of 115th in the nation. Additionally, the Lions placed 7th among DI non-football schools. This is the first time that LMU has finished inside the top 100 overall and inside the top 10 among non-football schools.
“Achieving our best-ever finish in the Directors’ Cup truly reflects the relentless dedication and hard work of our student-athletes, coaches, and support staff,” said LMU Athletic Director Craig Pintens. “We are eager to keep raising the bar, with the goal of becoming the top Division I-AAA athletic department in the nation still clearly in our sights. This milestone marks yet another step on our journey.”
The Lions earned 200 points, based on the postseason successes of Beach Volleyball, Women’s Volleyball, and Women’s Water Polo. All three teams earned automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament after winning their conference last season.
Beach Volleyball earned 90 points, the most-ever in program history, by virtue of advancing all the way to the National Championship dual. The program finished second in the nation this season and extended their NCAA Tournament appearances to five consecutive.
Women’s Volleyball returned to the postseason for the 16th time after winning their first West Coast Conference Title since 1996. The Lions advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating Washington in five sets in the opening round to earn 50 points in the Director’s Cup Standings.
Women’s Water Polo earned the university 60 points as well after returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012 and playing in the quarterfinal round against No. 2 UCLA. This spring’s return marked the 10th NCAA Tournament appearance for Women’s Water Polo.
SCORING REMINDER
Overall, 19 sports are counted in the final DI standings, five of which must be women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, and baseball. The next highest (1 max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.
The Learfield Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships.
Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA’s website at www.directorscup.org. In addition, please visit www.thedirectorscup.com and follow us on Twitter @ldirectorscup.
About Learfield: Learfield is a media, data, and technology services leader in intercollegiate athletics. The company unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans through an omnichannel platform with innovative content and commerce solutions. Learfield services include licensing and collegiate sports properties’ multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; data analytics and insights; ticketing software; and ticket sales, premium seating, and fundraising services; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for NACDA’s acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, recognizing athletic departments across all divisions.