Final 2016-17 Learfield Cup Standings Announced
The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) released the final
Division III standings for the Learfield Directors' Cup and seven Empire 8 schools were ranked among the 324 institutions that earned points among the approximately 450 eligible NCAA Division III programs competing nationally for the prestigious honor.
Ithaca College, Stevens Institute of Technology and St. John Fisher College all finished in the top 50.
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 up to 18 sports in Division III – nine women’s and nine men’s.
| Rank |
Institution |
FInal Total |
| 10 |
Ithaca |
716.00 |
| 32 |
Stevens |
451.50 |
| 36 |
St. John Fisher |
416.50 |
| 182 |
Nazareth |
100.00 |
| 186 |
Alfred |
99.00 |
| 270 |
Utica |
45.50 |
| 289 |
Elmira |
25.00 |
For the 17th time since 1995, Ithaca College finished in the top 20 in the final Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings. The Bombers finished 10th with 716 points.
Ithaca was 44th in the country after the fall season and then jumped up to No. 18 after the winter. With their stellar spring season, the Bombers vaulted into the top 10, which is the highest finish for the program since 2002-03, when IC was ninth. Ithaca's best finish all-time is second, which happened in 2001-02.
IC is just one of seven Division III schools to finish within the top 30 every year since the Directors' Cup started in 1995-96. The other institutions are Amherst, Calvin, Cortland, Emory, Middlebury and Williams.
Ithaca accumulated 334 points during the spring season as six sports competed in NCAA postseason play, and five of those earned points towards the Bombers' total. Women's track & field garnered the most points for IC with 90, thanks to their second place finish at the NCAA Championships. Women's crew tallied 80 points for a fourth place showing, while women's lacrosse earned 64 points with their longest trip into the NCAA Tournament this season. Both baseball and softball contributed 50 points as they both competed in NCAA regionals. Women's tennis also reached postseason play, but did not factor into the point total as Ithaca already earned points from nine women's sports.
During the winter, Ithaca compiled 266 points from four sports. Women's track & field was once again the runners-up at the NCAA Championships, which is good for 90 points. Wrestling was next on the list with a ninth place showing and 69 points, while women's swimming & diving added 57 points with a 17th place finish. Women's basketball rounded out the winter season with 50 points.
In the fall, women's cross country and volleyball reached postseason play and combined for 116 points (56 from cross country with an 11th place finish and 50 from volleyball for reaching the second round).
Stevens compiled 451.50 points to finish 32nd in the standings. The Ducks earned 162 points in the fall thanks to NCAA showings by women's volleyball (64 pts), women's soccer (50 pts) and women's cross country (48 pts). During the winter, Stevens earned points in wrestling (67.5) and women's swimming (29).
The Ducks wrapped up the year with 193 point in the spring as Stevens finished third in men's volleyball to earn 83 points, while women's outdoor track and field added 60 points and men's tennis contributed 50 points.
Fisher finished 36th with 416.50 total points, its highest finish in the Cup Standings. Fisher's previous top finish was 47th in the 2015-16 season.
The Cardinals had a record nine teams qualify for NCAA competition including its nationally-ranked softball program, which capped its 2017 season with a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division III Softball Championship earlier this week.
Additionally, men's soccer, field hockey, men's indoor and outdoor track and field, men's basketball, baseball, men's golf and women's lacrosse all vied for an NCAA Championship this year.
For more information on the program and complete standings across all divisions, visit
www.directorscup.org.
About Learfield: An industry leader for more than four decades, Learfield has a deep presence in the college athletics landscape nationwide. It manages the multimedia and sponsorship rights for more than 120 collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas, and supports athletics departments at all competitive levels as title sponsor of the prestigious Learfield Directors' Cup. Learfield also provides its collegiate partners access to professional concessions and ticket sales; branding, licensing and trademark consulting; digital and social platform expertise; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue and technology systems through its affiliated companies.