General | 4/3/2025 12:00:49 PM
SUNY Geneseo, SUNY Brockport, Utica University, St. John Fisher University, Elmira College, Nazareth University, and Houghton University represented the Empire 8 Conference in the final Winter 2024-25 LEARFIELD Directors' Cup Standings. A total of 279 Division III institutions were represented as of the end of the winter season. Updated standings will be announced after the winter sports season is concluded.
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.
SUNY Geneseo has ascended to 11th nationally after the winter season with 534 points. The Knights won Empire 8 Championships in men's cross country, women's cross country, field hockey and women's soccer during the fall and added men's indoor track and field, women's indoor track and field, men's swimming and diving, women's swimming and diving and women's basketball in addition to its men's hockey program winning the United Collegiate Hockey Conference Championship.
Geneseo's men's hockey team advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four, while men's diver Trent Makowiec won the NCAA Championship in both the 1- and 3-meter diving events and women's track standout Brynn Mooney won the NCAA Championship in the 400-meters. The Knights had a host of All-Americans during the winter season at the indoor track and field and swimming and diving championships, while the women's basketball team advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. During the fall, Geneseo placed sixth overall at the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship and ninth at the NCAA Women's Cross Country Championships.
SUNY Brockport is now 94th overall after the winter season with 127.5 points. During the winter, senior Jonathan Zavala finished as runner-up in the mile run at the NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships, while the Brockport women's basketball team earned an at-large berth into the 2024-25 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. During the fall, Brockport earned an at-large berth into the 2024 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship Tournament and had three student-athletes compete at the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship.
Utica University jumped into 106th place nationally with 115 points after a tremendous winter season in which the men's hockey team finished as 2025 NCAA DIvision III Men's Ice Hockey Championship runners-up, advancing to the title game before battling eventual champion Hobart College to overtime. The Utica men's basketball team won its second straight Empire 8 Championship and advanced to the opening round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament.
St. John Fisher earned points in the NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship, as Manuel Sepulveda earned All-American honors in the triple jump. The Cardinals won Empire 8 Championships in men's soccer and women's volleyball and competed in the NCAA Championship Tournament in both sports. St. John Fisher is 162nd nationally with 63.5 points following the winter season.
Elmira College and Nazareth University are both tied for 164th nationally with 60 points following the winter season, as both institutions women's hockey teams advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals. The Soaring Eagles won the New England Hockey Conference Championship, while the Golden Flyers won their fourth straight UCHC Championship.
Houghton has entered the Director's Cup standings with 43 points after finishing 29th at the NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships. Victoria Brewster finished as the runner-up nationally in the 60-meter dash.
Hartwick College won the 2024 Empire 8 Women's Tennis Championship and will compete in the NCAA Championship Tournament in May, 2025 to earn Director's Cup points.
Please note, standings published midseason are unofficial. Official standings will be published upon the completion of the spring season. 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 leading media and technology services company 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 includes licensing and multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; data analytics; ticketing, ticket sales and professional concessions expertise; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue technology systems. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed LEARFIELD Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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