General | 6/12/2025 9:30:00 AM
SUNY Geneseo, St. John Fisher University, SUNY Brockport, Utica University, Elmira College, Nazareth University, Houghton University, Alfred University and Hartwick College represented the Empire 8 Conference in the final 2024-25 LEARFIELD Directors' Cup Standings. A total of 324 Division III institutions were represented throughout the 2024-25 season.
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 finished 18th nationally in the final standings with 674.5 points. The Knights won Empire 8 Championships in men's cross country, women's cross country, field hockey, women's soccer during the fall, 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. In the spring, the Knights won the men's and women's outdoor track and field titles.
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 in the winter. Women's distance runner Penelope Greene won the NCAA Championship in both the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter runs. The Knights had a host of All-Americans during the spring season at the outdoor track and field championships. The women's basketball team advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament in the winter. 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.
St. John Fisher jumped from 162nd to 87th in the final standings on the strength of a dominant spring season. Both St. John Fisher men's and women's lacrosse teams won the Empire 8 Championship and moved onto the NCAA tournament. The Cardinals earned points in the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship, as Brandon Kaplan earned All-American honors in the hammer throw. During the Indoor Track and Field Championship, 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 ended the year with 225.5 total points.
SUNY Brockport finished 113th overall in 2024-25 with 170 points. Brockport's baseball team won the Empire 8 title in the spring and went on to the NCAA tournament. At the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Golden Eagles had three All-American finishes, including Jonathan Zavala in the 1,500-meter run, Rebecca Heuler in the javelin throw and Lexi Rodriguez in the 400-meter hurdles. During the winter, 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 finished in 160th 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.
Elmira College and Nazareth University are both tied for 223rd nationally with 60 points, 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. Nazareth earned an All-American in Outdoor Track and Field in Isabel Morse in Pole Vault.
Houghton finished with 48 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. In the spring, Alexa Belanger earned All-American honors in the high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Alfred University entered the Director's Cup after their Empire 8 Softball Championship. They finished with 37.5 points. The Saxons earned one win in the NCAA tournament. E8 Defensive Player of the Year Jessica Remm earned All-American honors.
Hartwick College finished with 25 points after their 2024 Empire 8 Women's Tennis Championship win and berth in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
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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