Kentucky No. 12 in final 2020-21 Directors' Cup standings

Basketball aside, it was a standout year for UK Athletics, and in turn, the Cats finished No. 12 in the 2020-21 Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup standings. That’s the third-best finish in school history behind 2016-17 (10th) and 2014-15 (11th) and extends UK’s streak of four years in a row in the top 20 and nine years in a row in the top 30.

“In the most challenging year in our memory, and perhaps the most challenging year in collegiate athletics history, our teams, athletes, coaches and staff persevered with much success,” Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said in a press release from UK. “We will celebrate this success, and also use it for motivation as we look ahead to the coming year in our pursuit of being among the elite athletics departments in the nation.”

The Directors’ Cup measures competitive success for more than 350 Division I schools. For each NCAA-sanctioned sport, points are awarded based on NCAA championship participation. This year, 16 of UK’s 22 teams reached postseason play and scored points toward UK’s final Directors’ Cup tally. Rifle and volleyball led the way with national championships and three more finished ninth, gymnastics, men’s soccer and softball. Here’s the complete breakdown by sport:

• Rifle – first, 100 points
• Volleyball – first, 100 points
• Gymnastics – ninth, 66.75 points
• Men’s soccer – ninth, 64 points
• Softball – ninth, 64 points
• Women’s swimming and diving – 11th, 66 points
• Women’s indoor track and field – 13th, 63 points
• Men’s indoor track and field – 14th, 60.75 points
• Men’s outdoor track and field – 15th, 59.25 points
• Women’s basketball – 17th, 50 points
• Women’s tennis – 17th, 50 points
• Men’s tennis – 17th, 50 points
• Women’s golf – 18th, 55.5 points
• Women’s track and field – 21st, 52 points
• Football – 26th, 45 points
• Men’s swimming and diving – 30th, 11 points

Last month, UK was as high as fifth in the Directors’ Cup standings, but slipped as spring sports wrapped up. Four SEC schools finished higher: Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, and Georgia. Here’s the final top 15:

1. Texas (Big 12)
2. Stanford (Pac 12)
3. Michigan (Big Ten)
4. North Carolina (ACC)
5. Florida (SEC)
6. USC (Pac 12)
7. Alabama (SEC)
8. Arkansas (SEC)
9. Ohio State (Big Ten)
10. Georgia (SEC)
11. Virginia (ACC)
12. Kentucky (SEC)
13. UCLA (Pac 12)
14. Nore Dame (ACC)
15. LSU (SEC)