Michigan stands atop Learfield Director's Cup rankings
Could Michigan become just the third school to win the Learfield Director’s Cup? It appears to be a possibility.
Stanford has won the award 28 times since it began being handed out in 1993-94 and Texas took first last year, but Michigan is in first place in the 2021-22 academic year winter standings that were updated April 7.
The Wolverines hold a slight, seven-point edge over second-ranked Notre Dame, 761.00-754.00. Ohio State sits third with 701.50, Stanford is fourth with 690.50 and Texas rounds out the top five with 679.50. For reference, first-place finish in a sport earns 100 points, second place 90 points, third place 85 points, and lesser values are assigned for lower finishes.
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Michigan had a strong showing in the winter championships to date with four top-10 finishes (men’s & women’s basketball, women’s swimming and wrestling). Here are the point totals that Michigan teams earned in the winter: Women’s basketball (73 points), men’s basketball (64), women’s swimming and diving (72), men’s swimming and diving (52), women’s indoor track and field (25.5), men’s indoor track and field (30.5), men’s wrestling (90). That gives the Wolverines 407.00 points for the winter season, which ranks fourth behind Ohio State (537.50), Texas (493.00) and Stanford (467.00). Michigan was awarded 354 points for the fall season.
Seven total teams earned the Wolverines points so far, and there are still more sports’ championships to go — among them ice hockey, which made the Frozen Four, women’s gymnastics (advanced to the NCAA semifinals) and men’s gymnastics. The rankings will be updated again in April.
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At the conference level, the SEC leads all Division I conferences with seven institutions in the top-25 —Kentucky (9th), Arkansas (10th), Tennessee (11th), Alabama (12th), Ole Miss (14th), Florida (21st) and LSU (24th).
Michigan athletics has a history of strong showings since the award began in 1993-94. The Wolverines have placed top 10 in 21 of the 27 renditions, which is tied with Texas for the fifth-most top-10 finishes. Only Stanford (27), Florida (27), UCLA (23) and North Carolina (22) have wound up in the top 10 more.
Here’s a look at Michigan’s 21 top-10 finishes in the Learfield Director’s Cup:
| Year | Michigan’s Place |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 3rd |
| 2018-19 | 2nd |
| 2017-18 | 6th |
| 2016-17 | 6th |
| 2015-16 | 3rd |
| 2012-13 | 4th |
| 2011-12 | 10th |
| 2008-09 | 5th |
| 2007-08 | 3rd |
| 2006-07 | 4th |
| 2004-05 | 4th |
| 2003-04 | 2nd |
| 2002-03 | 4th |
| 2001-02 | 6th |
| 2000-01 | 4th |
| 1999-00 | 3rd |
| 1998-99 | 6th |
| 1997-98 | 5th |
| 1995-96 | 5th |
| 1994-95 | 7th |
| 1993-94 | 9th |
*The 2019-20 Directors’ Cup was not awarded due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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.