Seven in a Row: Hopkins Dominates Fall Directors’ Cup Rankings Again!

CLEVELAND, OH – For the seventh consecutive year, Johns Hopkins stands at the pinnacle of the final Learfield Directors’ Cup standings at the conclusion of the fall season.  With seven teams qualifying for NCAA Championship competitions, Johns Hopkins amassed 495.5 points to secure the leading position in the fall standings, which were revealed today.
 
2024-25 Learfield Directors’ Cup
Final Division III Fall Standings (12-21-2024) • Top 10
1 – Johns Hopkins (495.5 points)
2 – Middlebury (348)

3 – Washington & Lee (343.5)
4 – Tufts (305.5)
5 – Emory (303)
6 – Williams (299.5)
7 – Amherst (288.5)
8 – Carnegie Mellon (279)
9 – Washington-St. Louis (277.5)
10 – MIT (277)

NOTE:  The final fall rankings will be disclosed on January 23 and will encompass the Division III Football Championship.  Points for all teams participating in that championship, except for North Central (IL) and Mount Union (OH), the two teams competing for the national title, have been allocated.  Neither of those programs, once awarded points for their involvement in the championship, will alter the top 10 in the current standings.

 

The Super Seven

Johns Hopkins was the sole Division III institution in the nation to qualify teams in all seven of the NCAA-sponsored championships during the fall.  In fact, no other institution had more than five teams participate in an NCAA Championship this fall.  This marks the fourth occasion Johns Hopkins has placed seven of its fall teams in the NCAAs (2018, 2021, 2023, 2024). 

 

Breakin’ It Down  (the seven NCAA teams for Johns Hopkins this fall, point totals & NCAA placement)

Football (83 Directors’ Cup Points) – NCAA Semifinals

Volleyball (83) – NCAA Semifinals

Women’s Cross Country  (75) – 5th position at NCAA Championships

Women’s Soccer (73) – NCAA Quarterfinals

Field Hockey (70) – NCAA Quarterfinals

Men’s Cross Country (61.5) – 14th position at NCAA Championships

Men’s Soccer (50) – NCAA Second Round

 

JHU Now Holds Top Six

Johns Hopkins accumulated 495.5 points, a record that stands as the second-highest fall total in Directors’ Cup history (Division III).  For reference, the Directors’ Cup commenced in 1995-96 and JHU’s six fall efforts yielding over 400 points represent six of only nine such instances in Division III, with Hopkins retaining each of the top six point totals.

NOTE:  Although the 481 points gathered in 2019 remain the second-most in Directors’ Cup history, there were officially no final standings for 2019-20 after the COVID pandemic halted all athletic activities in March 2020.

 

Most Directors’ Cup Fall Points – Division III History (1995-2023)

Johns Hopkins – 500.5 (2022-23)

Johns Hopkins – 495.5 (2024-25)

Johns Hopkins – 481 (2019-20)

Johns Hopkins – 475 (2018-19)

Johns Hopkins – 471 (2021-22)

Johns Hopkins – 459 (2023-24)

Williams – 443.5 (2022-23)

Williams – 412 (2004-05)

Washington-St. Louis – 410 (2016-17)

Middlebury – 397.5 (2021-22)

Johns Hopkins – 383 (2017-18)

 

Johns Hopkins, Stanford Excel in the Fall

With this year’s 495.5-point performance, Johns Hopkins has achieved over 450 Directors’ Cup points in the fall on six occasions.  JHU’s six, 450+ point performances account for six of the 15 occurrences of this over all Divisions of the NCAA and NAIA combined.  In fact, Stanford (7) and Johns Hopkins (6) together represent 13 of the 15 instances.

 

Most Directors’ Cup Fall Points – All Divisions, All-Time (1995-2023)

Stanford (Division I) – 594.5 (2019-20)

Stanford (Division I) – 545 (2014-15)

Stanford (Division I) – 541 (2018-19)

Stanford (Division I) – 523 (2017-18)

Stanford (Division I) – 504.5 (2016-17)

Johns Hopkins (Division III) – 500.5 (2022-23)

UCLA (Division I) – 497.5 (2014-15)

Johns Hopkins (Division III) – 495.5 (2024-25)

Michigan (Division I) – 482 (2003-04)

Johns Hopkins (Division III) – 481 (2019-20)

Stanford (Division I) – 479.5 (2015-16)

Johns Hopkins (Division III) – 475 (2018-19)

Johns Hopkins (Division III) – 471 (2021-22)

Stanford (Division I) – 461.25 (2013-14)

Johns Hopkins (Division III) – 459 (2023-24)

 

The Big Picture

There are over 400 institutions competing under the NCAA Division III banner, with 180 of those institutions scoring points in the Directors’ Cup standings during the fall.

 

About the Learfield Directors’ Cup

 The Learfield Directors’ Cup was established as a collaboration between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today.  Over the course of the year, Directors’ Cup points are allocated based on a school’s standing in up to 18 sports in NCAA Championships.  Recently added to the scoring system seven years ago in Division III, every school must include men’s and women’s soccer as well as men’s and women’s basketball in their scoring total; thereafter, the next 14 highest-scoring teams – regardless of gender – are utilized.  Previously, the top nine men’s and women’s scoring teams could be counted; now, regardless of whether a school’s soccer and basketball teams qualify for the NCAAs, they must be included.

                                                                         

About Learfield:

Learfield is a leader in media, data, and technology services within intercollegiate athletics. The organization unlocks the value of collegiate sports for brands and fans through a comprehensive platform with innovative content and commerce solutions. Learfield’s services encompass licensing and the multimedia sponsorship management of collegiate sports properties; publishing, audio, digital and social media; data analytics and insights; ticketing software; and ticket sales, premium seating, and fundraising services; branding; and campus-wide business and sponsorship development. Since 2008, it has acted as the title sponsor for NACDA’s esteemed Learfield Directors’ Cup, recognizing athletic departments across all divisions.