BYU No. 5 in Learfield Directors’ Cup final fall standings

PROVO, Utah — BYU Athletics finished the 2018 fall season ranked No. 5 in the nation in the Learfield Directors’ Cup Division I final fall standings. The fifth-place finish ties the highest fall ranking in school history. The Cougars also finished the fall season ranked No. 5 in 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2016. 

The Directors’ Cup annually ranks college athletic programs around the country by awarding points based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships. Reigning Directors’ Cup champion Stanford finished the fall in the top spot with 541.00 points. Michigan was second with 380.50 points, followed by Penn State in third at 337.00 and Wisconsin fourth at 320.00. BYU rounded out the top five with 315.00 points.

The Cougars earned points toward its 2018 fall score in men’s cross country (90), women’s volleyball (83), women’s cross country (72), football (45) and women’s soccer (25). Since the inception of the Directors’ Cup in 1993-94, BYU has an average fall ranking of No. 16.

The final Directors’ Cup rankings are typically released in July following the conclusion of the NCAA season. In 25 years of the Directors’ Cup, BYU has an average final ranking of No. 31 and has posted 12 top-30 finishes. The Cougars’ highest finish was No. 12 in 1998-99.

The Learfield Directors’ Cup was created through joint efforts by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in the NCAA championships for both men’s and women’s sports. The overall winner is the school that records the highest number of points in the Directors’ Cup standings.

CLICK HERE for BYU’s annual finishes in the Learfield Directors’ Cup.