The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) tallied up the final results for the Learfield Sports Director’s Cup this week. Stanford won the overall title, while the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga led the Southern Conference for the second year in a row.
The Learfield Sports Director’s Cup is an all-sports trophy that recognizes across the board success among collegiate athletics programs. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships in up to 20 sports – 10 women’s and 10 men’s.
The Mocs placed 117th among all 351 NCAA Division I institutions. This is the second-highest finish for the department. Chattanooga was 99th in 2009 and had its third-best showing at 120 in 2014.
“I am extremely proud of where we finished in the Learfield Sports Director’s Cup in each of the last two seasons,” stated Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics David Blackburn. “To place in the top-third of all NCAA Division I programs and to lead the SoCon for the second year in a row is a tremendous accomplishment.”
By comparison, the list of schools UTC beat included Cincinnati (127), Colorado State (120), Memphis (164), UAB (129), Charlotte (149), Middle Tennessee (170) and Washington State (170). The Mocs would be second in the Atlantic 10 Conference and the Sun Belt, and fourth in the Conference USA, based on the final standings released today.
“If you look at the list of schools we finished ahead of, it is pretty impressive,” added Blackburn. “That is all due to the winning mindset of our student-athletes and coaches, along with outstanding support from our staff, the University and the Chattanooga community.”
UTC finished with a total of 149 points, scoring in football (70), wrestling (29), women’s basketball (25) and softball. This is the fifth time the Mocs have led the SoCon since the Director’s Cup started in 1994. Chattanooga was previously tops in the league in 2014, 2009, 2004 and 1998.
The Mocs are already turning their attention to the 2015-16 season. Soccer kicks off against Austin Peay at home on Aug. 23, while volleyball hosts Valparaiso on Aug. 28. All eyes will be on Chattanooga on Sept. 5 when the No. 8 Mocs host the No. 4 Jacksonville State Gamecocks in one of the biggest FCS football games of the season.