Lee University Athletics placed 15th in the Learfield Directors' Cup final standings for NCAA Division II with 601.0 total points. The Flames were listed as 20th after the winter sports season, but got a boost from baseball, men and women’s golf and track and field in the final tally.
Lee moved up from being 25th last year. The highest finish came in 2022 with an impressive 11thmark. The Flames regional conference foe, the Sunshine State, stood out with two in the Top 10, Tampa (fifth) and Nova Southeastern (eighth).
Baseball placed second in the South Region I and received 50 points.
Women’s golf was awarded 68 points after a 10th-place finish and Men’s golf got 66 points after an 11th posting in the national tournament. Men’s track and field claimed 68.3 points after placing ninth, and Women’s track totaled 23 points with a strong final run.
“It has been a great year for Lee Athletics, a testament to the hard work of our student athletes, coaches, and staff,” said Lee Athletic Director John Maupin. The Learfield Cup speaks to the total body of work for our athletic department, and we are proud to be ranked among the nation’s elite NCAA DII athletic programs!
“We have been blessed with great support this year from our fans and alumni. I truly believe that has been a factor in producing results like this. We are continuing to stay focused on our greater mission of positively impacting the lives of our student-athletes. We certainly we enjoy capturing some championships along the way.”
For the 16th time in the Directors’ Cup history, Grand Valley State University (GVSU) took home the hardware after compiling 983.00 total points.
West Florida (397.25) placed 37th and was the only other GSC member in the top 50.
Overall, 15 sports are counted in the final DII standings, four of which must be women’s volleyball, women's and men’s basketball and baseball. The next highest (11 max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.
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.