PROVO, Utah — BYU finished the 2018-19 athletic season ranked No. 29 in the nation in the Learfield Directors’ Cup Division I final standings, the Cougars’ highest finish since 2006-07.
The Directors’ Cup annually ranks college athletic programs around the country by awarding points based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships. The 29th-place placement this season is the highest of any program in the state and among schools currently in a non-Power 5 conference.
In 25 years of the Directors’ Cup, BYU has an average final ranking of No. 31 and has posted 13 top-30 finishes. The Cougars’ highest finish was No. 12 in 1998-99.
Thirteen BYU teams contributed to the Cougars’ 738.5 point total, helping the program finish ahead of 37 universities in Power 5 conferences. Men’s cross country led all BYU teams in scoring with 90 points. They were followed by women’s volleyball (73), women’s cross country (72), men’s outdoor track and field (70.5), soccer (64), women’s indoor track and field (61.5), men’s indoor track and field (61.5), gymnastics (51.5), women’s basketball (50), women’s outdoor track and field (47), football (45), men’s golf (44) and softball (37.5).
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 Directors’ Cup.