PROVO, UTAH – BYU Athletics is ranked No. 6 in the nation in the Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup Final Division I Winter Standings released on Thursday.
The Directors' Cup annually ranks college athletic programs around the country by awarding points based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships. Preliminary standings are released following the fall and winter athletic seasons and lead up to the release of a final ranking following the spring season.
"It has been a remarkable athletic season, in a truly unprecedented time," said BYU Director of Athletics Tom Holmoe. "A huge congratulations to our resilient, tough, committed, passionate, fun-loving student-athletes and coaches for all that they were able to accomplish. To be sixth in the nation, among the athletic programs we are among, is something for all of Cougar Nation to be proud of."
BYU’s sixth-place finish in the winter standings ranks the Cougars among some of the nation’s best collegiate athletic programs, including Stanford, Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio State. At sixth, BYU leads powerhouses such as Alabama and Florida by five and 43 points, respectively.
BYU, Stanford and North Carolina were the only three institutions featured in the top 10 of both the fall and winter standings. The Tar Heels topped the fall standings while the Cougars ranked second just ahead of the Cardinal at No. 3.
The Cougars’ winter sports combined to generate 257.75 points and bring the year-total to 606.75. Women’s indoor track and field recorded the most points of any BYU winter sport with 72 following a seventh-place finish at NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on March 13.
BYU’s fall sports rolled up 349 points to finish No. 2 in the Director’s Cup Final Fall Standings. Women’s cross country poured in 100 points to the Directors' Cup race after the team won the NCAA Championship in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on March 15th.
BYU will garner further Directors' Cup points with men's volleyball's national runner-up finish, softball's 16th-straight NCAA tournament appearance and track and field competing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships June 9-12 in Eugene, Oregon.
The Directors' Cup final 2020-21 rankings will be released July 2.
Directors' Cup Final Winter Standings Top-10
| Ranking | School |
| 1. | Stanford |
| 2. | Michigan |
| 3. | North Carolina |
| 4. | Ohio State |
| 5. | Kentucky |
| 6. | BYU |
| 7. | Alabama |
| 8. | Minnesota |
| 9. | Arkansas |
| 10. | Florida |
Directors' Cup Final Fall Standings Top-10
| Ranking | School |
| 1. | North Carolina |
| 2. | BYU |
| 3. | Stanford |
| 4. | Washington |
| 5. | Oklahoma State |
| 6. | Clemson |
| 7. | Ole Miss |
| 8. | Notre Dame |
| 9. | UCLA |
| 10. | Indiana |
Contributions to BYU's Directors' Cup Point Total
- Women’s cross country (100 points) wins fourth all-time national title in its sixth-straight nationals’ appearance. Head coach Diljeet Taylor named National Women’s Coach of the Year.
- Men’s cross country (69 points) takes seventh at NCAA Championships in its 22nd appearance there. Conner Mantz becomes the third all-time Cougar to win the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Individual National Championship.
- Football (66 points) finished an 11-1 season ranked No. 11, the program’s highest final national ranking since 1996. Quarterback Zach Wilson became the highest NFL Draft pick in program history when he was selected No. 2 overall by the New York Jets on April 29.
- Women’s volleyball (69 points) completed an undefeated home season with its ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and seventh WCC title in 10 years. Setter Whitney Bower was named WCC Player of the Year and head coach Heather Olmstead named WCC Coach of the Year.
- Women’s soccer (50 points) received its eighth NCAA Tournament bid in the last nine seasons and was led by WCC Offensive Player of the Year Mikayla Colohan.
- Women’s indoor track and field (72 points) took seventh at NCAA Championships.
- Men’s indoor track and field (57.75 points) took 16th at NCAA Championships.
- Gymnastics (53 points) achieved a final national ranking of No. 19 while winning its second-straight Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Championship and advancing to NCAA Regionals.
- Women’s basketball (50 points) concluded an undefeated home season with its 14th all-time NCAA tournament appearance. There, the Cougars upset No. 6 seed Rutgers and were led by WCC Co-Player of the Year Shaylee Gonzales and WCC Coach of the Year Jeff Judkins.
- Men’s basketball (25 points) recorded its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2015 to cap off a second-straight 20-win season. The Cougars were led by Honorable-Mention All-American Alex Barcello and WCC Defensive Player of the Year Matt Haarms.