Swimming & Diving

Texas Athletics Earns Division I Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup

For the first time in school history, the University of Texas has won the Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) made the announcement Friday morning.
 
The Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today. A revised scoring system was implemented for the 2017-18 season. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships. Division I schools can score points in a maximum of 19 sports, four of which must be baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and women’s volleyball.
 
Texas, which had finished second overall three times prior to its win this year, claimed the 2020-21 Directors’ Cup with 1,252 total points. The Longhorns scored in all four mandatory sports – women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball – and 13 out of the 15 additional sports. Stanford placed second with 1195.75 points and was followed by Michigan in third (1126.50) and North Carolina in fourth (1126.25).
 
UT’s victory snapped an impressive run by Stanford, as the Cardinal had won the previous 25 Cups (no Cup was awarded in 2019-20 due to COVID-19). North Carolina won the first Cup in 1993-94.
 
Of the school’s 20 intercollegiate programs, the Longhorns registered seven Top-3, nine Top-5 and 13 Top-10 team finishes in NCAA Championships during the recent academic year. This marks the most NCAA Top-5 team finishes by the Longhorns since Texas added Rowing as a varsity sport in the 1997-98 season (previous was eight in 2002-03, 2005-06 and 2008-09). It also marks the most NCAA Top-10 team finishes by the Longhorns since UT registered 13 in 2002-03.
 
The Longhorns captured NCAA team titles in Men’s Swimming and Diving, Women’s Tennis and Rowing. Texas also recorded a NCAA runner-up finish in Volleyball, posted additional Top-3 NCAA performances in Women’s Swimming and Diving (third), Men’s Tennis (tied for third) and Baseball (tied for third), as well as Top-5 NCAA finishes in Women’s Basketball (tied for fifth) and Women’s Golf (tied for fifth).
 
UT added Top-10 NCAA performances in Men’s Outdoor Track and Field (tied for sixth), Women’s Outdoor Track and Field (tied for seventh), Women’s Indoor Track and Field (eighth) and Softball (tied for ninth). The Longhorns tallied NCAA Top-25 finishes in Men’s Indoor Track and Field (14th), Football (20th in final College Football Playoff rankings) and Men’s Golf (tied for 25th) and received points from Men’s Basketball (tied for 33rd).
 
In addition to its success on the national level, Texas tied its own league record by earning 13 Big 12 Conference titles: Volleyball, Men’s Indoor Track and Field, Women’s Indoor Track and Field, Men’s Swimming and Diving, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Men’s Basketball (tournament), Men’s Tennis, Women’s Tennis (regular season and tournament), Rowing, Women’s Outdoor Track and Field, Men’s Outdoor Track and Field and Baseball. UT has captured a league-best 194 all-time Big 12 Championships (52 regular season and 142 postseason) through the completion of the 2020-21 season.
 
Texas recorded its third-straight Top-5 finish after a fifth-place showing in 2017-18 and a fourth-place effort in 2018-19. There was no Directors’ Cup in 2019-20 due to COVID-19. UT also was the top-ranked institution in the Big 12 Conference in the Directors’ Cup standings for the seventh consecutive year and has been the top-ranked school in its respective league (Big 12 or Southwest Conference) 20 times in the 28-year history of the Directors’ Cup.
 
Texas has now recorded a Top-10 finish a total of 21 times in the 28-year history of the Directors’ Cup: 1st (2020-21), 2nd (2001-02, 2002-03 and 2004-05), 3rd (2005-06), 4th (1995-96 and 2018-19), 5th (2007-08 and 2017-18), 6th (2008-09, 2011-12 and 2013-14), 7th (1993-94, 1996-97 and 2016-17), 8th (2006-07), 9th (1999-2000, 2014-15 and 2015-16) and 10th (1994-95 and 2003-04).