Ithaca Finishes 11th in 2021-22 LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup Standings

By Justin Lutes, June 21, 2022

For the fifth consecutive year, Ithaca College has finished within the top 20 of the final LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings, as Ithaca placed 11th overall among 450 NCAA Division III schools (327 schools earned points) at the conclusion of the 2021-22 academic season with 770.75 points. Directors' Cup points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 18 sports in NCAA postseason competition, measured by nine women's sports and nine men's sports. It is also the 20th time since the inception of the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup that Ithaca has finished within the top 20.

IC remains at the top of Division III competition as just one of six Division III schools to finish within the top 30 every year since the Directors' Cup started in 1995-96. The other institutions are Amherst College (24th), Calvin University (27th), Emory University (9th), Middlebury College (3rd) and Williams College (6th).

Ithaca was also the top school in New York this year, beating out SUNY Geneseo in 19th by 79 points, and led at Liberty League schools by a significant margin (RPI – 50th, 358 points, RIT – 73rd, 239 points and Hobart and William Smith – 93rd, 197 points).

The Bombers followed up their stellar winter season with an exception spring as baseball, women's crew, women's lacrosse and men's and women's track & field accounted for 292 points to give the program 770.75 for the 2021-22 academic year.

Women's crew totaled 80 points with its fourth place finish at the NCAA Division III Championship, while baseball and women's lacrosse each secured 64 points with ninth place showings. Women's outdoor track & field tallied 46 points and men's outdoor track & field contributed 38 points.

In the winter, IC sent six programs to NCAA competitions and came away with 364.25 points, which were the second-most points accumulated in DIII. The fall season accounted for 114.5 points.

Women's indoor track & field led the way during the winter with 85 points after a third place finish, while men's indoor track & field contributed 71.25 points with a sixth place showing. Men's and women's swimming & diving each earned 56 points with 18th place finishes at the NCAA Championships. Women's basketball picked up 50 points and wrestling earned 46 points.

In the fall, women's soccer and women's volleyball each earned 25 points, while women's cross country earned 32 points and men's cross country had 32.5 points to total 114.5.

The LEARFIELD Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA's website at www.directorscup.org.

 

Year Finish
1995-96 16th
1996-97 6th
1997-98 18th
1998-99 17th
1999-2000 21st
2000-01 5th
2001-02 2nd
2002-03 9th
2003-04 11th
2004-05 14th
2005-06 26th
2006-07 21st
2007-08 14th
2008-09 20th
2009-10 22nd
2010-11 19th
2011-12 19th
2012-13 19th
2013-14 12th
2014-15 30th
2015-16 20th
2016-17 10th
2017-18 10th
2018-19 19th
2019-20 NA
2020-21 NA
2021-22 11th