April 23, 2015
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa has climbed into 31st place in the 2014-15 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup competition, according to a report released today that includes points scored as a result of participation in NCAA fall and winter championships.
The Hawkeyes have accumulated 426.5 points as a result in successful participation in NCAA postseason competition in nine sports to date – football, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, men’s indoor track and field, women’s swimming and diving, men’s swimming and diving, men’s gymnastics, women’s gymnastics, and wrestling.
The nine sports represents a 50 percent increase over a year ago when the UI had six teams score points in fall or winter NCAA championships.
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“We’re on pace to a record year on so many fronts… competitively and academically. Like any of our athletic competitions, now we need to finish strong. Again – congrats to all our teams!” he added.
Iowa currently ranks eighth among its 14 Big Ten Conference peers. Penn State is the highest ranked Big Ten program with 859 points. Penn State ranks second nationally behind Stanford (1,101.6 points).
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“I’m excited with the success our teams had this winter and proud of our student-athletes’ accomplishments. The current standing in the Directors Cup is another validation of the hard work both our student-athletes and coaches have invested.”
Gary Barta, the UI’s director of athletics
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The UI scored 401.5 points during the 2014-15 winter sports championship season. The Hawkeyes were paced by the Tom Brands‘ wrestling team scoring 90 points off its second place finish at the national championships, 64 points from JD Reive‘s men’s gymnastics team’s sixth place finish at its national championships, 64 points as a result of Lisa Bluder’s women’s basketball team advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, and 50 points from Fran McCaffery‘s men’s basketball program which advanced to its second straight NCAA Tournament and recorded its first tournament victory in 14 years.
“I’m excited with the success our teams had this winter and proud of our student-athletes’ accomplishments. The current standing in the Directors Cup is another validation of the hard work both our student-athletes and coaches have invested,” said Gary Barta, the UI’s director of athletics.
The 2014-15 season marks the sixth time in the 14-year history of the Learfield Cup that the UI has accumulated more than 400 points. Iowa’s all-time high in points scored occurred in 2010-11 (482 points). The Hawkeyes’ highest finish came in 2004-05 when it finished 39th (467.75 points).
Iowa scored 261.5 points a year ago to finish 78th overall.
The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup is a program that honors institutions maintaining broad-based intercollegiate athletics programs. Introduced in 1993-94 for Division I programs by the National Association of College Directors of Athletics and USA Today. It was expanded in 1995-96 to include NCAA Division II, III, and the NAIA. Each NCAA Division I institution is awarded points for performances in NCAA championship competition by up to 20 teams, 10 men’s and 10 women’s. The overall champion is the institution that records the highest number of points.
The final standings for the 2014-15 Learfield Cup will be released in late June after the conclusion of the 2015 College World Series.
For more information and to review the current standings, visit thedirectorscup.com.
