- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
- =””> Download your Iowa Hawkeye Android app!
- =””>Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- =””> 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
IOWA CITY, Iowa — In a year filled with firsts, bests, and records, the University of Iowa officially closes the book on 2014-15 with its highest point total and its third-best finish in the annual Learfield Director’s Cup competition.
The Hawkeyes accumulated a total of 535.50 points — 53.5 better than their previous highwater mark of 482 points scored in 2010-11. Iowa finished in 44th — 34 positions better than a year ago and the third-highest finish in the history of the Learfield Director’s Cup. Iowa finished 39th in 2004-05 (467.75 points) and 42nd in 2002-03 (460.25 points).
Powering Iowa’s climb up the charts was a brilliant winter sports championship season. Iowa accumulated 401.50 points with participation in eight winter NCAA championship events including wrestling (90 points, 2nd place), women’s basketball (64 points), men’s gymnastics (64 points), men’s basketball (50 points), women’s gymnastics (46.5 points), men’s swimming and diving (36 points), women’s swimming and diving (30 points), and men’s indoor track and field (21 points).
|
“The final results in this year’s Learfield Director’s Cup are a great finish to a year where we’ve enjoyed many significant `Win. Graduate. Do it Right.’ successes. The credit first and foremost goes to our student-athletes and their coaches. They were rewarded for their hard work and commitment, and they are already working hard to achieve at an even higher level next year.”
Gary Barta, UI Director of Athletics
|
“The final results in this year’s Learfield Director’s Cup are a great finish to a year where we’ve enjoyed many significant `Win. Graduate. Do it Right.’ successes. The credit first and foremost goes to our student-athletes and their coaches. They were rewarded for their hard work and commitment, and they are already working hard to achieve at an even higher level next year,” said Gary Barta, the UI’s director of athletics.
The UI earned 109 points during the spring championship season thanks to the success of its baseball (50 points), men’s golf (40 points), and men’s outdoor track and field (19 points) competing in NCAA postseason competition. Iowa’s participation in the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl netted the Hawkeyes 25 points during the fall championship season.
Stanford was the winner of the 2014-15 Learfield Director’s Cup for NCAA Division I institutions. The Cardinal scored 1,448 points to finish ahead of UCLA (1,236) and Southern Cal (1,209). Ohio State finished highest among Big Ten Conference institutions in seventh place with 1,087 points.
Iowa finished 10th among its Big Ten Conference peers, 34.5 points behind Nebraska, which finished in 39th place.
Click HERE to review the final standings.
The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in up to 20 sports — 10 women’s sports and 10 men’s sports.
About Learfield Sports — In its four decades, Learfield has developed trusted, long-term relationships with some of the most revered institutions and associations in the world of collegiate athletics. Learfield Sports manages the exclusive multimedia rights to 99 collegiate properties around the country and has prominence in all of the major conferences. Learfield’s rights encompass all athletic department media and sponsorships components, including stadium signage and numerous content distribution platforms. Those platforms deliver the passion of college athletics over radio, television and digital networks to fans globally. This marks the sixth consecutive year for the company to title the prestigious Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup. To learn more, visit www.learfieldsports.com.
