NACDA Directors’ Cup History

The NACDA Learfield Directors’ Cup is presented annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) to college athletics’ most successful institution. Points for the NACDA Directors’ Cup are based on order of finish in championships sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

The award originated in 1993 and was presented to NCAA Division I schools only. In 1995, it was extended to NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA institutions. Since 2011, junior colleges have also been represented, based on NATYCAA Cup standings.

The physical award is a Waterford Crystal trophy. The award was originally branded as the “Sears Cup,” as the honor was sponsored by retail merchandiser Sears. Beginning in the 2003-04 season, the sponsor was the United States Sports Academy. Learfield (formerly Learfield Sports and Learfield IMG) has sponsored the award since 2007-08.

Directors’ Cup standings were not published in 2019-20 and 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. St. Thomas moved from NCAA Division III to NCAA Division I beginning with the 2021-22 academic year and is no longer eligible for Division III Directors’ Cup standings.

All-time MIAC best: St. Thomas finished No. 4 nationally in 1999-00 — the highest Directors’ Cup ranking ever recorded by a MIAC institution.
Full house: The 2024-25 academic year marked the first in conference history that all 13 current MIAC institutions were ranked in the Directors’ Cup standings.

Explore the Standings

Use the tools below to search by year, sort the table by clicking any school’s column heading, or select a school to see its all-time best/worst finishes and a trend line.

Type part of an academic year to filter the table rows.

All-time MIAC best finish T- = tied rank “--” = no score reported N/A = not scored / not a Division III member that year
Annual NACDA Directors’ Cup rankings by MIAC institution, 1995-96 through 2025-26. Lower numbers are better finishes; click a school name to sort by that school’s finish.
1995-96 110 136 28 34 10 211 T-169 178 -- 66 -- 20 N/A 14
1996-97 105 T-210 83 60 14 151 112 132 -- 43 176 26 N/A 18
1997-98 T-25 -- T-149 T-101 T-18 T-101 T-84 T-57 -- T-84 T-167 T-66 N/A T-25
1998-99 T-47 -- T-114 T-133 T-25 -- T-31 T-47 -- T-34 T-155 T-45 N/A 16
1999-00 95 T-238 149 T-122 39 125 T-57 234 -- 31 126 19 N/A 4
2000-01 T-128 T-247 104 64 18 176 -- T-215 -- 32 T-136 33 N/A 25
2001-02 T-141 T-209 T-76 233 10 T-168 T-177 T-175 -- 46 T-251 37 N/A 13
2002-03 T-92 -- 41 T-278 6 230 T-180 T-211 -- 48 T-278 37 N/A 35
2003-04 T-106 T-248 T-140 T-173 10 -- 232 T-248 T-200 46 -- 116 N/A 40
2004-05 -- -- 49 -- 17 -- -- -- -- 79 -- T-91 N/A 24
2005-06 -- -- 54 76 10 -- 83 -- -- 75 -- 91 N/A 28
2006-07 172 125 140 169 11 -- -- 300 -- 22 261 95 N/A 28
2007-08 T-185 85 104 164 22 -- T-264 T-224 -- 40 -- 132 N/A 12
2008-09 126 79 35 122 8 221 229 139 -- 62 -- 85 N/A 13
2009-10 T-177 87 50 98 20 176 T-177 T-267 -- 117 T-205 70 N/A 10
2010-11 127 T-194 71 117 21 97 217 -- -- 74 T-317 75 N/A 26
2011-12 T-165 185 109 80 39 T-117 -- T-187 -- 184 -- 41 N/A 8
2012-13 230 207 80 76 36 T-176 T-271 T-232 -- 98 -- 45 N/A 9
2013-14 130 157 52 107 93 -- 172 T-209 -- 225 T-282 31 N/A 9
2014-15 108 T-231 59 106 86 245 T-226 T-279 -- 200 -- 35 N/A 14
2015-16 74 T-213 86 240 105 221 212 T-278 T-236 103 -- 36 N/A 9
2016-17 95 157 74 158 53 T-189 T-289 T-176 109 146 -- 126 N/A 17
2017-18 97 115 68 -- 43 95 T-271 T-177 T-281 171 T-321 152 N/A 16
2018-19 T-111 89 T-39 T-338 81 97 181 T-199 227 83 -- 120 N/A 11
2019-20 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
2020-21 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
2021-22 116 53 98 T-269 38 T-284 -- 127 119 97 -- 71 219 N/A
2022-23 T-139 50 60 281 30 -- -- T-136 196 118 -- 64 T-286 N/A
2023-24 T-173 40 68 209 70 -- -- 105 T-173 185 T-275 61 234 N/A
2024-25 95 67 78 148 57 T-323 260 T-289 188 75 T-206 105 205 N/A
2025-26 113 46 79 123 50 174 121 135 274 144 180 68 152 N/A

All-Time Best Finish by School

Best (lowest) national finish, worst finish, and average finish for each MIAC institution across all scored years.
School Best Finish Worst Finish Average Rank Years Scored
St. Thomas 4 (1999-00) 40 (2003-04) 17.7 24
Gustavus 6 (2002-03) 105 (2015-16) 35.9 29
St. Olaf 19 (1999-00) 152 (2017-18) 68.7 29
Saint John's 22 (2006-07) 225 (2013-14) 94.1 29
Augsburg 25 (1997-98) 230 (2012-13) 121.6 27
Carleton 28 (1995-96) 149 (1997-98) 80.6 29
Macalester 31 (1998-99) 289 (2016-17) 182.5 22
Concordia 34 (1995-96) 338 (2018-19) 151.1 27
Bethel 40 (2023-24) 248 (2003-04) 144.5 24
Saint Benedict 47 (1998-99) 300 (2006-07) 190.6 26
Hamline 95 (2017-18) 323 (2024-25) 178.8 20
St. Catherine 109 (2016-17) 281 (2017-18) 200.3 10
Saint Mary's 126 (1999-00) 321 (2017-18) 222.4 15
St. Scholastica 152 (2025-26) 286 (2022-23) 219.2 5