CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Currently in 32nd place, Trinity University leads seven SCAC institutions ranked in the prestigious 2024-2025 Division III Learfield Sports Directors' Cup winter standings. Complete Standings
Colorado College in 66th and McMurry University in 89th round out three SCAC institutions inside of the top 90 of the Division III Learfield Sports Directors' Cup winter standings.
The SCAC is one of just 16 NCAA Division III Conferences (American Rivers, CCIW, Centennial, Coast-to-Coast, Liberty League, MIAA, MIAC, NCAC, NESCAC, NEWMAC, NJAC, OAC, ODAC, UAA and WIAC) with three or more institutions in the top 90 through the winter standings.
Rounding out the league schools in the winter standings are Texas Lutheran University is tied for 113th, University of St. Thomas sits tied for 179th, Schreiner University ranks 206th and University of the Ozarks checks in at 224th.
The LEARFIELD 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 NCAA Championships.
Trinity has amassed 299 points in the standings, behind the strength of its two NCAA appearances in the winter following four such appearances during the fall. The Tiger men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs combined for 73 points after the women finished 25th (49 points) and the men finished 41st (24 points) at the National Championship meet.
Colorado College is the league’s second entrant into the Learfield rankings and currently sits in 66th with 180.50 total points following an outstanding run at the fall championships and this winter the women’s basketball program earning an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers secured an additional 25 points in the standings following a program record 23 win season and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
McMurry jumped into the Learfield standings and currently sits in 89th place with 133.75 points. The War Hawks Women’s Basketball team earned 64 points behind a magical run to the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000 after securing an at-large (Pool C) bid into the National Tournament. McMurry also secured 69.75 points behind the strength of an eighth place finish by the men’s indoor track and field team at the NCAA Championships.
Texas Lutheran is tied for 113th on the heels of its magical run to the SCAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Title and a run to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs added 50 more points from their women’s basketball run to the 50 points secured in the fall after the football team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
St. Thomas is currently in a tie for 179th with 50 total points after the Celts’ men’s basketball program made its third-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. St. Thomas, which captured its third SCAC Tournament Title this winter is the fourth different program in SCAC history to make three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament dating back to 1992.
Schreiner (206th – 40 points) and Ozarks (224th – 26 points) round out the SCAC institutions ranked in the Learfield standings following the Winter Championships. Both the Mountaineers and Eagles secured points at the Men’s Wrestling Championships, finishing 34th and 48th respectively.
Johns Hopkins leads all of Division III at the completion of the winter championships season with 865.00 points and holds a strong 138-point lead over second-place New York University (727.00). Emory is in third with 662.50, followed by MIT (660.00) and Washington-St. Louis (627.00) to round out the top five.
To date, all nine winter NCAA championships have been completed with the following institutions capturing titles: women's basketball – NYU; men's basketball – Trinity (CT); Women's Ice Hockey – UW-River Falls; Men's Ice Hockey – Hobart; Women's Swimming & Diving - MIT; Men's Swimming & Diving - Denison; Men's Indoor Track & Field - Wisconsin La-Crosse; Women's Indoor Track & Field - MIT; Men's Wrestling – Wartburg and Johnson & Wales (Co-Champs).
