The SUNY Cortland men's and women's intercollegiate athletic program finished in 22nd place in the 2015-16 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup competition among the approximately 450 eligible NCAA Division III programs competing nationally for the prestigious honor. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Learfield Sports and USA Today present the award annually to recognize overall excellence among collegiate athletic programs.

Cortland is one of only five schools nationwide, and the only New York institution, to place in the top 25 each of the 21 years the standings have been compiled on the Division III level. The other schools that hold that distinction are Williams College (Mass.), Amherst College (Mass.), Middlebury College (Vt.), and Emory University (Ga.).

The Red Dragons finished with a score of 573.25 points. Williams won its 19th Directors' Cup with 1,098.25 points, followed by Washington-St. Louis (1,013), Emory (969), Tufts (882.25) and Middlebury (860.50) in the top five.

Cortland had nine teams finish in the top 30 in 2015-16 NCAA postseason competitions, including six top-10 finishes. The baseball and women's lacrosse teams each tied for third nationally, the wrestling team placed seventh, the football and men's lacrosse teams each tied for ninth after advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals, and the men's outdoor track and field team tied for 10th.

In addition, the softball and men's basketball teams each tied for 17th place, the men's indoor track and field team tied for 28th place, and the women's swimming and diving team tied for 54th place. The women's gymnastics team finished fifth nationally at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Division III Championships. That result, however, is not counted in the Directors' Cup standings since it's not an NCAA-sponsored championship.

The standings are compiled based on schools' national finishes in different sports. Teams earn points by qualifying for the NCAA postseason and additional points for advancing in the playoffs. The national champion in each sport earns 100 points.

There are four Directors' Cup Awards, one to honor overall champions in each of the NCAA's Divisions (I, II and III) and the NAIA. It is the first-ever cross-sectional all-sports national recognition award for both men and women. NACDA, which is now in its 51st year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,100 college athletics directors, associates, assistants and conference commissioners at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.
 

2015-16 LEARFIELD SPORTS DIRECTORS' CUP
Final Division III Standings


Rank  School, Points
1. Williams (Mass.), 1,098.25
2. Washington-St. Louis, 1,013
3. Emory (Ga.), 969
4. Tufts (Mass.), 882.25
5. Middlebury (Vt.), 860.5
6. Mass. Institute of Technology, 843
7. Amherst (Mass.), 796.5
8. Wisconsin-Whitewater, 786
9. St. Thomas (Minn.), 780
tie 10. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.), 703.5
tie 10. Wisconsin-La Crosse, 703.5
12. Johns Hopkins (Md.), 703
13. Stevens Inst. (N.J.), 659.5
14. Chicago (Ill.), 643.5
15. Bowdoin (Maine), 616.5
16. SUNY Geneseo, 611
17. Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 606.5
18. Illinois Wesleyan, 602.5
19. Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 592.75
20. Ithaca, 591.75
21. Wartburg (Iowa), 573.75
22. CORTLAND, 573.25
23. Texas-Tyler, 548
24. Salisbury (Md.), 542.5
25. Denison (Ohio), 539.5
 
Other New York schools in Top 100:
 
37. New York University, 441.5
39. St. Lawrence, 436.5
47. St. John Fisher, 364.5
50. Hobart/William Smith, 349.5
tie 55. Oneonta, 326
69. Rochester, 286.5
tie 74. RPI, 268.5
tie 90. Skidmore, 208
94. Buffalo St., 203.5

Complete standings are online at: www.nacda.com


2015-16 CORTLAND TEAMS PARTICIPATING IN NCAA DIVISION III POSTSEASON PLAY
(national finish in parentheses)

Baseball (tied for 3rd)
Women's Lacrosse (tied for 3rd)
Wrestling (7th)
Football (tied for 9th)
Men's Lacrosse (tied for 9th)
Men's Outdoor Track and Field (tied for 10th)
Softball (tied for 17th)
Men's Basketball (tied for 17th)
Men's Indoor Track and Field (tied for 28th)
Women's Swimming and Diving (tied for 54th)
Men's Cross Country (individual qualifier only)
Women's Cross Country (individual qualifier only)
Women's Indoor Track and Field
              (individual qualifier only)
Women's Outdoor Track and Field
              (individual qualifier only)

(NOTE: Women's gymnastics finished fifth nationally at the NCGA Div. III Championships, but that finish is not counted in the Directors' Cup standings since it is not an NCAA championship.)


CORTLAND'S DIRECTORS' CUP FINISHES

2015-16: 22nd
2014-15: 12th
2013-14: 23rd
2012-13: 11th
2011-12: 10th
2010-11: 16th
2009-10: 17th
2008-09: 5th
2007-08: 9th
2006-07: 3rd
2005-06: 5th
2004-05: 13th
2003-04: 8th
2002-03: 15th
2001-02: 12th
2000-01: 13th
1999-00: 17th
1998-99: 8th
1997-98: 2nd (tied)
1996-97: 8th
1995-96: 19th