STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford totaled 1195.75 points in the final 2020-21 Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup standings, finishing second overall behind Texas (1252 points) and ending the Cardinal's historic reign as the award's annual recipient.
The Cardinal had captured the Directors' Cup for 25 consecutive seasons from 1995-2019, following a runner-up finish in 1994 to North Carolina, which claimed the crown in the award's inaugural season of 1993-94.
Presented annually to the most successful overall intercollegiate athletic department in the nation across each of the NCAA's three divisions, this year's Directors' Cup was secured by the Longhorns, who produced NCAA championships in men's swimming and diving, women's rowing and women's tennis, along with a runner-up finish in women's volleyball. Texas earned 693.75 points in the spring while scoring in all four mandatory sports and 13 of the 15 additional sports.
Stanford's runner-up Directors' Cup finish was credited to several top-three team performancesand NCAA championships in women's basketball and men's gymnastics. Extending one of the most recognizable streaks in college athletics, the Cardinal has won at least one NCAA team championship in each of the last 45 seasons, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign. Stanford also secured a national title in synchronized swimming, bringing its overall total to three in 2020-21.
"I want to congratulate the University of Texas on its athletic achievements across the board and a well-deserved Directors' Cup victory," said Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics Bernard Muir. "I am also incredibly proud of our student-athletes and coaches, who displayed incredible resiliency and consistency during such a challenging and unique academic year while also maintaining our NCAA title streak. We look forward to tracking our affiliates at the Tokyo Olympics to close out the summer before returning in the fall to begin competing for next year's Directors' Cup."
The Cardinal's success in 2020-21 was even more impressive considering the abbreviated seasons experienced by many of its programs due to the COVID-19 global pandemic and accompanying county restrictions.
Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in NCAA Championships. In the updated scoring system, all scores were counted for men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball and women's volleyball. Additionally, only up to 15 other of the highest scores were included in the final score.
Rounding out the top five in the final standings were Michigan (1126.50), North Carolina (1126.25) and Florida (1121.75).
The Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today.