STANFORD, Calif. – In addition to extending its NCAA team title streak to 49 straight years, Stanford maintained its stretch of top-3 finishes in the Learfield Directors’ Cup, presented annually to the nation’s most successful intercollegiate athletic department.
The Cardinal totaled 1,251 points and placed third overall in 2024-25, only 4.5 points behind winner Texas (1,255.25) and 2.75 points behind runner-up USC (1,253.75) in the closest margin of the award’s history.
The only school to finish in the top-3 every season since the inception of the award, Stanford has claimed the Directors’ Cup in 26 of the possible 31 seasons, including a 25-year stranglehold from 1995-2019. The Cardinal, which also led the way among ACC schools, most recently took home the trophy in 2022-23.
Stanford extended its NCAA team championship streak to 49 consecutive years with victories in women’s water polo and women’s rowing. Cardinal teams have captured at least one NCAA team crown every year since 1976.
The next closest competitor: North Carolina, which owns an active NCAA title streak of seven.
Stanford’s third-place Directors’ Cup finish was highlighted by 14 top-10 finishes among the 16 total sports in which the Cardinal scored. Also included in the mix were NCAA runner-up performances in women’s swimming and diving, men’s gymnastics and women’s golf.
The Directors’ Cup scoring formula featured an additional countable sport for 2024-25, bringing the total number of countable sports to five (baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball). Overall, 19 total sports are counted for the final standings, including the five countable sports, and the next highest 14 (max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender.
Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA’s website at www.directorscup.org.
About Learfield: Learfield is the media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.