Penn State Finishes Third in Winter Standings of the Learfield Director’s Cup

Penn State has placed third in the final winter standings of the Learfield Director’s Cup. That’s one spot down from its second place standing earlier this month. The university’s athletic teams finished in eighth place after the fall season.

This winter, Penn State wrestling captured its third consecutive national championship while Men’s fencing finished at the NCAA Championships in third place and men’s gymnastics placed fourth at this year’s NCAA Championships. Men’s track and field also posted a top 10 finish.

Michigan jumped from fourth place to first with 914.25 points, ahead of Stanford’s 902.75 points. Stanford has won 18 consecutive Director’s Cup titles. This is the 15th time Penn State has finished in the Top 5 during the award’s 20 year history. Penn State finished in third place after last year’s winter award but fell to 12th in the final standings.

Minnesota jumped from 9th to 7th, making the Big Ten the most represented conference within the top 10. Penn State is one of nine teams that has finished in the top 20 ever year since the Director’s Cup inception in 1993.

The first spring standings will be released May 23rd. Spring sports include Baseball, Golf, Lacrosse, Rowing, Softball, Tennis, and Track and Field. Men’s lacrosse is currently 5th in the country, while women’s lacrosse is 6th in the country. Men’s track and field is ranked 11th nationally.

The Learfield Director’s Cup is a joint effort between the National Association of College Directors of Athletics and USA Today. The rankings are determined by performance in 20 different sports — 10 Men’s and 10 Women’s.