After a dominating year in smaller sports, Texas finished ninth overall in the annual Division I Learfield Director’s Cup standings released Friday.
The Longhorns were the top-ranked school in the state of Texas and the Big 12. It’s also the fourth time in the last five years UT has finished in the top 10. Texas has finished among the top 10 a total of 17 times in the 23-year history of the award.
Stanford, which has 36 varsity sports, usually dominates the Director’s Cup. This year was no different as the Cardinal won its 22nd straight Cup championship. Texas has only 20 varsity sports, by comparison. Ohio State, Michigan, USC and Florida rounded out the top five.
Many UT fans are focused on the school’s only three profitable sports — football, men’s basketball and baseball. However, the Longhorns had a terrific year across the department as a whole.
Texas won the NCAA men’s swimming and diving national championship and posted seven top-five NCAA team finishes overall, the most since the 2008-09 school year. Volleyball and men’s golf finished as the national runner-up. Women’s outdoor track and field finished fourth while the men’s indoor track and field team was fifth.
Women’s basketball reached the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. Rowing along with men’s and women’s tennis also finished in the top 10 nationally.
The Longhorns won eight Big 12 titles this athletic year and still holds the conference record with 158 titles (regular and postseason) since the league’s inception.
Contact Brian Davis at 512-445-3957. Email bdavis@statesman.com.
Top 10 schools in the 2015-16 Learfield Director’s Cup
1. Stanford (1526.50)
2. Ohio State (1306.00)
3. Michigan (1196.75)
4. USC (1196.25)
5. Florida (1177.00)
6. UCLA (1091.50)
7. North Carolina (1089.50)
8. Virginia (1088.50)
9. Texas (1062.00)
10. Oregon (973.75)
Texas’ finish in the Director’s Cup standings (last 10 years)
2015-16 — 9th
2014-15 — 9th
2013-14 — 6th
2012-13 — 13th
2011-12 — 6th
2010-11 — 12th
2009-10 — 15th
2008-09 — 6th
2007-08 — 5th
2006-07 — 8th
