Princeton Finishes Historic 18th In Learfield Directors Cup Standings
In case there was any doubt… Princeton Athletics returned in fine fashion during the 2021-22 academic year.
The Tigers finished a school-record No. 18 in the final LEARFIELD Directors Cup standings which were released after the conclusion of the final NCAA championship contested.
Princeton also tallied a new high with 868.25 total points over the course of the season. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships.
“Our teams continue to prove that you can achieve academic and athletic excellence at the highest level here at Princeton,” said Ford Family Director of Athletics John Mack ’00. “The success of our athletic teams this past academic year was truly remarkable. It is a direct result of the incredible work of our student-athletes, coaches and administrative staff over the past two years. I have tremendous pride in the effort from everyone involved in Princeton Athletics to make this possible.”
Notes To Know On Princeton’s 2021-22 LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup Performance
– Princeton’s No. 18 finish is not only a school record, it is also the highest-ever by an Ivy League school, surpassing Princeton’s own No. 21 finish in 2001-02.
– The Tigers also established a new Ivy-League high in points scored, exceeding their 736.0 points earned in 2001-02.
– Of the 27 full seasons of the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup where Princeton has competed, the Tigers have led schools who compete in FCS football 25 times.
– Princeton holds the top 14 finishes in the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup standings all-time by a school who competes in FCS football.
Overall, 19 sports are counted in the final DI standings, four of which must be women’s volleyball and basketball and men’s basketball and baseball. The next highest (15 max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings. What makes Princeton’s overall result even more impressive is that the Tigers finished 18th while not scoring points in three of the four mandatory scoring sports and having to leave points on the table from four other programs who otherwise would have contributed to the total.
Princeton programs which contributed to the 18th-place finish include women’s open rowing, men’s lacrosse, women’s fencing, men’s indoor track & field, men’s water polo, men’s outdoor track and field, women’s lacrosse, wrestling, women’s basketball, women’s soccer, women’s tennis, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s swimming & diving, women’s golf and men’s soccer. The softball, men’s volleyball, men’s tennis and women’s outdoor track and field programs all were also eligible to score points but were not included due to scoring regulations.
Texas claimed the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup for the second year in a row with 1,449.50 points. After Princeton’s No. 18 finish, the next-highest finishing FCS program was Harvard which was No. 39.
The teams Princeton finished ahead of in terms of overall Athletic Department success in 2021-22 include Georgia (No. 19), Ole Miss (No. 20), Duke (No. 21), Alabama (No. 22), Oklahoma State (No. 23), Wisconsin (No. 24) and Texas A&M (No. 25).
The LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today.
Please note, standings published midseason are unofficial. Official standings will be published upon the completion of the spring season. Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA’s website at www.directorscup.org. In addition, please visit www.thedirectorscup.com and follow us on Twitter @ldirectorscup.
