@MizzouAthletics Registers Highest Learfield Directors’ Cup Finish Ever
6/29/2017 1:55:00 PM | General
Mizzou Athletics ranked a program-best 33rd in the final 2016-17 Learfield Directors’ Cup standings
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Fueled by Top 16 NCAA Championship finishes in wrestling (5th), women's indoor track & field (8th), men's swimming & diving (9th), women's swimming & diving (13th), women's cross country (16th) and volleyball (Sweet 16) teams, Mizzou Athletics ranked a program-best 33rd in the final 2016-17 Learfield Directors' Cup standings released today by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
"Mizzou Athletics has enjoyed an outstanding all-around year, academically and athletically, capped off by its highest finish ever in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings," said University of Missouri Director of Athletics Jim Sterk. "This year's success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our coaches, student-athletes and staff, and I'm confident that even greater things are in store for our program in future years."
Of Mizzou's school-record 662.75 points, 147.50 points were scored in the fall, with 385.25 points coming in the winter and 130.0 points tallied from the spring sports season. All-told, a school-record tying 13 Mizzou teams registered Directors' Cup points to help it finish among the nation's top 55 programs for the 18th-consecutive year. The Tigers, who now have four Top 40 Directors' Cup finishes in the award's 24-year history, had not finished better than 36th prior to 2016-17.
In 2016-17, 16 Mizzou teams were represented in NCAA postseason play, two teams won conference championships (volleyball and wrestling) and 10 squads ranked among the nation's Top 25 in their respective sports at season's end (either at their respective NCAA Championship or season-ending ranking)—Wrestling (5th-place NCAA Championship), Women's Indoor Track & Field (8th-place NCAA Championships), Men's Swimming and Diving (9th-place at NCAA Championships), Women's Swimming and Diving (13th-place NCAA Championships), Women's Gymnastics (No. 15), Volleyball (No. 16), Women's Cross Country (16th-place at NCAA Championships), Women's Outdoor Track & Field (17th-place at NCAA Championships), Women's Basketball (No. 25) and Men's Golf (No. 25).
Two other MU programs, baseball and softball, were also ranked at some point during their respective seasons to give the Tigers 12 Top 25 programs in 2016-17.
In addition, two Tigers combined to win four 2016-17 NCAA individual championships as senior wrestler J'den Cox won his third national title at 197 lbs., and junior Karissa Schweizer became just the fourth female in NCAA history to win the distance triple crown (cross country, indoor 5,000m and outdoor 5,000m national titles), and first since 2008.
Mizzou also produced 13 individual conference champions and had 31 student-athletes earn 69 All-America certificates in 11 different sports.
In the classroom, 269 Mizzou student-athletes received SEC Honor Roll recognition, 303 garnered University Dean's List status for at least one semester and 14 teams registered a 3.00 grade-point average for the Spring 2017 term. Tiger student-athletes also spent over 4,800 hours volunteering with more than 50 organizations in Columbia and the surrounding communities.
Stanford won the Directors' Cup for the 23rd consecutive year, followed by Ohio State, Florida, USC, North Carolina, Michigan, Texas, Penn State, Oregon and Kentucky to complete the top 10. Among SEC schools, Mizzou ranked ahead of Ole Miss, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt in the final standings.
The Learfield Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 20 sports in Division I – 10 men's and 10 women's.
Mizzou's All-Time Directors' Cup Finishes
Year Place Points
1993-94 50th 245.00
1994-95 105th 119.50
1995-96 133rd 88.50
1996-97 119th 115.50
1997-98 85th 80.00
1998-99 70th 120.00
1999-2000 52nd 320.50
2000-01 49th 365.50
2001-02 53rd 344.50
2002-03 37th 483.50
2003-04 46th 411.00
2004-05 41st 462.25
2005-06 48th 379.625
2006-07 53rd 391.33
2007-08 38th 560.50
2008-09 36th 585.30
2009-10 49th 454.00
2010-11 41st 535.80
2011-12 49th 458.50
2012-13 53rd 432.00
2013-14 46th 492.20
2014-15 42nd 544.75
2015-16 43rd 501.75
2016-17 33rd 662.75
Players Mentioned
