06/24/2026
The SUNY Cortland men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletic program finished in 26th place in the 2025-26 Learfield Directors’ Cup competition, placing the university in the top 6% among more than 420 eligible NCAA Division III programs competing nationally for the prestigious honor.
The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), sports marketing company Learfield and USA Today present the award to recognize overall excellence among collegiate athletic programs.
The Red Dragons finished with a score of 593 points, making it the top scorer among State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) schools and the second-highest scoring school from New York state, behind only seventh-place New York University.
The Red Dragons have now earned 26 finishes in the top 30 since the competition began in the 1995-96 school year. Its highest ever finish was a tie for second in 1997-98.
Cortland had 16 teams earn points, led by the men’s soccer team, which tied for ninth place nationally; the men’s basketball, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse and softball teams, which each tied for 17th place; and the men’s indoor track and field team, which tied for 18th place.
Points are awarded based on NCAA postseason finishes and the size of each postseason field.
The Red Dragon scorers were:
- Men’s Soccer - tied for 9th place (64 points)
- Men’s Indoor Track and Field - tied for 18th place (55.5 points)
- Men’s Basketball - tied for 17th place (50 points)
- Men’s Lacrosse - tied for 17th place (50 points)
- Women’s Lacrosse - tied for 17th place (50 points)
- Softball - tied for 17th place (50 points)
- Women’s Golf – 33rd place (40 points)
- Wrestling – 36th place (38 points)
- Baseball - tied for 33rd place (37.5 points)
- Women’s Cross Country - top-5 NCAA regional finish (32.5 points)
- Women’s Basketball - tied for 33rd place (25 points)
- Football - tied for 33rd place (25 points)
- Women’s Soccer - tied for 33rd place (25 points)
- Women’s Volleyball - tied for 33rd place (25 points)
- Women’s Outdoor Track and Field - tied for 53rd place (20.5 points)
- Men’s Outdoor Track and Field - tied for 68th place (5 points)
Women’s gymnastics finished sixth nationally at the NCGA Division III Championships, but that finish is not counted in the Directors’ Cup standings since it is not an NCAA championship.
There are four Directors’ Cup Awards, one to honor overall champions in each of the NCAA’s divisions (I, II and III) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). It is the first-ever cross-sectional all-sports national recognition award for both men and women.