Virginia Finishes Fifth in Final LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup Standings
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The fourth consecutive NCAA women’s swimming and diving championship, NCAA Final Four berths in men’s lacrosse and field hockey and baseball’s College World Series appearance elevated Virginia to a fifth-place finish with 1,066.25 points in the final 2023-24 LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup competition, announced Wednesday (June 26) by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
The fifth-place finish marked UVA’s second consecutive top-five finish (fourth overall) in the 31-year existence of the program (not awarded in 2020 due to the pandemic). The Cavaliers finished fourth in 2022-23.
Virginia placed in the top 25 for the 17th consecutive time and is one of 10 schools to rank in the top 30 of the final Directors’ Cup standings in every year of the competition. The Cavaliers were also the top ACC school for the second consecutive year, finishing ahead of seventh-place North Carolina.
Points in the Directors’ Cup standings are awarded by a school’s NCAA postseason finish in 19 sports, four of which must be men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and volleyball.
“We had another incredible season in competition and in the classroom,” Virginia Director of Athletics Carla Williams said. “Our student-athletes, coaches and staff continue to perform at the highest level while representing themselves and this wonderful university with honor and integrity. Our continued excellence is a tribute to their hard work and dedication. We are so grateful for the opportunity to represent the University of Virginia.”
In addition, men’s golf finished a program-best fifth at the NCAA Championship for the second straight season, men’s and women’s tennis advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals and men’s outdoor track and field finished eighth at the NCAA Championships. Softball advanced to its first NCAA Regional final and rowing finished 13th at the NCAA Championship. Women’s cross country finished 15th at the NCAA Championship, while men’s soccer advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Men’s swimming and diving finished 17th, women’s lacrosse advanced to the NCAA second round and men’s cross country finished 22nd at the NCAA Championships. Men’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, women’s golf and women’s outdoor track and field made NCAA postseason appearances. Wrestling advanced four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships.
UVA captured a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference championships during the year and its 95 conference titles since the spring of 2002 are the most of any ACC school during that time. In 2023-24, UVA claimed ACC championships in women’s swimming and diving (20th championship in program history and 15th title since 2008) and first-ever ACC championship in men’s outdoor track and field. The Cavaliers also claimed ACC regular-season titles in men’s and women’s tennis.
Individually, Gretchen Walsh was named the Honda Sport Award winner for Swimming & Diving, marking the third year in a row the winner has been from the University of Virginia after Kate Douglass won the previous two sport awards for swimming & diving. Walsh won three events at the NCAA Championships, setting American and NCAA records in the 50 Free, 100 Fly and 100 Free. Walsh was also part of four relays that won NCAA titles (200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay and 400 Free Relay). Walsh was named the ACC’s most valuable swimmer after winning seven gold medals and setting four NCAA records at the ACC Championships.
Alex Walsh won two NCAA championship events (200 IM and 200 Breast) and was part of the four relays that won NCAA titles. Jasmine Nocentini won the 100 Breast and was part of the four relays that won NCAA titles. Maxine Parker and Carly Noveline were part of the four relays that won NCAA titles. Shane Cohen (men’s track and field) won the NCAA 800m title to help the Cavaliers post their third-highest finish at the NCAA championship.
Todd DeSorbo (women’s swimming), Sonia LaMonica (women’s lacrosse), Sara O’Leary (women’s tennis) and Vin Lananna (men’s outdoor track and field) earned ACC Coach of the Year honors. DeSorbo was named Women’s Division I Swim Coach of the Year and will serve as head coach of the U.S. Women’s Swimming Team at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Brian O’Connor was inducted into the 2024 American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame
Texas finished first in the NCAA Division I Directors’ Cup standings with 1,377 points, while Stanford was second with 1,312..75 points.
UVA was one of six ACC programs to finish in the top 25 of the Directors’ Cup standings. Other ACC schools in the top 25 of the Directors’ Cup standings were North Carolina (7th, 1,035.75 points, Notre Dame (10th, 1,008.50 points), Florida State (12th, 998.88 points), Duke (17th, 928.50 points) and NC State (21st, 853.50 points).
There are five LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup awards, one to honor the institution with the best overall athletics program in each of the NCAA’s Divisions I and I-AAA, II and III, and the NAIA.
Additional highlights of Virginia’s 2023-24 athletics year included:
• Jack Eliason (men’s cross country/track and field), Anneloes Knol (field hockey), Jared Rayman (football) and Rebecca Skoler (women’s golf) earned 2024 Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarships and were ACC Excellence Award honorees.
• UVA running back Mike Hollins was named the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year
• UVA sophomore wrestler Nick Hamilton (165 pounds) won his division and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the ACC Championships.
• Eight Cavalier student-athletes – Natash Subhas (women’s tennis), Chris Rodesch (men’s tennis), James Hopper (men’s tennis), Jeffrey von der Schulenburg (men’s tennis), Malik Washington (football), Gretchen Walsh, (women’s swimming & diving), Alex Walsh (women’s swimming & diving) and Maxine Parker (women’s swimming & diving) were name College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans
• Gretchen Walsh (women’s swimming and diving) and Chris Rodesch (men’s tennis) earned ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors
• Four Cavalier programs – women’s golf women’s lacrosse, softball and men’s tennis – posted perfect multi-year rates of 1,000 while a total of 16 (of 23) teams had a perfect APR for the 2022-23 academic year
• Seven Virginia football players – Paul Akere, Jimmy Christ, Matt Ganyard, Jared Rayman, Brian Stevens, Malik Washington and Sackett Wood — earned National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame Hampshire Honor Society membership
• Brian O’Connor was inducted into the 2024 American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame
• O’Connor reached his 850th career win in a 6-3 victory against Penn State on March 5
• Carla Williams was appointed to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee
• Women’s basketball played in the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament
• UVA women’s basketball had a record crowd of 11,975 for its game against Virginia Tech. It was the largest attendance for a women’s basketball game in the state of Virginia
• UVA received a $25 million gift for the Athletics Master Plan from the Harrison Foundation
• Malik Washington was drafted by the Miami Dolphins during the 2024 NFL Draft. It marked the 39th time in the last 41 years a Cavalier player has been selected in the draft
• UVA had 343 student-athletes receive All-ACC Academic honors
2023-24 LEARFIELD College Directors’ Cup Final Top 25 Point Standings
1. Texas 1377.00
2. Stanford 1312.75
3. Tennessee 1217.00
4. Florida 1189.00
5. Virginia 1066.25
6. Texas A&M 1059.25
7. North Carolina 1035.75
8. Alabama 1028.88
9. UCLA 1017.50
10. Notre Dame 1008.50
11. Ohio State 1006.00
12. Florida State 998.88
13. LSU 998.50
14. USC 994.00
15. Michigan 985.00
16. Georgia 951.38
17. Duke 928.50
18. Arkansas 921.75
19. Oklahoma State 896.00
20. California 886.00
21. NC State 853.50
22. Nebraska 841.00
23. Penn State 827.75
24. Oklahoma 805.75
25. Wisconsin 765.50
ACC Schools in Final 2023-24 Directors’ Cup Standings
5. Virginia 1066.25
7. North Carolina 1035.75
10. Notre Dame 1008.50
12. Florida State 998.88
17. Duke 928.50
21. NC State 853.50
31. Clemson 675.75
44. Syracuse 538.00
48. Louisville 515.50
50. Virginia Tech 499.25
56. Wake Forest 421.00
67. Miami (FL) 368.25
68. Boston College 360.00
74. Georgia Tech 316.50
80. Pittsburgh 277.00
Schools Ranked in the Top-30 of All 29 Directors’ Cup Point Standings (1994-2019, 2021-2024)
Florida
Georgia
Michigan
North Carolina
Ohio State
Stanford
Texas
UCLA
USC
Virginia
Virginia’s Final Position in Each of the Directors’ Cup Rankings
2024 5th
2023 4th
2022 11th
2021 11th
2020 N/A
2019 8th
2018 21st
2017 19th
2016 8th
2015 6th
2014 4th
2013 20th
2012 15th
2011 7th
2010 3rd
2009 8th
2008 17th
2007 13th
2006 26th
2005 13th
2004 30th
2003 19th
2002 27th
2001 30th
2000 13th
1999 8th
1998 13th
1997 22nd
1996 21st
1995 19th (tie)
1994 19th