learfield cup

General Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon Earns Best Finish Ever in Learfield Directors' Cup Placing 39th

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The final Learfield Directors' Cup standings have been released by NACDA, with Gannon Athletics finishing 2021-22 in 39th following the completion of spring sports. This marked the first time since 2018-19 that NACDA had presented the Learfield Directors' Cup, with the 2019-20 and 2020-21 awards wiped out by COVID-19.
 
The 39th place showing is the best ever for the Golden Knights, capping an outstanding campaign which recently saw Gannon claim the PSAC's Dixon Trophy for the top athletic program in the conference. Gannon was the first non-PASSHE school to claim the Dixon Trophy and also the first to win without sponsoring track & field. Now comes the lofty finish among all Division II schools in the Learfield Cup. West Chester was the only PSAC school to finish above the Golden Knights, coming in 34th. Gannon and West Chester were the only two PSAC programs in the top 40.
 
Gannon finished with 381.5 points, the highest point total ever. Gannon's best previous finish was a tie for 60th in 2012-13, when it posted a previous high of 290.5 points. The Golden Knights were 99th in 2018-19, the last time the Learfield Cup was awarded, and 86th the year before that. They were 79th in 2009-10.
 
The spring sports accounted for 98 points, with men's golf picking up 55 of those points after placing 19th at the NCAA Division II National Championships. Baseball accounted for 25 points and women's golf 18, with both also reaching their respective NCAA Tournaments.
 
Gannon was 23rd following the fall rankings and 26th after the winter. The Golden Knights accumulated 125.50 points during the winter competition, highlighted by a tenth place showing at the NCAA Division II National Championships by the men's wrestling team. That garnered 67.5 points.
 
Women's swimming, with fifth-year senior Silvija Tiraska competing for the Golden Knights, added 33 points as Gannon finished 36th with her solo effort. Finally, the women's basketball team won its second straight PSAC Championship to earn a berth to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. The Golden Knights accumulated 25 points in the Learfield winter standings while finishing the year with a 24-7 record. Gannon's fall teams combined for 158 points to give Gannon a total of 283.50 points after the two seasons of competition. Gannon's 26th place winter ranking led the PSAC and was the second-highest in the Atlantic Region behind the University of Charleston at 25th place.
 
THE LEARFIELD CUP
 
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 NCAA Championships.
 
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.
 
About LEARFIELD: LEARFIELD is a leading media and technology services company in intercollegiate athletics. The company unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans through an omnichannel platform with innovative content and commerce solutions. LEARFIELD services includes licensing and multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; data analytics; ticketing, ticket sales and professional concessions expertise; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue technology systems. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed LEARFIELD Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
 
Print Friendly Version