General | 4/2/2026 10:00:00 AM
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Gannon University continued its rise among the nation's top Division II athletic programs, placing sixth overall in the final winter standings of the Learfield Directors' Cup. The Learfield Cup standings were released by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) today.
The Golden Knights totaled 170.00 Directors' Cup points during the winter season, which includes several standout performances from multiple successful winter programs. Gannon ended the winter standings with 270.00 winter points.
The Learfield Directors' Cup evaluates institutional success by awarding points based on finishes in NCAA Championships. Standings are released following the fall, winter, and spring seasons, with the overall champion crowned at the conclusion of the academic year.
Grand Valley State leads the Division II standings with 790.50 points, followed by Colorado School of Mines (550.00) and Wingate (538.50). Colorado Mesa and Indianapolis round out the top five.
Gannon also leads all PSAC schools in the Learfield standings, with East Stroudsburg (25th) being the next highest institution.
Gannon's winter total was highlighted by men's basketball's history making moment on Sunday, defeating Lander, 84-61 to capture the program's first ever National Championship. It is also the first team national championship in Gannon Athletics history.
Men's wrestling earned a top ten finish at NCAA Championships, placing ninth as a team. Heavyweight Dorian Crosby battled through a challenging heavyweight bracket before capturing the 285-pound national title with a dramatic sudden-victory win over Crew Howard of University of Nebraska at Kearney. The championship marks Gannon's first individual national title in wrestling in 25 years and caps off one of the most memorable performances in program history.
Women's basketball had another successful season, advancing to the second round of the Atlantic Regional. The Golden Knights ended the year 29-5 and an 18-2 mark in conference play.
In their first season as an NCAA championship sport, women's wrestling earned points thanks to Bella Phillips' all-American performance in Coralville, IA. She placed fifth in the 180 pound bracket.
In her first year as Director of Athletics, Meghan Morphy has guided Gannon Athletics to a top ten national finish following the winter season. The Golden Knights were also crowned Dixon Trophy champions for the 2024–25 season, claiming the PSAC's all-sports title for the third time in the last four years.
The Learfield Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today, with points awarded based on each institution's finish in NCAA Championships across the academic year.
