GAMECOCKS PLACE 26TH IN FINAL LEARFIELD DIRECTORS' CUP STANDINGS

July 2, 2018 COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Athletics Department finished 26th in the recently-concluded Learfield Directors’ Cup Division I final standings, garnering points from 16 of its 20 eligible sports.

The Gamecocks’ 26th-place finish is the fifth highest in school history, scoring 768 total points. The 2017-18 academic year marked the 25th year of the Learfield Directors’ Cup.

Carolina has averaged a 26th place finish in the last three years, its highest three-year average mark since 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 (21st).

“I want to congratulate our student-athletes, coaches and staff on another great season of athletic competition,” said Athletics Director Ray Tanner. “As the Learfield Cup is an accepted barometer of an athletics program success, I believe we are at a good place and look forward to pursuing a higher level of achievement in the future.”

Carolina’s 768 points, which is the second-highest total in school history, were highlighted by the following programs:

Women’s Soccer – 83 points (College Cup)
Women’s Basketball – 73 points (Elite Eight)
Baseball – 64 points (Super Regionals)
Softball – 64 points (Super Regionals)
Women’s Tennis – 64 points (Round of 16)

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.

Stanford was the overall winner in the 2017-18 Learfield Director’s Cup Standings, followed by UCLA, Florida, Southern California and Texas.

During the history of the Learfield Directors’ Cup, there has been several changes to the scoring structure, including starting with the 2017-18 academic year. For more information on this as well as the history of the Cup, go to www.nacda.com/directorscup/nacda-directorscup.html.