University of Oklahoma Athletics
Oklahoma Secures Top-10 Learfield Directors' Cup Finish
June 26, 2025 | Athletics
NORMAN — The University of Oklahoma capped its inaugural year in the Southeastern Conference with a ninth-place finish in the Division I LEARFIELD Directors' Cup, the athletics department's second-best showing ever, it was announced Thursday by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
The Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today, and honors institutions maintaining a broad-based athletics program, achieving success in many sports, both men's and women's. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in NCAA Championships. For Division I, 19 sports are counted, five of which must be baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, women's soccer and women's volleyball. The next highest 14 (maximum) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.
OU's No. 9 finish marked the fourth time it cracked the Directors' Cup top 10 (No. 7 in 2012-13 and No. 10 in 2010-11 and 2021-22). The Sooners' 1,017.2 total points were their third most ever, surpassed only by their 1,078.25 in 2012-13 and 1064.75 in 2010-11.
The SEC led all Division I conferences with 11 institutions in the top 25: Texas (1st), Tennessee (6th), Florida (7th), Oklahoma (9th), Arkansas (11th), Georgia (14th), Texas A&M (15th), LSU (17th), Auburn (19th), Alabama (22nd) and South Carolina (23rd). Other SEC programs were Ole Miss (27th), Kentucky (30th), Mississippi State (46th), Missouri (50th) and Vanderbilt (58th).
The Sooners were buoyed by their winter and spring season performances. They tallied 449.95 points in winter to rank fifth nationally and 492.25 points in spring to rank seventh.
The women's gymnastics team earned 100 points by winning its seventh national title and third in the last four years, posting a 33-2 record in head coach K.J. Kindler's 19th year at the helm. The championship marked the 13th top-three finish in program history, all under Kindler. Jordan Bowers claimed the NCAA all-around title and six Sooners combined for 15 NCAA All-America honors.
Women's track and field combined for 137.7 points during the indoor (76.2 points, fourth place) and outdoor (61.5 points, 14th place) seasons, highlighted by national titles from Agur Dwol (indoor triple jump) and Pippi Lotta Enok (heptathlon) and five individual conference championships. The men's program added 137.25 points during the outdoor (73.5 points, sixth place) and indoor (63.75 points, 12th place) campaigns. BJ Green (triple jump) and Ralford Mullings (discus) claimed outdoor national titles and three other Sooners won individual conference championships under the direction of second-year head coach James Thomas.
Men's gymnastics earned 85 points by finishing third at the NCAA Championships. The Sooners, who won their 20th MPSF Championship (first since 2021), have recorded a top-three national finish in 23 of the last 24 seasons. Senior Emre Dodanli captured the horizontal bar national title, becoming OU's first individual champion since 2021 and first on the event since 2007.
Softball earned 83 points after going 52-9 and reaching the Women's College World Series for the ninth consecutive year and 18th time overall. The Sooners swept through the Norman Regional and Super Regional to extend the nation's longest active WCWS streak. OU accomplished the feat with 14 newcomers and went 17-7 in SEC play, earning the regular season league title and a share of the tournament championship.
Men's golf totaled 72.75 points by qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the 14th consecutive year and advancing to match play for a nation-leading seventh time since 2016. Ryan Hybl's squad won five tournaments, tied for the third most in program history, including the NCAA Amherst Regional, OU's fifth regional title since 2015.
Women's basketball secured 64 points after advancing to the program's first Sweet 16 since 2013. Behind All-SEC selections Raegan Beers and Payton Verhulst, the Sooners went 27-8 and finished the season ranked No. 11 in the AP poll under fourth-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk.
Women's golf collected 51.5 points by returning to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2018. Veronique Drouin-Luttrell's Sooners set a school scoring record (285.44) and finished tied for 21st nationally. They placed outside the top five just three times in 12 regular season events.
Baseball contributed 50 points thanks to its fourth straight NCAA Tournament bid. The Sooners posted a 38-22 record, won five of 10 SEC series and advanced to a regional final for the third time in four seasons under head coach Skip Johnson. Pitcher Kyson Witherspoon was named a first-team All-American.
Under second-year head coach Aaron Mansfield, the volleyball team contributed 50 points by advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and 13th time overall. The Sooners reached the second round after earning their first tournament win since 2013. Alexis Shelton was named a third-team All-American, the program's first All-America selection since 2018.
Women's tennis picked up 50 points by advancing to the NCAA Championships. The No. 6 overall seed, Audra Cohen's squad won 20 matches on the season, including eight against top-25 opponents. The Sooners rose as high as No. 3 in the ITA rankings and had three All-SEC honorees. Julia Garcia Ruiz earned All-America honors after reaching the NCAA singles semifinals.
Men's tennis also racked up 50 points after appearing in its 15th consecutive NCAA Championships, where it played into the second round. Head coach Nick Crowell's team finished the year ranked 24th nationally after posting a 17-11 record and advancing to the SEC Championship quarterfinals.
Under head coach Porter Moser, the men's basketball team started the season 13-0 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021 to earn 25 points. The Sooners, who finished with 20 wins, were led by freshman guard Jeremiah Fears, who was selected Wednesday night as the No. 7 overall pick in the NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans.
Wrestling, in its second year under head coach Roger Kish, earned 36 points. The Sooners posted an 8-4 dual record, their best winning percentage since 2016, and qualified five individuals for the NCAA Championships for the second straight season.
Brent Venables' football team added 25 points after making OU's 26th consecutive bowl appearance, the longest streak in school history and second-longest active run in the nation. Senior linebacker Danny Stutsman was named a consensus All-American, the program's first since 2019.
The Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today, and honors institutions maintaining a broad-based athletics program, achieving success in many sports, both men's and women's. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in NCAA Championships. For Division I, 19 sports are counted, five of which must be baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, women's soccer and women's volleyball. The next highest 14 (maximum) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.
OU's No. 9 finish marked the fourth time it cracked the Directors' Cup top 10 (No. 7 in 2012-13 and No. 10 in 2010-11 and 2021-22). The Sooners' 1,017.2 total points were their third most ever, surpassed only by their 1,078.25 in 2012-13 and 1064.75 in 2010-11.
The SEC led all Division I conferences with 11 institutions in the top 25: Texas (1st), Tennessee (6th), Florida (7th), Oklahoma (9th), Arkansas (11th), Georgia (14th), Texas A&M (15th), LSU (17th), Auburn (19th), Alabama (22nd) and South Carolina (23rd). Other SEC programs were Ole Miss (27th), Kentucky (30th), Mississippi State (46th), Missouri (50th) and Vanderbilt (58th).
The Sooners were buoyed by their winter and spring season performances. They tallied 449.95 points in winter to rank fifth nationally and 492.25 points in spring to rank seventh.
The women's gymnastics team earned 100 points by winning its seventh national title and third in the last four years, posting a 33-2 record in head coach K.J. Kindler's 19th year at the helm. The championship marked the 13th top-three finish in program history, all under Kindler. Jordan Bowers claimed the NCAA all-around title and six Sooners combined for 15 NCAA All-America honors.
Women's track and field combined for 137.7 points during the indoor (76.2 points, fourth place) and outdoor (61.5 points, 14th place) seasons, highlighted by national titles from Agur Dwol (indoor triple jump) and Pippi Lotta Enok (heptathlon) and five individual conference championships. The men's program added 137.25 points during the outdoor (73.5 points, sixth place) and indoor (63.75 points, 12th place) campaigns. BJ Green (triple jump) and Ralford Mullings (discus) claimed outdoor national titles and three other Sooners won individual conference championships under the direction of second-year head coach James Thomas.
Men's gymnastics earned 85 points by finishing third at the NCAA Championships. The Sooners, who won their 20th MPSF Championship (first since 2021), have recorded a top-three national finish in 23 of the last 24 seasons. Senior Emre Dodanli captured the horizontal bar national title, becoming OU's first individual champion since 2021 and first on the event since 2007.
Softball earned 83 points after going 52-9 and reaching the Women's College World Series for the ninth consecutive year and 18th time overall. The Sooners swept through the Norman Regional and Super Regional to extend the nation's longest active WCWS streak. OU accomplished the feat with 14 newcomers and went 17-7 in SEC play, earning the regular season league title and a share of the tournament championship.
Men's golf totaled 72.75 points by qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the 14th consecutive year and advancing to match play for a nation-leading seventh time since 2016. Ryan Hybl's squad won five tournaments, tied for the third most in program history, including the NCAA Amherst Regional, OU's fifth regional title since 2015.
Women's basketball secured 64 points after advancing to the program's first Sweet 16 since 2013. Behind All-SEC selections Raegan Beers and Payton Verhulst, the Sooners went 27-8 and finished the season ranked No. 11 in the AP poll under fourth-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk.
Women's golf collected 51.5 points by returning to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2018. Veronique Drouin-Luttrell's Sooners set a school scoring record (285.44) and finished tied for 21st nationally. They placed outside the top five just three times in 12 regular season events.
Baseball contributed 50 points thanks to its fourth straight NCAA Tournament bid. The Sooners posted a 38-22 record, won five of 10 SEC series and advanced to a regional final for the third time in four seasons under head coach Skip Johnson. Pitcher Kyson Witherspoon was named a first-team All-American.
Under second-year head coach Aaron Mansfield, the volleyball team contributed 50 points by advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and 13th time overall. The Sooners reached the second round after earning their first tournament win since 2013. Alexis Shelton was named a third-team All-American, the program's first All-America selection since 2018.
Women's tennis picked up 50 points by advancing to the NCAA Championships. The No. 6 overall seed, Audra Cohen's squad won 20 matches on the season, including eight against top-25 opponents. The Sooners rose as high as No. 3 in the ITA rankings and had three All-SEC honorees. Julia Garcia Ruiz earned All-America honors after reaching the NCAA singles semifinals.
Men's tennis also racked up 50 points after appearing in its 15th consecutive NCAA Championships, where it played into the second round. Head coach Nick Crowell's team finished the year ranked 24th nationally after posting a 17-11 record and advancing to the SEC Championship quarterfinals.
Under head coach Porter Moser, the men's basketball team started the season 13-0 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021 to earn 25 points. The Sooners, who finished with 20 wins, were led by freshman guard Jeremiah Fears, who was selected Wednesday night as the No. 7 overall pick in the NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans.
Wrestling, in its second year under head coach Roger Kish, earned 36 points. The Sooners posted an 8-4 dual record, their best winning percentage since 2016, and qualified five individuals for the NCAA Championships for the second straight season.
Brent Venables' football team added 25 points after making OU's 26th consecutive bowl appearance, the longest streak in school history and second-longest active run in the nation. Senior linebacker Danny Stutsman was named a consensus All-American, the program's first since 2019.
2024-25 Learfield Directors' Cup Top 10
| Rank | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 1,255.25 |
| 2 | USC | 1,253.75 |
| 3 | Stanford | 1,251.00 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 1,195.25 |
| 5 | UCLA | 1,149.00 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 1,078.00 |
| 7 | Florida | 1,072.00 |
| 8 | Ohio State | 1,032.75 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 1,017.20 |
| 10 | Duke | 1,010.00 |
SEC Schools in 2024-25 Learfield Directors' Cup
| Rank | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 1255.25 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 1078.00 |
| 7 | Florida | 1072.00 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 1017.20 |
| 11 | Arkansas | 966.70 |
| 14 | Georgia | 920.00 |
| 15 | Texas A&M | 907.75 |
| 17 | LSU | 881.00 |
| 19 | Auburn | 867.50 |
| 22 | Alabama | 830.50 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 826.75 |
| 27 | Ole Miss | 783.25 |
| 30 | Kentucky | 745.95 |
| 46 | Mississippi State | 535.25 |
| 50 | Missouri | 492.50 |
| 58 | Vanderbilt | 440.75 |
Oklahoma in the Learfield Directors' Cup by Year
| Year | Finish | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 9 | 1017.20 |
| 2023-24 | 24 | 805.75 |
| 2022-23 | 23 | 813.75 |
| 2021-22 | 10 | 968.50 |
| 2020-21 | 24 | 774.00 |
| 2019-20 | COVID | N/A |
| 2018-19 | 33 | 703.50 |
| 2017-18 | 25 | 785.75 |
| 2016-17 | 17 | 876.00 |
| 2015-16 | 16 | 914.25 |
| 2014-15 | 21 | 799.50 |
| 2013-14 | 19 | 902.75 |
| 2012-13 | 7 | 1078.25 |
| 2011-12 | 14 | 946.00 |
| 2010-11 | 10 | 1064.75 |
| 2009-10 | 12 | 921.25 |
| 2008-09 | 29 | 656.50 |
| 2007-08 | 23 | 713.00 |
| 2006-07 | 25 | 702.75 |
| 2005-06 | 37 | 482.15 |
| 2004-05 | 24 | 571.25 |
| 2003-04 | 15 | 728.75 |
| 2002-03 | 20 | 643.25 |
| 2001-02 | 17 | 760.50 |
| 2000-01 | 18 | 698.50 |
| 1999-00 | 25 | 563.50 |
| 1998-99 | 51 | 170.00 |
| 1997-98 | 34 | 250.00 |
| 1996-97 | 37 | 370.00 |
| 1995-96 | 51 | 310.50 |
| 1994-95 | 22 | 423.00 |
| 1993-94 | 20 | 499.00 |
The Huddle - 9/8/25
Monday, September 08
Sooner Sports Talk - 9/1/25
Monday, September 01
The Huddle - 9/1/25
Monday, September 01
The Huddle - 8/25/25
Monday, August 25
