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ACC Places Three in 2025-26 Directors’ Cup Top Five, Highlights Another Championship Season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (TheACC.com) – Six ACC schools are ranked among the top 25, including three in the top five, in the final 2025-26 Division I Learfield College Directors’ Cup standings, announced Thursday. All 18 ACC programs finished in the top 90 of the final standings.
 
The ACC had three schools finish in the top five in the final standings for the first time in conference history.
 
This marks the 24th consecutive year that four or more ACC schools placed among the top 30 in the final Learfield Directors’ Cup standings. North Carolina and Virginia have ranked among the top 30 nationally in each of the 31 years the Directors’ Cup has been conducted.
 
The ACC is one of only two conferences with every school among the final top 90 this year.
 
“The final Learfield Directors’ Cup standings are a testament to the remarkable depth and success of the ACC,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Having all 18 of our institutions ranked among the top 90 speaks to the unwavering commitment to excellence across our conference. These standings along with the ACC’s seven team national championships and 38 individual national titles across our 28 league-sponsored sports, reflect the hard work and dedication of our student-athletes, coaches and administrators."
 
The ACC captured seven national championships in league-sponsored sports during the 2025-26 academic year, marking the fifth consecutive year the conference has won at least six national titles. NCAA champions included NC State women’s cross country, Florida State women’s soccer, Notre Dame women’s fencing, Notre Dame men’s fencing, Virginia women’s swimming & diving, Stanford women’s golf and Virginia men’s tennis. Seven ACC teams also competed in the national title game or finished as runners-up - football (Miami), women’s soccer (Stanford), men’s soccer (NC State), women’s swimming & diving (Stanford), men’s swimming & diving (California), women’s lacrosse (North Carolina), men’s lacrosse (Notre Dame), rowing (Stanford) and baseball (North Carolina).
 
Stanford also claimed the NCAA title in men’s gymnastics and had two individual national champions.
 
Over the past five academic years, ACC programs have combined to win 36 national championships in league-sponsored sports, the second-highest total among all conferences.
 
In the league’s 73-year history, ACC institutions have captured 204 team national championships and 504 individual NCAA titles.
 
Stanford finished with 1,263.50 points to finish second in the final Learfield Directors’ Cup standings. The Cardinal captured NCAA titles in men’s gymnastics and women’s golf, while also posting runner-up finishes in women’s soccer, women’s swimming & diving, women’s rowing and women’s beach volleyball.
 
Stanford’s final total reflects the removal of points earned in men’s water polo, men’s fencing, women’s fencing, women’s indoor track & field, softball, women’s tennis and women’s outdoor track & field, as Directors’ Cup scoring is limited to a maximum of 14 additional sports beyond the required sports.
 
North Carolina placed fourth with 1,166.75 points, highlighted by national runner-up finishes in women’s lacrosse and baseball. The Tar Heels also scored in all five required sports.
 
Virginia rounded out the top five with 1,148.75 points. The Cavaliers were led by national championships in women’s swimming & diving and men’s tennis.
 
Duke finished in 11th place with 1,039.25 points. The Blue Devils were followed by Notre Dame (19th) and NC State (22nd) in the top 25, while Louisville (29th), California (39th), Florida State (41st) and Clemson (42nd) all ranked among the top 50.
 
Wake Forest (54th), Virginia Tech (55th), Miami (57th), Syracuse (59th), SMU (64th), Boston College (83rd), Pitt (84th) and Georgia Tech (90th) rounded out the ACC schools in the final standings.
 
The ACC currently sponsors 28 NCAA sports – 15 for women and 13 for men – with the addition of women’s gymnastics in 2023-24. No Autonomy Five conference sponsors more than 28 sports, nor does any peer conference sponsor more than 15 women’s sports.
 
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 the NCAA Championships.
 
Overall, 19 total sports are counted for the final standings, including the five countable sports, and the next highest 14 (maximum) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender.
 
Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA's website at www.directorscup.org. In addition, you can follow on Twitter @ldirectorscup.