Ohio State 15th in Final LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup Standings
6/26/2024 10:05:00 AM | General
Scoring error drops Athletic Department’s final ranking; No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Department of Athletics has finished 15th in the final 2023-24 LEARFIELD Director's Cup Standings. Texas, Stanford, Tennessee, Florida and Virginia were the Top 5 schools in the final rankings.
It appeared two weeks ago as if Ohio State was going to lead the Big Ten Conference once again with one final sport, baseball, left to be counted in this national competition that honors institutions maintaining a broad-based program and achieving success in its NCAA sports programs. However, a scoring error was uncovered recently within the system that shuffled Ohio State's point-scoring programs and ultimately reduced Ohio State's point total to 981.00 points, good for 15th nationally and second in the Big Ten.
Ohio State has led the Big Ten in the final Director's Cup standings nine times: in 2003-06-10-11-12-15-16-17-23. Eight of these No. 1 finishes have come under the direction of Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletics Director Gene Smith, who is retiring this Sunday after a superb 39-year career as a Division I athletic director and leader, including the past 19 years at Ohio State.
Ohio State had 18 sports programs compete at their respective NCAA championships this past year with 16 contributing points toward the department's Director's Cup total and nine finishing in the national Top 10. Only 19 teams can score points toward the Director's Cup, four of which must be men's basketball, women's basketball baseball and women's volleyball.
Ohio State's 10 women's teams that made an NCAA field (and their final national finish) included hockey (1st), swimming and diving (9th), rowing (12th), gymnastics (13th), basketball (17th), tennis (17th), track and field (45th), golf (31st), cross country (32nd) and soccer (33rd).
The seven Ohio State men's NCAA (and CFP) teams were tennis (3rd), golf (3rd), volleyball (5th), gymnastics (6th), wrestling (8th), football (10th) and swimming and diving (13th).
In addition, the co-ed fencing team was sixth at the NCAA championships.
