Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
2024-25 Division III Directors' Cup Standings
June 12, 2025 — North Central College athletes conclude the 2024-25 athletic season in 24th place in the Learfield Directors Cup NCAA Division III standings, the top finisher in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin, and second in the state of Illinois with 605.85 points.
The 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 NCAA Championships. Overall, 18 sports are counted in the final Division III standings, four of which must be men's and women's soccer and men's and women's basketball. The next highest (14 max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.
The Cardinals' national championship in women's triathlon and national runner-up finish in women's wrestling do not count toward the Director's Cup standings, as those sports have not yet gained full NCAA championship status.
The Cardinal football team led the charge in the fall with its third national championship in five seasons to add 100 points to the running tally. North Central men's cross country added 77 points for their seventh-place finish at nationals. The men's and women's soccer programs each contributed 25 points to the total by making the NCAA Tournament.
In the winter, the Cardinal men's wrestling team captured 72.8 points with a sixth-place finish at the national tournament. Men's indoor track & field claimed 56.6 points by taking 16th place, while the women's track & field program added 36 points with a 36th place finish.
The track & field programs led the way in the spring during their outdoor season as the men earned 58.5 points with the women adding 35 points to the total. The Cardinal men's and women's tennis teams each scored 50 points by winning a match in the NCAA Tournament, while baseball recorded 25 points with an NCAA Tournament appearance. Spring sports totaled 222 points for North Central, the most of any season.
This marks the 10th time that North Central athletics has finished in the top 25 for Division III, and the third time in the past four seasons.
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