General

Multiple NE10 Schools Post Historic Years in Learfield Director's Cup

Trophy Measures Overall Athletic Department Success on the Field Each Year

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. - The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced the final standings in the annual Learfield Director's Cup Tuesday, with a handful of Northeast 10 departments posting historic overall seasons in 2025-26.  The Learfield Director's Cup counts 15 sports in the final DII standings, four of which must be women’s volleyball and basketball and men’s basketball and baseball. The next highest (11 max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings. 

The Learfield Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in NCAA Championships each academic season.

Adelphi had the best performance of the NE10, posting the fifth-best spring in all of Division II.  The Panthers posted 375 spring points, advancing to the NCAA Championship final in men's lacrosse while also making postseason runs in women's lacrosse, baseball, softball, men's and women's golf and men's and women's tennis.  The AU women's tennis program made history, advancing to the NCAA final championship site for the first time, falling to Mississippi College as one of the final 16 teams.

Overall, Adelphi earned 475 points to rank eighth in NE10 history.  The Panthers placed 33rd nationally, ranking 17th all-time in the league.  Adelphi holds the best finish of any school currently in the conference, finishing 18th in 2023-'24.  Bryant's 17th-place post in 2008 still stands as the best result for a Northeast 10 department.

Bentley checked in second in the conference and 50th nationally.  The Falcons had their best performance in the fall, earning the 15th-most points across DII before the calendar turned.  Bentley did carry that success through seasons, though, qualifying for the NCAA brackets in both men's and women's basketball and then making an historic run to the College World Series in baseball.  This spring the diamond Falcons won the NE10 Championship for the first time, qualified for the NCAA's for the first time and advanced to Cary, N.C. for the first time.  Baseball earned Bently a big chunk of points, finishing seventh nationally.  The flock's 357 total points are the best in school history.

Assumption finished the year on a great note, winning the NE10 Championship on a walk-off home run and then advancing to the NCAA Super Regional for the first time.  The men's lacrosse squad, men's golf team and both tennis clubs making the NCAA's were a huge boon.  The Greyhounds earned 199 spring points (45th nationally) and finshed 60th overall for the year -- best in school history.  

Joining the "best in school history" train is Saint Michael's.  The Purple Knights capped the year by qualifying for their first NCAA Championship in men's lacrosse after making their first women's basketball bracket in the winter and, by the narrowest of margins, missing their first women's soccer NCAA in the fall.  For the department's efforts, the Knights ranked 108th nationally -- best in program annals.

There are 251 ranked programs in NCAA Division II athletics.

NE10 PLACINGS IN THE 2026 LEARFIELD DIRECTOR'S CUP
(Points in Parentheses)
33. Adelphi (475)
50. Bentley (357)
60. Assumption (327)
82. Franklin Pierce (254.5)
108. Saint Michael's (202)
119. Saint Anselm (184)
128. Southern Connecticut State (165)
130. SNHU (163)
142. Pace (148)
228. American Int'l (25)
 
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.

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