View source for NACDA Directors' Cup

{{short description|Athletics award for collegiate teams}}
{{See also|Capital One Cup}}
{{Infobox sports award
|name=NACDA Directors' Cup
|most_awards=[[NCAA Division I]]: [[Stanford Cardinal]] (26)<br/>[[NCAA Division II]]: [[Grand Valley State Lakers]] (15)<br/>[[NCAA Division III]]: [[Williams Ephs]] (22)<br/>[[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]]: [[Azusa Pacific Cougars]] (8)<br/>[[National Junior College Athletic Association|NJCAA]]: [[Iowa Central Community College|Iowa Central Tritons]] (5)
|presenter=[[National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics]]
|mostrecent=[[NCAA Division I]]: [[Texas Longhorns]]<br/>[[NCAA Division II]]: [[Grand Valley State Lakers]]<br/>[[NCAA Division III]]: [[Johns Hopkins Blue Jays]]<br/>[[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]]: [[University of the Cumberlands#Athletics|Cumberlands Patriots]]<br/>[[National Junior College Athletic Association|NJCAA]]: [[Iowa Western Community College|Iowa Western Reivers]]
|website=https://thedirectorscup.com/
|image=Directors' Cup Logo (2021).jpg
|awardedfor=The most successful overall athletic program in each division of collegiate sports.}}

The '''NACDA Directors' Cup''', known for sponsorship reasons as the '''NACDA Learfield Directors' Cup''' or simply as the '''Directors' Cup''', is an [[award]] given annually by the [[National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics]] (NACDA) to the colleges and universities in the [[United States]]{{Efn|The three Canadian universities which compete in the NCAA or NAIA, including [[Simon Fraser Red Leafs|Simon Fraser University]], [[UBC Thunderbirds|University of British Columbia]], and [[Victoria Vikes|University of Victoria]], are also eligible for the award.|group=canada}} with the most success in collegiate athletics. Points for the NACDA Directors' Cup are based on order of finish in various championships sponsored by the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) and the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA) or, in the case of [[NCAA Division I-A national football championship|Division I Football]], media-based polls. A first-place finish in a sport earns 100 points, second place 90 points, third place 85 points, fourth place 80 points, and lesser values for lower finishes (exact numbers beyond fourth place depend on the sport and division).<ref>[https://nacda.com/documents/2018/6/14/_nacda_directorscup_2012_13_misc_non_event__dcscoring.pdf chart]</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2018/6/14/_nacda_directorscup_2012_13_misc_non_event__dcscoring.pdf|title=Directors' Cup Bracket and Non-Bracket Sports Scoring (PDF)|website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics|language=en|access-date=2020-01-08}}</ref>

The award originated in 1993 and was presented to [[NCAA Division I]] schools only. In 1995, it was extended to [[NCAA Division II|Division II]], [[NCAA Division III|Division III]], and NAIA schools as well, then extended further to junior colleges in 2011 based on standings from the [[NATYCAA Cup]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-09-29|title=About|url=https://thedirectorscup.com/about/|access-date=2021-08-06|website=Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Daktronics Cup Past Winners|url=https://nacda.com/sports/2018/8/30/natycaa-cup-past-winners.aspx|access-date=2021-08-06|website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics|language=en}}</ref> Each division receives its own award.

The physical award is a [[Waterford Crystal]] trophy. Prior to 2003, the sponsor of the NACDA Directors' Cup was retail merchandiser [[Sears, Roebuck and Company|Sears]], and the award was known as the '''Sears Cup'''. Beginning in the 2003–04 season, the sponsor was the [[United States Sports Academy]]. In 2007–08, [[Learfield Sports]] assumed the sponsorship of the Directors' Cup. Learfield Sports rebranded to Learfield IMG College in 2016 and to simply Learfield in 2021.{{Notelist|group=canada}}

== History ==
The [[North Carolina Tar Heels|University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] won the award in its inaugural year, but then [[Stanford Cardinal|Stanford University]] won the Division I award for 25 straight years until the streak was broken in 2020–21 by the [[Texas Longhorns|University of Texas]]. Texas repeated in 2022, Stanford regained the cup in 2023, and Texas won again in 2024.

In Division II, [[UC Davis Aggies|UC Davis]] won six of the first eight awards, but its athletic program moved to Division I in 2003 and [[Grand Valley State Lakers|Grand Valley State]] has won 16 of the 19 awards since as of 2024 (the title went unawarded for two years due to COVID-19). The only other current Division II member with an award is 1999 winner [[Adams State Grizzlies|Adams State]]. All other Division II winners ([[Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners|Bakersfield]], [[California Baptist Lancers|California Baptist]], and [[Grand Canyon Antelopes|Grand Canyon]]) are now members of Division I.

[[Williams Ephs|Williams College]] has had by far the most success in Division III, having won the Cup 22 of the 27 times it has been awarded for that division. The only other D-III member with more than one Cup is 2023 and 2024 winner [[Johns Hopkins Blue Jays|Johns Hopkins]].

The NAIA division was dominated by [[Simon Fraser Red Leafs|Simon Fraser University]] of [[British Columbia]] in its early years, but in 2002, SFU transferred most of its sports programs to Canada's college athletics federation, then known as Canadian Interuniversity Sport and now as [[U Sports]]. SFU left U Sports in 2011 and has since become a full member of NCAA Division II. From 2004–05 to 2011–12, [[Azusa Pacific Cougars|Azusa Pacific University]] assumed the mantle at the NAIA level, winning eight consecutive championships before moving to NCAA Division II in the 2012–13 season. [[Oklahoma City Stars|Oklahoma City University]] has been the most successful school since that year, with three Directors' Cups in the 2010s and four overall.

For two-year colleges, [[Iowa Central Community College]] has been the most successful school, winning five of the 10 titles.

==Scoring system==
* '''NCAA Division I:''' Counts top 19 sports at each school with the following breakdowns:<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=LEARFIELD Directors' Cup Scoring Structure|url=https://nacda.com/sports/2018/7/17/directorscup-nacda-directorscup-scoring-html.aspx|access-date=2021-08-06|website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics|language=en}}</ref>
** Four of which must be baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball and women's volleyball
** The next highest 15 sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, will be used in the standings (except men's water polo){{Efn|Men's water polo is the only sport with an NCAA championship for which NACDA does not award any points.|name=water polo|group=water polo}}
** For FBS Football: the top 25 teams are awarded points based on their final rank in the [[USA Today Coaches Poll|Coaches Poll]]. 26th place is considered a tie between every non-ranked bowl winner, and the next available rank is considered a tie between every non-ranked bowl loser.
* '''NCAA Division II:''' Counts top 15 sports at each school with the following breakdowns:<ref name=":2" />
** Four of which must be baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball and women's volleyball
** The next highest 11 sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, will be used in the standings (except men's water polo){{Efn|name=water polo|group=water polo}}
* '''NCAA Division III:''' Counts top 18 sports at each school with the following breakdowns:<ref name=":2" />
** Four of which must be men's basketball, men's soccer, women's basketball and women's soccer
** The next highest 14 sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, will be used in the standings (except men's water polo){{Efn|name=water polo|group=water polo}}
* '''NAIA:''' Counts top 13 sports at each school with the following breakdowns:<ref name=":2" />
** Four of which must be men's basketball, men's soccer, women's basketball and women's volleyball
** The next highest 9 sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, will be used in the standings
* '''Junior/Community Colleges:''' The highest scoring institution in the [[NATYCAA Cup]] standings among the NJCAA Scholarship, NJCAA Non-Scholarship, and State Associations divisions will be declared the Directors' Cup winner.<ref name=":2" />
{{Notelist|group=water polo}}

=== Tiebreaking ===
If two teams have the same number of points at the end of the season, the tiebreaker is the number of national championships won. If still tied the next tiebreaker is the number of second-place finishes, then third-place finishes and so on until one team wins.<ref name=":2" /> The tiebreaker is only used for first place.

=== Criticism ===
The scoring structure has been criticized for several reasons, especially due to the number of sports counted per division. Although the number of sports counted in the scoring is based on the average number of sports sponsored by a team in that division, certain schools offer many more or many fewer sports than that. For example, Stanford's dominance at the Division I level is partially attributable to them sponsoring 36 sports teams (of which 31 are NCAA sports), the most in Division I outside of the [[Ivy League]], which does not grant athletic scholarships, and Ohio State, which sponsors 37 sports teams (of which 32 are NCAA sports). This gives Stanford more opportunities to win titles than most other schools, especially considering that some of the sports Stanford sponsors are not played by very many other schools (5 out of 31 have championship fields under 20 teams, and one [namely men's gymnastics] has fewer than 20 sponsoring schools), all but guaranteeing a substantial number of points for the few schools that do (NACDA awards significantly fewer points for teams that finish lower than fourth in sports with less competition, but the top four teams (except in 8-team and 4-team bracket sports) always receive 100, 90, 85, and 80 points respectively). Ohio State, which sponsors teams in more NCAA sports than Stanford (5 of which, like Stanford, have championship fields under 20 teams) has never won the Cup (Ohio State has finished second 3 times, third twice, fourth 3 times, and in the top ten 7 more times).

Another common criticism is the fact that four sports are required to be counted despite some schools not sponsoring those sports. While every Division I school sponsors men's basketball, and all but two (The Citadel and VMI) sponsor women's basketball, a significant number of D-I schools do not sponsor the other two "mandatory counters" of baseball and women's volleyball. In the 2023–24 school year, 21 schools did not sponsor women's volleyball and 53 did not sponsor baseball, giving those schools an inherent disadvantage as they must count a sport for which they are guaranteed to receive no points.

Other reasons for criticism are over the way NACDA awards points in "[[National Collegiate]]" sports, which are sports where Division I, II, and III schools all compete directly against each other instead of being separated. The NCAA considers National Collegiate championships equivalent to Division I, therefore Division III schools are allowed to grant athletic scholarships in those sports, but NACDA counts points earned in National Collegiate competitions toward whatever division a team primarily competes in. Similarly, several otherwise Division III schools compete in Division I for men's ice hockey (despite Division III having its own ice hockey tournament), so there have been instances where two different Division III teams earn 100 points in the sport.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Apr17D3LSDC (PDF) |url=https://nacda.com/documents/2018/7/19/Apr17D3LSDC.pdf?id=1956 |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics |language=en}}</ref>

Multiple suggestions have been made to change the scoring system. Some of the most popular of these include making each sport worth a proportional number of points to the number of schools that compete in it, to get rid of the limit on the number of sports counted, then divide a school's total points by the number of sports it sponsors, and to count the median number of teams per division instead of the average (the median number of teams at a Division I school, for example, is 16, which is substantially lower than the 19 sports that are currently counted). However, NACDA has never seriously considered any of these suggestions.

=== Past scoring system ===
From the creation of the award until the 2017–18 season the scoring was as follows:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Clarification - Learfield Directors' Cup Scoring Changes |url=http://www.nacda.com/sports/directorscup/spec-rel/050417aaf.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830073308/http://www.nacda.com/sports/directorscup/spec-rel/050417aaf.html |archive-date=2018-08-30}}</ref>

* '''NCAA Division I:''' Counted up to 20 total sports at each school, with a maximum of 10 sports counted for each gender
* '''NCAA Division II:''' Counted up to 14 total sports at each school, with a maximum of 7 sports counted for each gender
* '''NCAA Division III:''' Counted up to 18 total sports at each school, with a maximum of 9 sports counted for each gender
* '''NAIA:''' Counted up to 12 total sports at each school, with a maximum of 6 sports counted for each gender
* '''Junior/Community Colleges:''' Same as current

==Past winners==

* Results for years and schools shown in ''italics'' represent current standings and are not yet final.
* These results are for the "final" standings, calculated after spring sports end.

===NCAA Division I===

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
|-
! style="width:10%" | Year
! style="width:9%" | First
! style="width:9%" | Second
! style="width:9%" | Third
! style="width:9%" | Fourth
! style="width:9%" | Fifth
! style="width:9%" | Sixth
! style="width:9%" | Seventh
! style="width:9%" | Eighth
! style="width:9%" | Ninth
! style="width:9%" | Tenth
|-
! 1993–94<ref>{{Cite web|title=1993-94 D1 Final Standings|url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/9394D1Final.PDF|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906194707/http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/9394D1Final.PDF|archive-date=2011-09-06}}</ref>
| [[North Carolina Tar Heels|North Carolina]]
| [[Stanford Cardinal|Stanford]]
| [[UCLA Bruins|UCLA]]
| [[Florida Gators|Florida]]
| [[Penn State Nittany Lions|Penn State]]
| [[Arizona Wildcats|Arizona]]
| [[Texas Longhorns|Texas]]
| [[USC Trojans|USC]]
| [[Michigan Wolverines|Michigan]]
| [[Arizona State Sun Devils|Arizona State]]
|-
! 1994–95<ref>{{Cite web|title=1994-95 D1 Final Standings|url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/9495D1Final.PDF|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906194753/http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/9495D1Final.PDF|archive-date=2011-09-06}}</ref>
| Stanford
| North Carolina
| UCLA
| Arizona
| Florida
| USC
| Michigan
| Penn State
| [[Nebraska Cornhuskers|Nebraska]]
| Texas
|-
! 1995–96<ref>{{Cite web|title=1995-96 D1 Final Standings|url=http://grfx.cstv.com:80/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/9596final.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417213956/http://grfx.cstv.com:80/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/9596final.pdf|archive-date=2016-04-17}}</ref>
| Stanford
| UCLA
| Florida
| Texas
| Michigan
| North Carolina
| Arizona
| Nebraska
| Penn State
| USC
|-
! 1996–97<ref>{{Cite web|title=1996-97 D1 Final Standings|url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/9697D1Final.PDF|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906194734/http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/9697D1Final.PDF|archive-date=2011-09-06}}</ref>
| Stanford
| North Carolina
| UCLA
| Nebraska
| Florida
| Arizona
| Texas
| [[Ohio State Buckeyes|Ohio State]]
| USC
| [[LSU Tigers|LSU]]
|-
! 1997–98<ref>{{Cite web|title=1997-98 D1 Final Standings|url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/9798D1Final.PDF|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906194449/http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/9798D1Final.PDF|archive-date=2011-09-06}}</ref>
| Stanford
| colspan="2" | (tie) Florida, North Carolina
| UCLA
| Michigan
| Arizona
| [[Georgia Bulldogs|Georgia]]
| [[Washington Huskies|Washington]]
| Nebraska
| LSU
|-
! 1998–99<ref>{{Cite web|title=1998-99 D1 Final Standings|url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/9899D1Final.PDF|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717234950/http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/9899D1Final.PDF|archive-date=2013-07-17}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Georgia
| Penn State
| Florida
| UCLA
| Michigan
| [[Duke Blue Devils|Duke]]
| [[Virginia Cavaliers|Virginia]]
| colspan="2" | (tie) Arizona, USC
|-
! 1999–2000<ref>{{Cite web|title=1999-2000 D1 Final Standings|url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/9900D1Final.PDF|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717234954/http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/9900D1Final.PDF|archive-date=2013-07-17}}</ref>
| Stanford
| UCLA
| Michigan
| Penn State
| North Carolina
| Nebraska
| Florida
| Arizona
| Texas
| LSU
|-
! 2000–01<ref>{{Cite web|title=2000-01 D1 Final Standings|url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/0001D1FinalStn.PDF|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717234806/http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/0001D1FinalStn.PDF|archive-date=2013-07-17}}</ref>
| Stanford
| UCLA
| Georgia
| Michigan
| Arizona
| Ohio State
| Florida
| USC
| Arizona State
| Penn State
|-
! 2001–02<ref>{{Cite web|title=2001-02 D1 Final Standings|url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/0102Div1FinalStand.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006162011/http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/0102Div1FinalStand.pdf|archive-date=2008-10-06}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Texas
| Florida
| North Carolina
| UCLA
| Michigan
| [[Minnesota Golden Gophers|Minnesota]]
| Georgia
| Arizona
| LSU
|-
! 2002–03<ref>{{Cite web|title=2002-03 D1 Final Standings|url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/0203D1FinalStandings.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711015505/http://graphics.fansonly.com/confs/nacda/graphics/0203D1FinalStandings.pdf|archive-date=2009-07-11}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Texas
| Ohio State
| Michigan
| Penn State
| UCLA
| Florida
| North Carolina
| [[California Golden Bears|California]]
| Arizona State
|-
! 2003–04<ref>{{Cite web|title=2003-04 D1 Final Standings|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2018/8/3/7198__directorscup__D1FinalStand.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702183504/https://nacda.com/documents/2018/8/3/7198__directorscup__D1FinalStand.pdf|archive-date=2021-07-02}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Michigan
| UCLA
| Ohio State
| Georgia
| Florida
| North Carolina
| Washington
| California
| Texas
|-
! 2004–05<ref>{{Cite web|title=2004-05 D1 Final Standings|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2018/8/3/6608__directorscup__0405D1FinalStand.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702182532/https://nacda.com/documents/2018/8/3/6608__directorscup__0405D1FinalStand.pdf|archive-date=2021-07-02}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Texas
| UCLA
| Michigan
| Duke
| Florida
| Georgia
| [[Tennessee Volunteers|Tennessee]]
| North Carolina
| USC
|-
! 2005–06<ref>{{Cite web|title=2005-06 D1 Final Standings|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2018/8/3/5973__directorscup__0506D1FinalStand.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702181823/https://nacda.com/documents/2018/8/3/5973__directorscup__0506D1FinalStand.pdf|archive-date=2021-07-02}}</ref>
| Stanford
| UCLA
| Texas
| North Carolina
| Florida
| [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish|Notre Dame]]
| California
| Duke
| Georgia
| USC
|-
! 2006–07<ref>{{Cite web|title=2006-07 D1 Final Standings|url=http://www.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/finald1standings|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622004932/http://www.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/finald1standings|archive-date=2011-06-22}}</ref>
| Stanford
| UCLA
| North Carolina
| Michigan
| USC
| Florida
| Tennessee
| Texas
| California
| Arizona State
|-
! 2007–08<ref>{{Cite web|title=2007-08 D1 Final Standings|url=http://www.nacda.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/FinalD1|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718154213/http://www.nacda.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/FinalD1|archive-date=2011-07-18}}</ref>
| Stanford
| UCLA
| Michigan
| Arizona State
| Texas
| Florida
| California
| LSU
| Penn State
| Georgia
|-
! 2008–09<ref>{{Cite web|title=2008-09 D1 Final Standings|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/june29d1.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329222948/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/june29d1.pdf|archive-date=2015-03-29}}</ref>
| Stanford
| North Carolina
| Florida
| USC
| Michigan
| Texas
| California
| Virginia
| LSU
| Ohio State
|-
! 2009–10<ref>{{Cite web|title=2009-10 D1 Final Standings|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/d1final.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306080625/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/d1final.pdf|archive-date=2015-03-06}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Florida
| Virginia
| UCLA
| [[Florida State Seminoles|Florida State]]
| [[Texas A&M Aggies|Texas A&M]]
| North Carolina 
| Ohio State 
| California 
| Duke
|-
! 2010–11<ref>{{Cite web|title=2010-11 D1 Final Standings|url=http://thedirectorscup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/finald1standings10-11-2.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108233731/http://thedirectorscup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/finald1standings10-11-2.pdf|archive-date=2015-01-08}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Ohio State
| California
| Florida
| Duke
| North Carolina
| Virginia
| Texas A&M
| Florida State
| [[Oklahoma Sooners|Oklahoma]]
|-
! 2011–12<ref>{{Cite web|title=2011-12 D1 Final Standings|url=http://thedirectorscup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/finalD1-june28-2012.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010195537/http://thedirectorscup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/finalD1-june28-2012.pdf|archive-date=2015-10-10}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Florida
| UCLA
| Ohio State
| Florida State
| Texas
| USC
| North Carolina
| Texas A&M
| Michigan
|-
! 2012–13<ref>{{Cite web|title=2012-13 D1 Final Standings|url=http://thedirectorscup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/June27release.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326155612/http://thedirectorscup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/June27release.pdf|archive-date=2015-03-26}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Florida
| UCLA
| Michigan
| Texas A&M
| Penn State
| Oklahoma
| North Carolina
| Notre Dame
| Georgia
|-
! 2013–14<ref>{{Cite web|title=2013-14 D1 Final Standings|url=http://thedirectorscup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/june26stand.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419151916/http://thedirectorscup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/june26stand.pdf|archive-date=2015-04-19}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Florida
| Notre Dame
| Virginia
| Penn State
| Texas
| UCLA
| USC
| Duke
| Texas A&M
|-
! 2014–15<ref>{{Cite web|title=2014-15 D1 Final Standings|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/2014-15/misc_non_event/DIJune25.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208010228/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/2014-15/misc_non_event/DIJune25.pdf|archive-date=2015-12-08}}</ref>
| Stanford
| UCLA
| USC
| Florida
| North Carolina
| Virginia
| Ohio State
| Penn State
| Texas
| Notre Dame
|-
! 2015–16<ref>{{Cite web|title=2015-16 D1 Final Standings|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/2015-16/misc_non_event/DIJune14Standings.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126214536/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/2015-16/misc_non_event/DIJune14Standings.pdf|archive-date=2016-11-26}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Ohio State
| Michigan
| USC
| Florida
| UCLA
| North Carolina
| Virginia
| Texas
| Oregon
|-
! 2016–17<ref>{{Cite web|title=2016-17 D1 Final Standings|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2017/7/5/_nacda_directorscup_2016_17_misc_non_event__D1final2017.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702183315/https://nacda.com/documents/2018/7/19//D1final2017.pdf?id=1876|archive-date=2021-07-02}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Ohio State
| Florida
| USC
| North Carolina
| Michigan
| Texas
| Penn State
| Oregon
| [[Kentucky Wildcats|Kentucky]]
|-
! 2017–18<ref>{{Cite web|title=2017-18 D1 Final Standings|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/2017-18/misc_non_event/June29overallDI.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831203332/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/2017-18/misc_non_event/June29overallDI.pdf|archive-date=31 August 2018}}</ref>
| Stanford
| UCLA
| Florida
| USC
| Texas
| Michigan
| Ohio State
| Georgia
| Florida State
| Texas A&M
|-
! 2018–19<ref>{{Cite web|title=2018-19 D1 Final Standings|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2019/6/27/June28DIOverall.pdf?id=3678|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108021816/https://nacda.com/documents/2019/6/27//June28DIOverall.pdf?id=3678|archive-date=2020-11-08|access-date=2021-07-02|website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics|language=en}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Michigan 
| Florida
| Texas
| USC
| UCLA
| Florida State
| Virginia
| Duke
| North Carolina
|-
! 2019–20
| colspan="10" |''Not awarded because of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup Canceled for 2019-20 Season|url=https://nacda.com/news/2020/3/19/directorscup-learfield-img-college-directors-cup-canceled-for-2019-20-season.aspx|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712065233/https://nacda.com/news/2020/3/19/directorscup-learfield-img-college-directors-cup-canceled-for-2019-20-season.aspx|archive-date=2021-07-12}}</ref>{{Efn|At the time of the competition being canceled the top 10 was as follows: Stanford, Michigan, Washington, [[Wisconsin Badgers|Wisconsin]], [[BYU Cougars|BYU]], Virginia, Penn State, [[Louisville Cardinals|Louisville]], Notre Dame, North Carolina<ref>{{Cite web |title=Final Fall DI Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup Standings|url=https://nacda.com/news/2020/1/16/directorscup-final-fall-di-learfield-img-college-directors-cup-standings.aspx|access-date=2022-11-20 |website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics|language=en}}</ref>|group=2020 d1}}
|-
! 2020–21<ref>{{cite web|title=2020-21 D1 Final Standings|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2021/7/1//July2OverallDI.pdf?id=4339|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702171803/https://nacda.com/documents/2021/7/1//July2OverallDI.pdf?id=4339|archive-date=2 July 2021|access-date=2 July 2021}}</ref>
| Texas
| Stanford
| Michigan
| North Carolina
| Florida
| USC
| Alabama
| [[Arkansas Razorbacks|Arkansas]]
| Ohio State
| Georgia
|-
! 2021–22<ref>{{cite web|title=2021-22 D1 Final Standings|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2022/6/30/FinalDIstandings.pdf|access-date=4 September 2022}}</ref>
| Texas
| Stanford
| Michigan
| Ohio State
| Florida
| North Carolina
| Arkansas
| Notre Dame
| Kentucky
| Oklahoma
|-
! 2022–23<ref>{{cite web|title=FinalDIStandings (PDF)|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2023/6/27/Final22.23Standings.pdf|access-date=28 June 2023}}</ref>
| Stanford
| Texas
| Ohio State
| Virginia
| Florida
| Tennessee
| Georgia
| North Carolina
| LSU
| USC
|-
! 2023–24<ref>{{cite web|title=FinalDIStandings (PDF)|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2023/6/27/Final22.23Standings.pdf|access-date=28 June 2023}}</ref>
| Texas
| Stanford
| Tennessee
| Florida
| Virginia
| Texas A&M
| North Carolina
| Michigan
| Alabama
| UCLA
|-
! 2024–25<ref>{{cite web|title=FinalDIStandings |url=https://www.on3.com/news/learfield-directors-cup-final-2025-division-i-standings-revealed/|access-date=28 June 2025}}</ref>
| Texas
| USC
| Stanford
| North Carolina
| UCLA
| Tennessee
| Florida
| Ohio State
| Oklahoma
| Duke
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! University 
!Cup wins!! Top Ten Rankings
|-
| Stanford    
|26||   31
|-
| Texas
|4|| 26
|-
| North Carolina
|1|| 25
|-
| Florida 
| || 31
|-
| UCLA
| || 24
|-
| Michigan
| || 23
|-
| USC 
| || 20
|-
| Ohio State
| || 15
|-
| Penn State
| || 12
|-
| Georgia
| || 12
|-
| Virginia 
| || 10
|-
|California
| || 8
|-
|Arizona 
| || 8
|}
Stanford and Florida are the only schools to finish within the top 10 every season. Stanford has never finished below third.

{{Notelist|group=2020 d1}}

===NCAA Division II===

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
|-
! style="width:15%" | Year
! style="width:17%" | First
! style="width:17%" | Second
! style="width:17%" | Third
! style="width:17%" | Fourth
! style="width:17%" | Fifth
|-
! 1995–96
| [[UC Davis Aggies|UC Davis]]
| [[Abilene Christian Wildcats|Abilene Christian]]
| [[North Dakota State Bison|North Dakota State]]
| [[South Dakota State Jackrabbits|South Dakota State]]
| [[Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners|Cal State Bakersfield]]
|-
! 1996–97
| UC Davis
| Abilene Christian
| Cal State Bakersfield
| [[Central Oklahoma Bronchos|Central Oklahoma]]
| [[Indianapolis Greyhounds|Indianapolis]]
|-
! 1997–98
| Cal State Bakersfield
| UC Davis
| Abilene Christian
| [[Barry Buccaneers|Barry]]
| [[Florida Southern Moccasins|Florida Southern]]
|-
! 1998–99
| [[Adams State Grizzlies|Adams State]]
| colspan="2" | (tie) UC Davis; Abilene Christian
| colspan="2" | (tie) Florida Southern; North Dakota State
|-
! 1999–2000
| UC Davis
| North Dakota State
| [[North Dakota Fighting Hawks|North Dakota]]
| Florida Southern
| [[Western Colorado Mountaineers|Western Colorado]]
|-
! 2000–01
| UC Davis
| North Dakota
| Cal State Bakersfield
| [[UC San Diego Tritons|UC San Diego]]
| Western Colorado
|-
! 2001–02
| UC Davis
| [[Grand Valley State Lakers|Grand Valley State]]
| UC San Diego
| [[Truman Bulldogs|Truman State]]
| Western Colorado
|-
! 2002–03
| UC Davis
| Grand Valley State
| [[North Florida Ospreys|North Florida]]
| Cal State Bakersfield
| South Dakota State
|-
! 2003–04
| Grand Valley State
| UC San Diego
| Truman State
| North Dakota
| [[Chico State Wildcats|Chico State]]
|-
! 2004–05
| Grand Valley State
| [[Omaha Mavericks|Nebraska–Omaha]]
| Chico State
| North Dakota
| Cal State Bakersfield
|-
! 2005–06
| Grand Valley State
| Abilene Christian
| Nebraska–Omaha
| [[SIU Edwardsville Cougars|Southern Illinois Edwardsville]]
| Cal State Bakersfield
|-
! 2006–07
| Grand Valley State
| UC San Diego
| Abilene Christian
| [[Minnesota State Mavericks|Minnesota State Mankato]]
| North Dakota
|-
! 2007–08
| Grand Valley State
| Abilene Christian
| Minnesota State Mankato
| UC San Diego
| [[Tampa Spartans|Tampa]]
|-
! 2008–09
| Grand Valley State
| Minnesota State Mankato
| [[Central Missouri Mules and Jennies|Central Missouri]]
| Abilene Christian
| Indianapolis 
|-
! 2009–10
| Grand Valley State
| [[California Vulcans|California (PA)]]
| Central Missouri
| Minnesota State Mankato
| [[St. Cloud State Huskies|St. Cloud State]]
|-
! 2010–11
| Grand Valley State
| Central Missouri
| [[Augustana (South Dakota) Vikings|Augustana (SD)]]
| Abilene Christian
| UC San Diego
|-
! 2011–12
| [[Grand Canyon Antelopes|Grand Canyon]]
| Grand Valley State
| [[Ashland Eagles|Ashland]]
| Augustana (SD)
| Indianapolis
|-
! 2012–13
| Grand Canyon
| Grand Valley State
| Ashland
| Minnesota State Mankato
| Adams State
|-
! 2013–14
| Grand Valley State
| [[West Texas A&M Buffaloes|West Texas A&M]]
| Central Missouri
| Indianapolis
| Ashland
|-
! 2014–15
| Grand Valley State
| Ashland
| Central Missouri
| [[Lewis Flyers|Lewis (IL)]]
| Minnesota State
|-
! 2015–16
| Grand Valley State
| [[Saint Leo Lions|Saint Leo (FL)]]
| UC San Diego
| [[California Baptist Lancers|California Baptist]]
| Minnesota State
|-
! 2016–17
| Grand Valley State
| California Baptist
| [[West Florida Argonauts|West Florida]]
| UC San Diego
| [[Queens Royals|Queens (NC)]]
|-
! 2017–18
| California Baptist
| Grand Valley State
| West Texas A&M
| Saint Leo (FL) 
| Florida Southern
|-
! 2018–19
| Grand Valley State
| UC San Diego
| West Texas A&M
| Queens (NC)
| Indianapolis
|-
!2019–20
| colspan="5" rowspan="2" |''Not awarded because of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]<ref name=":0" />''<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=2020-21 Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup Update|url=https://nacda.com/news/2021/5/24/nacda-2020-21-learfield-img-college-directors-cup-update.aspx|access-date=2021-11-16|website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics|language=en}}</ref>{{Efn|At the time of the 2020 competition being canceled the top 5 was as follows: [[Colorado Mines Orediggers|Colorado Mines]], [[Western Washington Vikings|Western Washington]], Grand Valley State, [[Wingate Bulldogs|Wingate]], [[West Chester Golden Rams|West Chester (PA)]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=December 2019 NCAA Division II Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup Standings|url=https://nacda.com/news/2019/12/19/directorscup-ncaa-division-ii-learfield-img-college-directors-cup-standings.aspx|access-date=2022-11-20 |website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics |language=en}}</ref>|group=2020 d2}}
|-
!2020–21
|-
!2021–22
|Grand Valley State
|West Texas A&M
|Indianapolis
|Queens (NC)
|[[Azusa Pacific Cougars|Azusa Pacific]]
|-
!2022–23<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2023-06-13 |title=Stanford, Grand Valley, Johns Hopkins and Indiana Tech Secure LEARFIELD Directors' Cups |url=https://nacda.com/news/2023/6/13/directorscup-stanford-grand-valley-johns-hopkins-and-indiana-tech-secure-learfield-directors-cups.aspx |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics |language=en}}</ref>
|Grand Valley State
|West Texas A&M
|[[Colorado Mines Orediggers|Colorado Mines]]
|Indianapolis
|[[Wingate Bulldogs|Wingate]]
|-
! 2023–24<ref name=202324Winners>{{cite press release |url=https://nacda.com/news/2024/6/11/directorscup-texas-grand-valley-johns-hopkins-and-cumberlands-secure-learfield-directors-cups.aspx |title=Texas, Grand Valley, Johns Hopkins and Cumberlands Secure Learfield Directors' Cups |publisher=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics |date=June 11, 2024 |access-date=June 27, 2024}}</ref>
| Grand Valley State
| Indianapolis
| West Texas A&M
| Wingate
| Tampa
|}
{{Notelist|group=2020 d2}}Schools in ''italics'' no longer compete in Division II.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!University
!Cup wins
|-
| Grand Valley State
| 16
|-
| ''UC Davis''
| 6
|-
| ''Grand Canyon''
| 2
|-
| Adams State
| 1
|-
| ''Cal State Bakersfield''
| 1
|-
| ''California Baptist''
| 1
|}

===NCAA Division III===

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
|-
! style="width:15%" | Year
! style="width:17%" | First
! style="width:17%" | Second
! style="width:17%" | Third
! style="width:17%" | Fourth
! style="width:17%" | Fifth
|-
! 1995–96
| [[Williams Ephs|Williams]]
| [[UC San Diego Tritons|UC San Diego]]
| [[Wisconsin–Oshkosh Titans|Wisconsin–Oshkosh]]
| [[TCNJ Lions|College of New Jersey]]
| [[Rowan University#Athletics|Rowan]]
|-
! 1996–97
| Williams
| College of New Jersey
| UC San Diego
| [[Emory Eagles|Emory]]
| Wisconsin–Oshkosh
|-
! 1997–98
| UC San Diego
| colspan="2" | (tie) College of New Jersey; [[Cortland Red Dragons|Cortland State]]
| colspan="2" | (tie) Williams; [[Middlebury Panthers|Middlebury]]
|-
! 1998–99
| Williams
| [[Middlebury Panthers|Middlebury]]
| College of New Jersey
| [[Amherst Mammoths|Amherst]]
| Rowan
|-
! 1999–2000
| Williams
| UC San Diego
| College of New Jersey
| [[St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies|St. Thomas (MN)]]
| Middlebury
|-
! 2000–01
| Williams
| Middlebury
| College of New Jersey
| Emory
| [[Ithaca Bombers|Ithaca]]
|-
! 2001–02
| Williams
| Ithaca
| College of New Jersey
| Middlebury
| Emory
|-
! 2002–03
| Williams
| Emory
| College of New Jersey
| [[Trinity Tigers|Trinity (TX)]]
| [[Washington University Bears|Washington (MO)]]
|-
! 2003–04
| Williams
| Emory
| Middlebury
| College of New Jersey
| [[Wisconsin–Stevens Point Pointers|Wisconsin–Stevens Point]]
|-
! 2004–05
| Williams
| Middlebury
| Washington (MO)
| Trinity (TX)
| Wisconsin–Stevens Point
|-
! 2005–06
| Williams
| College of New Jersey
| Middlebury
| Emory
| Cortland State
|-
! 2006–07
| Williams
| Middlebury
| Cortland State
| Amherst
| Washington (MO)
|-
! 2007–08
| Williams
| Washington (MO)
| College of New Jersey
| Amherst
| Middlebury
|-
! 2008–09
| Williams
| Middlebury
| Amherst
| Washington (MO)
| Cortland State
|-
! 2009–10
| Williams
| Amherst
| Washington (MO)
| Middlebury
| [[Illinois Wesleyan Titans|Illinois Wesleyan]]
|-
! 2010–11
| Williams
| Middlebury
| Washington (MO)
| Amherst
| [[Calvin Knights|Calvin]]
|-
! 2011–12
| Middlebury
| Washington (MO)
| Williams
| Amherst
| [[Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks|Wisconsin–Whitewater]]
|-
! 2012–13
| Williams
| Emory
| Middlebury
| Wisconsin–Whitewater
| Washington (MO)
|-
! 2013–14
| Williams
| Wisconsin–Whitewater
| [[Johns Hopkins Blue Jays|Johns Hopkins]]
| Washington (MO)
| Amherst
|-
! 2014–15
| Williams
| Johns Hopkins
| [[MIT Engineers|MIT]]
| Washington (MO)
| Amherst
|-
! 2015–16
| Williams
| Washington (MO)
| Emory
| [[Tufts Jumbos|Tufts]]
| Middlebury
|-
! 2016–17
| Williams
| Washington (MO)
| Tufts
| [[Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags and Athenas|Claremont-Mudd-Scripps]]
| Johns Hopkins
|-
! 2017–18
| Williams
| MIT
| Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
| Emory
| Middlebury
|-
! 2018–19
| Williams
| Johns Hopkins
| Washington (MO)
| Middlebury
| Emory
|-
!2019–20
| colspan="5" rowspan="2" |''Not awarded because of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]]<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" />''{{Efn|At the time of the 2020 competition being canceled the top 5 was as follows: Johns Hopkins, Tufts, [[Chicago Maroons|Chicago]], Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Middlebury<ref>{{Cite web |title= December 2019 NCAA Division III Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup Standings|url=https://nacda.com/news/2019/12/12/directorscup-ncaa-division-iii-learfield-img-college-directors-cup-standings.aspx|access-date=2022-11-20 |website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics |language=en}}</ref>|group=2020 d3}}
|-
!2020–21
|-
!2021–22
|Tufts
|Johns Hopkins
|Middlebury
|MIT
|Washington (MO)
|-
!2022–23<ref name=":3" />
|Johns Hopkins
|Tufts
|Williams
|MIT
|Emory
|-
! 2023–24<ref name=202324Winners/>
| Johns Hopkins
| Williams
| Emory
| Tufts
| [[NYU Violets|NYU]]
|}
{{Notelist|group=2020 d3}}Schools in ''italics'' no longer compete in Division III.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!University
!Cup wins
|-
| Williams
| 22
|-
| Johns Hopkins
| 2
|-
| ''UC San Diego''
| 1
|-
| Middlebury
| 1
|-
| Tufts
| 1
|}

===NAIA===

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
|-
! style="width:15%" | Year
! style="width:17%" | First
! style="width:17%" | Second
! style="width:17%" | Third
! style="width:17%" | Fourth
! style="width:17%" | Fifth
|-
! 1995–96
| [[Pacific Lutheran Lutes|Pacific Lutheran]]
| [[Simon Fraser Red Leafs|Simon Fraser]]
| [[Mobile Rams|Mobile]]
| [[Berry Vikings|Berry]]
| [[Azusa Pacific Cougars|Azusa Pacific]]
|-
! 1996–97
| Simon Fraser
| Pacific Lutheran
| Azusa Pacific
| Mobile
| [[Willamette Bearcats|Willamette]]
|-
! 1997–98
| Simon Fraser
| Mobile
| [[Findlay Oilers|Findlay]]
| [[Oklahoma City Stars|Oklahoma City]]
| [[Puget Sound Loggers|Puget Sound]]
|-
! 1998–99
| Simon Fraser
| Azusa Pacific
| [[Life Running Eagles|Life]]
| colspan="2" | (tie) Oklahoma City; [[Lindenwood Lions|Lindenwood]]
|-
! 1999–2000
| Simon Fraser
| Lindenwood
| Azusa Pacific
| [[Mary Marauders|Mary]]
| Oklahoma City
|-
! 2000–01
| Simon Fraser
| Oklahoma City
| Azusa Pacific
| Lindenwood
| [[University of the Cumberlands#Athletics|Cumberlands (KY)]]
|-
! 2001–02
| Oklahoma City
| Lindenwood
| Simon Fraser
| Azusa Pacific
| [[Malone Pioneers|Malone]]
|-
! 2002–03
| Lindenwood
| Simon Fraser
| Azusa Pacific
| Mary
| Oklahoma City
|-
! 2003–04
| Simon Fraser
| Azusa Pacific
| Lindenwood
| Oklahoma City
| (tie) Mary; [[Dickinson State Blue Hawks|Dickinson State]]
|-
! 2004–05
| Azusa Pacific
| Lindenwood
| Simon Fraser
| [[Point Loma Sea Lions|Point Loma Nazarene]]
| Mary
|-
! 2005–06
| Azusa Pacific
| Lindenwood
| [[Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders|Lindsey Wilson]]
| [[Oklahoma Baptist Bison|Oklahoma Baptist]]
| Simon Fraser
|-
! 2006–07
| Azusa Pacific
| Lindenwood
| [[Concordia Eagles|Concordia (CA)]]
| [[Cedarville Yellow Jackets|Cedarville]]
| Oklahoma Baptist
|-
! 2007–08
| Azusa Pacific
| Simon Fraser
| [[Embry–Riddle Eagles|Embry–Riddle]]
| [[Fresno Pacific Sunbirds|Fresno Pacific]]
| Concordia (CA)
|-
! 2008–09
| Azusa Pacific
| Concordia (CA)
| Lindenwood
| Fresno Pacific
| [[California Baptist Lancers|California Baptist]]
|-
! 2009–10
| Azusa Pacific
| Simon Fraser
| Fresno Pacific
| Concordia (CA)
| Lindenwood
|-
! 2010–11
| Azusa Pacific
| Embry–Riddle
| [[Shorter Hawks|Shorter]]
| Fresno Pacific
| Lindenwood
|-
! 2011–12
| Azusa Pacific
| Shorter
| Embry–Riddle
| Oklahoma Baptist
| Lindsey Wilson
|-
! 2012–13
| Oklahoma Baptist
| Lindsey Wilson
| Concordia (CA)
| Embry–Riddle (FL)
| [[Olivet Nazarene Tigers|Olivet Nazarene]]
|-
! 2013–14
| [[Grand View Vikings|Grand View]]
| Oklahoma City
| Lindsey Wilson
| Embry–Riddle
| Olivet Nazarene
|-
! 2014–15
| Oklahoma Baptist
| Lindsey Wilson
| Oklahoma City
| [[Wayland Baptist Pioneers|Wayland Baptist]]
| Embry–Riddle
|-
! 2015–16
| Lindsey Wilson
| Oklahoma Baptist
| Wayland Baptist
| Olivet Nazarene
| [[Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats|Indiana Wesleyan]]
|-
! 2016–17
| Oklahoma City
| Lindsey Wilson
| [[Keiser Seahawks|Keiser]]
| Wayland Baptist
| [[William Carey Crusaders|William Carey]]
|-
! 2017–18
| Oklahoma City
| Lindsey Wilson
| Wayland Baptist
| Keiser
| Indiana Wesleyan
|-
! 2018–19
| Oklahoma City
| William Carey
| Lindsey Wilson
| Keiser
| Indiana Wesleyan
|-
!2019–20
| colspan="5" |''Not awarded because of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]]''<ref name=":0" />{{Efn|At the time of the competition being canceled the top 5 was as follows: Lindsey Wilson, Indiana Wesleyan, [[Eastern Oregon University#Athletics|Eastern Oregon]], Grand View, Cumberlands (KY)<ref>{{Cite web |title=March 2020 NAIA Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup Standings|url=https://nacda.com/news/2020/3/12/directorscup-naia-learfield-img-college-directors-cup-standings.aspx|access-date=2022-11-20 |website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics |language=en}}</ref>|group=2020 naia}}
|-
!2020–21
|Keiser
|[[Indiana Tech Warriors|Indiana Tech]]
| Indiana Wesleyan
|Oklahoma City
|[[Marian Knights|Marian (IN)]]
|-
!2021–22
|Indiana Wesleyan
|Keiser
|Grand View
|Indiana Tech
|[[Southeastern Fire|Southeastern (FL)]]
|-
!2022–23<ref name=":3" />
|Indiana Tech
|Marian (IN)
|Keiser
|Indiana Wesleyan
|Southeastern (FL)
|-
! 2023–24<ref name=202324Winners/>
| Cumberlands
| Indiana Wesleyan
| Keiser
| Marian
| William Carey
|}
{{notelist|group=2020 naia}}

Schools in ''italics'' no longer compete in the NAIA.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!University
!Cup wins
|-
| ''Azusa Pacific''
| 8
|-
| ''Simon Fraser''
| 6
|-
| Oklahoma City
| 4
|-
| ''Oklahoma Baptist''
| 2
|-
| Cumberlands
| 1
|-
| Grand View
| 1
|-
| Indiana Tech
| 1
|-
| Indiana Wesleyan
| 1
|-
| Keiser
| 1
|-
| ''Lindenwood''
| 1
|-
| Lindsey Wilson
| 1
|-
| ''Pacific Lutheran''
| 1
|}

=== Two-year colleges ===
{{See also|NATYCAA Cup}}
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
! style="width:15%" |Year
! style="width:17%" |First
! style="width:17%" |Second
! style="width:17%" |Third
! style="width:17%" |Fourth
! style="width:17%" |Fifth
|-
!2011–12<ref>{{Cite web|title=2011-12 Two year college Final Standings|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2018/7/19//natycaalearfield.pdf?id=2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702191335/https://nacda.com/documents/2018/7/19//natycaalearfield.pdf?id=2009|archive-date=2021-07-02}}</ref>
|[[Fresno City College|Fresno (CA)]]
|[[Mt. San Antonio College|Mt. San Antonio (CA)]]
|[[Orange Coast College|Orange Coast (CA)]]
|[[Iowa Central Community College|Iowa Central]]
|[[Santa Rosa Junior College|Santa Rosa (CA)]]
|-
!2012–13<ref>{{Cite web|title=2012-13 Two year college Final Standings|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2018/7/19//LearfieldDC2year13.pdf?id=2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702183249/https://nacda.com/documents/2018/7/19//LearfieldDC2year13.pdf?id=2010|archive-date=2021-07-02}}</ref>
|[[Gloucester County College|Gloucester (NJ)]]{{Efn|Now known as Rowan College|name=Gloucester|group=Gloucester}}
|Iowa Central
|Mt. San Antonio (CA)
|[[Monroe Community College|Monroe (NY)]]
|[[Suffolk County Community College|Suffolk (NY)]]
|-
!2013–14<ref>{{Cite web|title=2013-14 Two year college Final Standings|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/natycaa/auto_pdf/2013-14/misc_non_event/natycaadcstand14.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314205920/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/natycaa/auto_pdf/2013-14/misc_non_event/natycaadcstand14.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-14}}</ref>
|[[Iowa Western Community College|Iowa Western]]
|Mt. San Antonio (CA)
|[[Herkimer County Community College|Herkimer (NY)]]
|Iowa Central
|Orange Coast (CA)
|-
!2014–15<ref>{{Cite web|title=2014-15 Two year college Final Standings|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/2014-15/misc_non_event/natycaadc2015.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314204539/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/2014-15/misc_non_event/natycaadc2015.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-14}}</ref>
|Mt. San Antonio (CA)
|Iowa Central
|Herkimer (NY)
|[[Nassau Community College|Nassau (NY)]]
|Iowa Western
|-
!2015–16<ref>{{Cite web |title=NATYCAALDC16Top25 (PDF) |url=https://nacda.com/documents/2016/6/28/_nacda_natycaa_2015_16_misc_non_event__NATYCAALDC16Top25.pdf |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics |language=en}}</ref>
|Iowa Central
|Suffolk (NY)
|[[Rowan College of South Jersey|Rowan (NJ)]]{{Efn|Previously Gloucester County College|name=Rowan|group=Gloucester}}
|[[Community Colleges of Spokane|Spokane (WA)]]
|Mt. San Antonio (CA)
|-
!2016–17<ref>{{Cite web |title=1617NATYCAALDCFinal (PDF) |url=https://nacda.com/documents/2017/7/11/_nacda_natycaa_2017_18_misc_non_event__1617NATYCAALDCFinal.pdf |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics |language=en}}</ref>
|Iowa Central
|Spokane (WA)
|Mt. San Antonio (CA)
|[[Tyler Junior College|Tyler (TX)]]
|[[Riverside City College|Riverside (CA)]]
|-
!2017–18<ref>{{Cite web|title=2017-18 Two year college Final Standings|url=https://nacda.com/documents/2018/6/19/_nacda_natycaa_2017_18_misc_non_event__DIRECTORS-CUP1718_TwoYears.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702183337/https://nacda.com/documents/2018/6/19/_nacda_natycaa_2017_18_misc_non_event__DIRECTORS-CUP1718_TwoYears.pdf|archive-date=2021-07-02}}</ref>
|Iowa Central
|Rowan (NJ){{Efn|Previously Gloucester County College|name=Rowan|group=Gloucester}}
|Mt. San Antonio (CA)
|Tyler (TX)
|Herkimer (NY)
|-
!2018–19<ref>{{Cite web|title=2018-19 Two year college Final Standings|url=https://nacda.com/images/2019/6/27/NATYCAALearfield1819.jpeg|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702214403/https://nacda.com/images/2019/6/27/NATYCAALearfield1819.jpeg|archive-date=2021-07-02}}</ref>
|Iowa Central
|Suffolk (NY)
|[[Barton Community College|Barton (KS)]]
|Mt. San Antonio (CA)
|Spokane (WA)
|-
!2019–20
| colspan="5" |''Not awarded because of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]<ref name=":0" />''
|-
!2020–21<ref>{{Cite web|title=Iowa Central CC captures the 2020-21 Two-Year College LEARFIELD Directors' Cup|url=https://nacda.com/news/2021/8/11/natycaa-iowa-central-cc-captures-the-2020-21-two-year-college-learfield-directors-cup.aspx|access-date=2021-11-16|website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics|language=en}}</ref>
|Iowa Central
|Iowa Western
|Barton (KS)
|Tyler (TX)
|[[Cowley College Tigers|Cowley (KS)]]
|-
!2021–22<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 2022 Learfield Directors' Cup Two Year Colleges Final Results Top 30 (PDF) |url=https://nacda.com/documents/2022/7/13/2021-2022_LEARFIELD_DIRECTORS__CUP-TWO_YEAR_COLLEGES-FINAL_RESULTS-TOP_30.pdf |access-date=2022-11-13 |website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113223313/https://nacda.com/documents/2022/7/13/2021-2022_LEARFIELD_DIRECTORS__CUP-TWO_YEAR_COLLEGES-FINAL_RESULTS-TOP_30.pdf |archive-date=2022-11-13 }}</ref>
|Iowa Western
|Mt. San Antonio (CA)
|Iowa Central
|Barton (KS)
|Rowan (NJ){{Efn|Previously Gloucester County College|name=Rowan|group=Gloucester}}
|-
!2022–23<ref>{{cite web |title=2022 2023 LEARFIELD CUP FINAL STANDINGS REVISED 7 1 23 (PDF) |url=https://nacda.com/documents/2023/7/28/2022-2023_LEARFIELD_CUP_FINAL_STANDINGS-REVISED_7-1-23.pdf |website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics |access-date=16 May 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
|[[College of DuPage|DuPage (IL)]]
|Rowan (NJ){{Efn|Previously Gloucester County College|name=Rowan|group=Gloucester}}
|Mt. San Antonio (CA)
|Iowa Western
|Iowa Central
|-
!2023–24<ref>{{cite web |title=LEARFIELD CUP FINAL STANDINGS 2024 TOP 30 6 10 24 (PDF) |url=https://nacda.com/documents/2024/7/9/LEARFIELD_CUP_FINAL_STANDINGS__2024_TOP_30_6-10-24.pdf |website=National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics |access-date=16 May 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
|Rowan (NJ){{Efn|Previously Gloucester County College|name=Rowan|group=Gloucester}}
|Iowa Western
|Mt. San Antonio (CA)
|Barton (KS)
|[[New Mexico Junior College|New Mexico JC]]
|}
{{Notelist|group=Gloucester}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!College
!Cup wins
|-
|Iowa Central
|5
|-
|Iowa Western
|2
|-
|Gloucester/Rowan (NJ)
|2
|-
|Fresno (CA)
|1
|-
|Mt. San Antonio (CA)
|1
|-
|DuPage (IL)
|1
|}

==See also==
* [[List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships]]
* [[List of sport awards]]
* [[Capital One Cup]]
*[[NATYCAA Cup]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|https://thedirectorscup.com/}}
* [https://thedirectorscup.com/current-standings1/ Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup Current Standings]
* [https://nacda.com/ National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics]
* "[https://web.archive.org/web/20230416145439/https://nacda.com/sports/2018/7/17/directorscup-nacda-directorscup-previous-scoring-html.aspx LEARFIELD Directors' Cup Previous Scoring]" at National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics

[[Category:College sports trophies and awards in the United States]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1993]]