UK Athletics finishes program best 9th in the Learfield Director's Cup standings

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky athletic program is celebrating its best-ever finish in the Learfield Director's Cup standings at number nine. The previous best was 10th during the 2016-'17 season.

The Wildcats were paced by a national championship in rifle, an NCAA runner-up slot by men’s tennis, and third-place national finishes by women’s indoor and outdoor track and field. The Directors’ Cup measures competitive success for 358 Division I schools. For each NCAA-sanctioned sport, points are awarded based on NCAA championship participation. This year, 18 of UK’s 22 eligible teams reached postseason play and scored points toward UK’s final Director's Cup mark.

“We’re grateful to our teams, athletes, coaches and staff for the achievements which have led to this unprecedented ranking. I also want to thank the Big Blue Nation, whose support is the foundation of our program,” Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said.

“The Directors’ Cup is a measure of success in the arenas and fields of competition. At the same time, our young people have maintained success in the classroom – school records this year for graduation rates and total number of graduates from athletics, along with extending our streak of 20 consecutive semesters with a department-wide 3.0 GPA.

“We will celebrate those successes, yet we will never be satisfied. Undoubtedly, there remains room for growth as we continue our quest of being among the elite athletics departments in the nation.”

Here were the finishes for each program:

• Rifle – first, 100 points
• Men’s tennis – second, 90 points
• Women’s indoor track and field – third, 85 points
• Men’s indoor track and field – third, 85 points
• Gymnastics – ninth, 66.75 points
• Men’s soccer – ninth, 64 points
• Women’s swimming and diving – 12^th, 64.5 points
• Football – 15^th, 60 points
• Volleyball – 17^th, 50 points
• Softball – 17^th, 50 points
• Men’s indoor track and field – 21^st, 52 points
• Men’s swimming and diving – 31^st, 43 points
• Women’s cross country – 32^nd, 27 points
• Men’s Basketball – 33^rd, 25 points
• Women’s Basketball – 33^rd, 25 points
• Men’s outdoor track and field – 36^th, 37 points
• Women’s golf – 37^th, 33.5 points
• Men’s golf – 49^th, 22 points

This is how UK has done in all standings:
1993-94:             37^th place

1994-95: 46^th place

1995-96:             32^nd place

1996-97:             26^th place

1998-99: 49^th place

1999-2000: 70^th place

2000-01: 37^th place

2001-02: 36^th place

2002-03: 50^th place

2003-04: 45^th place

2004-05: 35^th place

2005-06: 33^rd place

2006-07: 45^th place

2007-08: 36^th place

2008-09: 34^th place

2009-10: 29^th place

2010-11: 36^th place

2011-12: 29^th place

2012-13:             25^th place

2013-14:             11^th place

2014-15: 22^nd place

2015-16: 26^th place

2016-17:             10^th place

2017-18: 17^th place

2018-19: 14^th place

2019-20: no standings because of pandemic

2020-21: 12^th place

2021-22:             9^th place