Cleveland, OH – Messiah College finished No. 34 in the annual Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings, their 13th-straight season finishing in the top-34 among NCAA Division III. The Falcons scored points in six of a possible 18 sport categories, with both men's and women's soccer collecting a perfect score of 100 to lead the way.
The Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA today, with points being awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 18 sports—nine women's and nine men's. Learfield Sports, a Dallas-based sports marketing organizations, is in its fourth year as the program's sponsor.
The Falcons' 200 total points for their soccer national championships contributed to 253 points earned during the fall season, with field hockey accounting for the additional 53 points.
In the winter, Messiah scored 175 points with women's basketball (64), men's track & field (49.5), and wrestling (61.5) all contributing towards the total. Messiah did not earn any points in the spring season, ending their bid to finish in the top-27 for the ninth-straight season.
Though dropping from last year's placement of No. 27, Messiah still finished ahead of all other institutions located within Pennsylvania. The Falcons also finished way ahead of their nearest Middle Atlantic Conference opponent, with Elizabethtown College landing at No. 66.
Williams College (Williams, Mass.) finished with 1,273.75 points to land in first place among the 328 ranked teams. They scored in all 18 sport categories to earn the title for the 16th time in the 18-year history of the award.
Complete standings and scoring structure can be found
here on NACDA's website.
Messiah All-Time Final Directors' Cup Rankings
2012-2013 — 34th (428 points)
2011-2012 — 27th (466 points)
2010-2011 — 23rd (541.5)
2009-2010 — 19th (580.75)
2008-2009 — 14th (696.75)
2007-2008 — 11th (615.25)
2006-2007 — 23rd (466.50)
2005-2006 — 15th (474.25)
2004-2005 — 20th (380)
2003-2004 — 34th (313)
2002-2003 — 16th (478.5)
2001-2002 — 26th (348)
2000-2001 — 26th (352.5)
1999-2000 — 54th (223.5)
1998-1999 — 59th (110)
1997-1998 — 45th (140)
1996-1997 — 134th (78)
1995-1996 — 40th (172.5)
Points are calculated on a sport-specific basis by considering byes, wins, and overall finishes in NCAA postseason competition.
