The University of Louisville athletics department is ranked No. 21 in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Division I final fall standings, it was announced on Thursday.
Louisville is one of seven schools in the top 25, tied with the Pac-12 for the most in the nation.
The men’s soccer team earned a school-leading 73 points after reaching the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. The team finished the year at 14-6-2 overall, including a 5-2-1 mark in league play. Mohamed Thiaw capped the year with a team-leading 12 goals, helping propel the Cardinals to No. 6 in the final rankings.
Louisville’s football team, behind Heisman winner Lamar Jackson and under the direction of head coach Bobby Petrino tallied 54 points. The Cardinals fell in the Citrus Bowl, reaching postseason play for the seventh-consecutive season.
Women’s cross country, in its first appearance on the national stage, picked up 43 points behind its 31st-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Women’s field hockey collected 25 points, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the third-consecutive season.
The first Division I winter standings will be released Thursday, March 23.
The Learfield 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. The Directors’ Cup Committee is reviewing the scoring structure for 2016-17 which will be finalized prior to the winter sports standings.
Ira Green
Asst. Sports Information Director