Latest news with #LearfieldDirectors'Cup
USA Today
7 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Ohio State men's athletic program take home the 2024-25 Capital One Cup
For the first time since the award was established for the 2010-2011 athletics season, the Ohio State men's athletics programs have won the Capital One Cup, handed out annually to the best men's and women's Division I athletic programs. Ohio State won with a total score of 113.5 points, well ahead of second-place Penn State, which captured 82 points. Ohio State took home the title because of several top-ten finishes this past year, led by the first-place finish of the College Football Playoff-winning football team. Other top ten finishes include soccer (3rd), wrestling (5th), fencing (6th), tennis (6th), gymnastics (7th), and lacrosse (9th). 'I want to thank Capital One for its stewardship of this important program that ultimately honors student-athletes, coaches and the support staffs who take great pride in what they do,' Ross Bjork, Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director, said in a statement. 'We had a highly successful and memorable year on the field in 2024-25, a testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence that our student-athletes display. 'I continue to be inspired on a daily basis by the people who uphold and enhance Ohio State's long-standing tradition of excellence in everything that we do.' Finishing behind Ohio State and Penn State, and rounding out the top ten for the 2024-25 year include Florida (81 points), Texas (66), Cornell (64), Vermont (63), Notre Dame (62), LSU (60), North Dakota State (60), and Arkansas (58). 'We are happy to celebrate the Ohio State University men's athletics program for a fantastic year of competition, defined by dedication and resiliency," said Stephanie Mosley, Senior Director of Brand Sponsorships and Experiential Marketing at Capital One said in a statement. "We are proud to continue our Capital One Cup program, which has awarded over $5 million in student athlete scholarship fund donations.' The women's athletic program finished 38th in the Capital One Cup standings. And ... as a reminder, the entire Ohio State athletic department finished 8th in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings for this year. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Tennessee's Danny White highest paid Athletic Director during 2024-25 academic year
Tennessee's Danny White is the highest-paid Athletic Director at a public university in the country, according to the Knox News, part of the USAT TODAY Network. The Knox News reported that White maxed out his annual $600,000 in bonuses to finish with a total salary of $3.35 million for the 2024-25 academic year. The maxed-out bonuses allowed White to remain the highest-paid AD in the country, based on documents obtained by USA TODAY Network. Under White's leadership, the Vols appeared in the College Football Playoff, made runs in the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments and finished No. 6 in the 2024-25 Learfield Directors' Cup. Tennessee athletics thrive in 2024-25 The Tennessee football program finished the 2024 season with a 10-3 record and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. The Vols ended up losing 42-17 to eventual national champion Ohio State. White earned 3% of his base salary for that feat. Tennessee men's basketball advanced to the Elite Eight, while the women's team advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA basketball tournaments. Both of those payouts were 3% of his base salary. He gained an additional 9% of his base salary for a Learfield Cup top 10 finish and 5% for Academic Progress Rate high score. Here's a look at a breakdown of White's bonuses for the 2024-25 academic year, broken down, per the Knox News: Highest-paid Athletic Directors White's base salary for the 2024-25 year was $2.75 million. The contract extension he signed last year allowed his bonuses to increase from a maximum of $300,000 to $600,000. In total, he gained incentives of $632,500. According to the Knox News, Texas AD Chris Del Conte had a similar base salary of $2.525 million, but his bonuses were capped at $250,000. Kirby Hocutt (Texas Tech), Joe Castiglione (Oklahoma), Trev Alberts (Nebraska), Ross Bjork (Ohio State) and Warde Manuel (Michigan) are among the other highest-paid ADs.
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Storied HBCU To Join New Athletic Conference
NEW ORLEANS-Xavier University of Louisiana, a prominent NAIA-level HBCU with a century-long history of academic and athletic excellence, announced Monday that it will become a full member of the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) effective July 1, 2026. The decision follows a unanimous vote by the SSAC Board of Presidents earlier this month, signaling a significant realignment within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) landscape. The move marks Xavier's fourth full-time conference affiliation since the inception of its athletic programs. The university previously competed in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) from 1935 to 1960, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) from 1981 to 2021, and most recently, the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC), where it has been a member since 2021. "We are thrilled to welcome Xavier University of Louisiana as a full member of the SSAC," said Mike Hall, conference commissioner. "Their history of academic and athletic achievement strengthens our conference at every level." Hall pointed to Xavier's recent top-25 finish in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings as a testament to the HBCU's broad-based athletic success in NAIA. The Directors' Cup ranks collegiate athletic programs based on their performance across multiple sports. Xavier will not wait until 2026 to compete in the SSAC ecosystem. Three of its programs, competitive cheer, men's indoor track and field, and women's indoor track and field, will participate as affiliate members during the 2025-26 season. The SSAC, founded in 1999, comprises institutions across Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Its current members include Loyola University (New Orleans), William Carey University (Hattiesburg, Miss.), University of Mobile (Mobile, Ala.), and nine others across the Southeast. For Xavier, the move carries both strategic and historical significance. The New Orleans-based HBCU will renew conference rivalries with Loyola, Mobile, and William Carey. Three schools it frequently faced during its tenure in the GCAC, including as recently as the 2009-10 academic year. "We are excited to join the Southern States Athletic Conference," said Xavier Athletic Director Pat Kendrick. "We look forward to the high level of competition and the opportunity to reignite longstanding rivalries." Xavier President Reynold Verret echoed those sentiments, adding, "Joining the Southern States Athletic Conference affirms our commitment to excellence and expands opportunities for our scholar-athletes to thrive both in the classroom and in competition." The transition also signals the end of Xavier's five-year tenure in the RRAC. Before formally exiting, the university plans to compete for at least 12 RRAC championships during the 2025-26 season. The post Storied HBCU To Join New Athletic Conference appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
USA Today
28-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nebraska has highest Directors' Cup finish since 2010
Nebraska athletics capped a strong 2024-2025 year by placing 21st in the Division I Learfield Directors' Cup standings. The Huskers finished the year with 830.50 total points, their best finish since 2010 and just the fourth time in the last 20 years they eclipsed the 800-point mark. Nebraska was one of seven Big Ten teams to finish in the final top 25, joining USC (second), UCLA (fifth), Ohio State (eighth), Michigan (13th), Penn State (16th), and Oregon (18th). For the cup, 19 sports are counted in the final DI standings, with women's soccer, volleyball, and basketball required, along with men's basketball and baseball. The next 14 highest sports for each institution are then scored. For Nebraska, the school posted top-five finishes in four sports, earning a runner-up in wrestling, a Final Four finish in volleyball, a third-place finish in bowling and a fourth-place finish in men's gymnastics. Softball's Super Regional appearance also counted towards a ninth-place finish, giving the Huskers a fifth top-10 finish on the year. Nebraska capped off the spring season by scoring points in softball, baseball (Regionals), men's tennis (NCAA First Round), and both men's (35th) and women's (26th) track and field. Contact/Follow us@CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
27-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where did Texas A&M finish in this year's Learfield Directors' Cup final standings?
As the final points were tallied up, Texas A&M athletics finished as one of the most highly-rated schools in the country in the 2024-2025 Learfield Directors' Cup standings. The Aggies finished the most recent athletics year in the top 25 for the 19th consecutive year, as Texas A&M earned a No. 15 finish. That mark places the programs in College Station as the No. 7 team in the Southeastern Conference and the sixth time in the last decade that the Aggies finished in the top 15 of the Learfield Directors' Cup. The competition originated in 1993 and was created to rank programs based on the athletic department's overall success competing during the athletic calendar year in national competition. Texas A&M's highest ranking in program history was in 2012-2013, in which the program ranked as No. 5 in the country and recorded 1131.50 points for its performances against other programs across the country. During the 2024-2025 athletics year, the Aggies secured an NCAA Championship in men's outdoor track and field, while also finishing top 20 in men's golf, men's swimming and diving, men's basketball and softball. Texas A&M's equestrian team also advanced to the semifinals of the NCEA Championship. Here are the full standings and results from this year's Learfield Directors' Cup: Following the announcement of Texas A&M's finish in this year's cup, athletic director Trev Alberts expressed his thoughts on where the Aggies' accomplishments and where its programs are headed in the future. "I firmly believe that the future is incredibly bright for Texas A&M as collegiate athletics continues to evolve," Alberts said. "We are dedicated to a culture that is focused on giving our programs all of the resources they need to compete for championships, and I am grateful that here at Texas A&M we are well-positioned moving forward to achieve that goal." The Learfield Directors' Cup was developed by USA TODAY and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). As a new calendar year is due up, starting with soccer and then football, the Aggies will look to secure its 20th season with a top 25 finish in the cup. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
