CLEVELAND, OH – For the sixth consecutive year, Johns Hopkins has placed in the top three of the final Learfield Directors' Cup standings as JHU capped the 2025-26 academic year with a third-place finish.  Blue Jay teams totaled 1,180 points – the second-highest total in program history – to earn their third-place finish. Washington-St. Louis, which accumulated 1,266.50 points, earned its first Directors' Cup title.
 
Johns Hopkins' six consecutive top-three finishes are the longest active streak in the nation and no other school has currently placed in the top three in even three consecutive years.  In fact, only one other school – Tufts – has placed in the top three in each of the last two years.  During Johns Hopkins' six-year run of top-three finishes, only four other schools – Tufts (4), Williams (3), Emory (2) and Washington-St. Louis (2) – count even four finishes in the top three.
 
In addition to Washington-St. Louis, six other schools - Tufts (1,252.50), Johns Hopkins, Emory (1,066), Williams (1,063.75), Chicago (1,045.50) and NYU (1,029.25) - eclipsed the 1,000-point mark this year in one of the most tightly-contested races for the prestigious cup.
 
Overall, up to 18 total sports may count towards the final Directors' Cup standings, four of which must be men's and women's basketball and men's and women's soccer, leaving the next 14 highest point-producing totals to also be counted.  From the 19 Johns Hopkins teams that accumulated points this year, the two lowest point totals were removed to account for the one non-scoring required countable sport.  This is not unique to Johns Hopkins as several of the teams at the top of the standings had a team or teams that scored points removed to account for the scoring parameters.
 
From the recently-completed spring season, the Blue Jays earned points in women's outdoor track (85), women's lacrosse (83), baseball (73), men's lacrosse (65), men's tennis (64) and women's tennis (64).  The points accumulated by the men's outdoor track team (17^th-place at NCAA Championships) were not counted due to the parameters noted above.
 
Johns Hopkins totaled 454.5 points in the fall, added 291.5 countable points in the winter and capped the year with 434 points in the spring to account for its 1,180 points.
 
2025-26 Learfield Directors' Cup
Final Division III Standings (6-9-2026) • Top 10
1 – Washington-St. Louis (1,266.50 points)
2 – Tufts (1,252.50)
3 - Johns Hopkins (1,180)
4 – Emory (1,066)
5 – Williams (1,063.75)
6 – Chicago (1,045.50)
7 – NYU (1,029.25)
8 – Wisconsin-La Crosse (987)
9 – Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (888.25)
10 – Amherst (863.75)
 
Historically Speaking
This year's third-place finish continues a remarkable run for Johns Hopkins.  JHU has placed in the top three in each of the last six years and eight times overall with two titles (2023, 2024), four runner-up finishes (2015, 2019, 2022, 2025) and a pair of third-place showings (2014, 2026).  The third-place finish also marks the ninth top-five finish and the 14^th top-10 showing for Johns Hopkins; JHU has placed in the top seven in each of the last eight years and in the top 10 in 13 of the last 14 years dating back to 2010-11 (note the Directors' Cup was not awarded in 2019-20 or 2020-21 (COVID)).
 
Why They Vary
Directors' Cup points accumulated can vary by sport based on the size of a team bracket or the number of teams that score points at a particular NCAA championship.
 
Johns Hopkins' All-Time Final Directors' Cup Rankings
1995-96 – 49^th (220 points)
1996-97 – 16^th (352)
1997-98 – 24^th (210)
1998-99 – 25^th (200)
1999-00 – 22^nd (347)
2000-01 – 30^th (342.5)
2001-02 – 23^rd (371.5)
2002-03 – 14^th (482)
2003-04 – 16^th (469.5)
2004-05 – 22^nd (363.25)
2005-06 – 36^th (324.25)
2006-07 – 10^th (686.25)
2007-08 – 16^th (577.5)
2008-09 – 18^th (620.5)
2009-10 – 13^th (638)
2010-11 – 8^th (688)
2011-12 – 9^th (689.25)
2012-13 – 7^th (789.50)
2013-14 – 3^rd (977.50)
2014-15 – 2^nd (1,016.75)
2015-16 – 12^th (703)
2016-17 – 5^th (864.50)
2017-18 – 7^th (883.25)
2018-19 – 2^nd (1,083.75)
2019-20 – Not Awarded (COVID)
2020-21 – Not Awarded (COVID)
2021-22 – 2^nd (1,043)
2022-23 – 1^st (1,282)
2023-24 – 1^st (1,117.50)
2024-25 – 2^nd (1,147)
2025-26 – 3^rd (1,180)
 
About the the Learfield Directors' Cup
 The Learfield IMG Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today.  Through the course of the year, Directors' Cup points are awarded based on a school's finish in up to 18 sports in NCAA Championships.
 
About Learfield
Learfield is a media, data, and technology services leader in intercollegiate athletics. The company unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans through an omnichannel platform with innovative content and commerce solutions. Learfield services include licensing and collegiate sports properties' multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; data analytics and insights; ticketing software; and ticket sales, premium seating, and fundraising services; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for NACDA's acclaimed Learfield Directors' Cup, recognizing athletic departments across all divisions.