Huskers Match Best Directors’ Cup Finish since 2001

The University of Nebraska Athletic Department continued its climb, earning a 17th place finish in the 2025-26 Division I Learfield Directors’ Cup standings released Thursday morning.

Nebraska finished the year with 929.00 total points, the most points Nebraska has scored in the Big Ten era dating back to 2011-12. The Huskers’ 17th place finish matches the program’s best showing since a 13th place finish in 2000-01.

Under Athletic Director Troy Dannen, Nebraska has posted top-25 finishes in the last three years, the first time that has happened in more than two decades (2000-01 to 2002-03).  It also marks the fourth consecutive straight year where Nebraska has improved in the final rankings. In 2021-22, NU was 49th and has steadily improved to 29th, 22nd, 21st and now 17th. 

Nebraska, which was 21st in the most recent update following the Women’s College World Series in early June, climbed four spots in the final standings behind strong performances from a trio of spring sports. The Husker baseball team reached the NCAA Tournament and earned 37.5 points while the Husker men’s and women’s track and field teams posted a pair of top-10 finishes and combined for an impressive 183.75 points.

During the year, Nebraska had nine sports post top-10 finishes, including six teams that earned top-five finishes. Those programs included wrestling (third), men’s gymnastics (fourth), volleyball (fifth), softball (fifth), rifle (fifth), bowling (fifth), women’s outdoor track and field (eighth), men’s basketball (ninth) and men’s outdoor track and field (ninth).

Overall, 19 sports are counted in the final DI standings, five of which must be women’s, soccer, volleyball and basketball and men’s basketball and baseball. The next highest (14 max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.

Nebraska was one of eight Big Ten teams to finish in the final top-25, joining UCLA (third), USC (seventh), Michigan (ninth), Ohio State (10^th), Penn State (21^st), Oregon (23^rd) and Wisconsin (24^th).  In all, the SEC and Big Ten accounted for 17 of the top 25 spots with the others coming from the ACC (six), Ivy League (one) and Big 12 (one).