UVA Athletics finishes fifth in 2025-2026 Learfield Directors’ Cup standings

UVA Athletics finished fifth in the 2025-2026 Learfield Directors’ Cup standings, which seems low to me, given how well the academic sports year seems to have gone.

Virginia added two more national championships – the 36th and 37th in program history – in women’s swimming and men’s tennis.

Men’s basketball won 30 games; the women made a surprise run to the Sweet 16.

Football, the money sport, won 11 games for the first time in school history.

I expected better than fifth.

The press release from UVA Athletics announcing the news included a quote from Carla Williams about “extraordinary challenges.”

Too many people were involved in the crafting of the message for me to want to share it here, so, I won’t.

I’m just going to ruminate on only finishing fifth.

I think I’ve stumbled upon the reason: per the press release, “points in the Directors’ Cup standings are awarded by a school’s NCAA postseason finish in 19 sports, four of which must be men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and volleyball.”

Volleyball?

UVA Volleyball was 13-17 this past season, after going 21-11 in 2024, and getting an invite to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship, which, now you’re like me, now aware that college volleyball has its own version of the NIT.

Or, rather, had – the NIVC was discontinued after the 2024 season.

The four schools ahead of us in the Directors’ Cup – Texas, Stanford, UCLA and UNC – all good at volleyball.

Texas (6) and Stanford (7) both finished in the Top 10, UNC finished at #19, and UCLA at least made the NCAA Tournament.

We get anything out of volleyball, and we’re no worse than third.

How’s that for “extraordinary challenges,” Ms. Williams?

We need to start winning in volleyball.

Learfield Directors’ Cup Top 25

---

1. Texas – 1,322.00
2. Stanford – 1,263.50
3. UCLA – 1,199.25
4. North Carolina – 1,166.75
5. Virginia – 1,148.75
6. Florida – 1,104.50
7. USC – 1,095.50
8. Georgia – 1,081.25
9. Michigan – 1,076.75
10. Ohio State – 1,071.25
11. Duke – 1,039.25
12. Texas A&M – 980.00
13. Alabama – 968.75
14. Arkansas – 965.75
15. Tennessee – 964.75
16. Oklahoma – 930.75
17. Nebraska – 929.00
18. LSU – 926.75
19. Notre Dame – 898.50
20. Princeton – 878.50
21. Penn State – 864.50
22. NC State – 860.00
23. Oregon – 783.00
24. Wisconsin – 754.00
25. BYU – 730.00

ACC in the Learfield Directors’ Cup

---

2. Stanford – 1,263.50
4. North Carolina – 1,166.75
5. Virginia – 1,148.75
11. Duke – 1,039.25
19. Notre Dame – 898.50
22. NC State – 860.00
29. Louisville – 711.50
39. California – 653.75
41. Florida State – 604.00
42. Clemson – 601.50
54. Wake Forest – 505.75
55. Virginia Tech – 470.50
57. Miami – 452.00
59. Syracuse – 447.00
64. SMU 406.50
83. Boston College 276.00
84. Pittsburgh 267.75
90. Georgia Tech 233.00