By R.L. Bynum

Led by national championships in women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse, Carolina finished fourth in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings, the Tar Heels’ best finish in 16 years.

It was UNC’s sixth consecutive top-10 finish and ninth in the last 10 years. It’s the Tar Heels 26th top-10 finish. Only Stanford and Florida (with 31 apiece) have more.

The Cup rewards NCAA postseason success in 19 sports for schools that field teams in at least baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s soccer and volleyball.

Carolina’s 1,195.25 points were the second-most in the ACC behind third-place Stanford (1,251), marking the 26th time in 31 years that UNC has had at least the second-most points.

Texas won the Cup with 1,255.25 points, the Longhorns’ fourth title in the last five years. Southern Cal was second by 1½ points.

Texas, Stanford and UNC, which was the inaugural champion in 1993–94, remain the only schools to have won the Directors’ Cup.

The top 10 schools were Texas, USC, Stanford, UNC, UCLA, Tennessee, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Duke (four SEC, three ACC and three Big Ten schools).

UNC’s women’s soccer won its 22nd NCAA title (and 23rd national title) in December, and women’s lacrosse concluded an unbeaten and untied season with its fourth NCAA title in May. Those national championships both provided 100 Cup points for the Tar Heels.

They were among nine top-10 performances in NCAA play this season by UNC teams. Field hockey and women’s tennis were both third, men’s cross country finished sixth, men’s indoor track and field was eighth and baseball, women’s basketball and men’s lacrosse all placed ninth.

Eight other UNC teams had top-25 NCAA finishes including women’s cross country (11^th), fencing (13th), gymnastics, women’s swimming and diving, men’s outdoor track and field and volleyball (all 17th) and men’s swimming and diving and women’s indoor track and field (both 23rd).

Directors’ Cup

ACC standings
Place School Points

3                                     Stanford                                1,251.00
4                                    North Carolina                    1,195.25
10                                  Duke                                      1,010.00
12                                  Virginia                                    966.00
20                                  N.C. State                                854.75
24                                  Cal                                           819.75
28                                  Florida State                           776.00
36                                  Notre Dame                            691.50
37                                  Louisville                                 648.50
41                                  Wake Forest                            611.00
45                                  Virginia Tech                           536.00
47                                  Clemson                                  524.25
55                                  Miami                                      472.50
61                                  Syracuse                                  407.00
66                                  Boston College                     377.50
70                                  SMU                                        321.75
71                                  Georgia Tech                          320.00
74                                  Pitt                                          312.00
UNC finishes
2024–25                 4th
2023–24                 7th
2022–23                 8th
2021–22                 6th
2020–21                 4th
2019–20                 no competition due to COVID-19
2018–19                 10th
2017–18                 13th
2016–17                 5th
2015–16                 7th
2014–15                 5th
2013–14                 14th
2012–13                 8th
2011–12                 8th
2010–11                 6th
2009–10                 7th
2008–09                 2nd
2007–08                 14th
2006–07                 3rd
2005–06                 4th
2004–05                 9th
2003–04                 7th
2002–03                 8th
2001–02                 4th
2000–01                 15th
1999–2000             5th
1998–99                 17th
1997–98                 2nd
1996–97                 2nd
1995–96                 6th
1994–95                 2nd
1993–94                 1st