Nebraska Athletics Completes Banner Year, Finish Top 25 in Directors' Cup Standings

Nebraska Athletics just finished its best year across the board since joining the Big Ten Conference.

The final Directors' Cup standings of the year have the Huskers at No. 21. That's the highest finish for the department since 2009-10.

After an all-time low finish of 49 in 2021-22, Nebraska has steadily been on the rise with final placings of 29 and 22 before this year's 21.

Nebraska volleyball players celebrate a share of the Big Ten title. | Nebraska Athletics

The Directors' Cup began in 1993. The all-sports competition takes up to 19 scores from each school, based on how different sports finish in the national standings. The 19 scores are pulled from five required sports—men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, women's soccer, and volleyball—and the next 14 highest scoring sports.

Nebraska sponsors 23 total sports, with 16 scoring during the 2024-25 year. NU had five programs post top-10 finishes to earn at least 64 points each: wrestling, bowling, volleyball, men's gymnastics, and softball.

There were also two zeros among the required sports in men's basketball and soccer.

Nebraska pitcher Jordy Bahl delivers against Tennessee in the first game of the Knoxville Super Regional. | Nebraska Athletics

From 1993-94 to 2000-01, Nebraska never finished lower than 18th in the final standings. Those eight years also saw five top-10 finishes and a peak at No. 4 in 1996-97.

Since 2001-02, Nebraska has finished in the top 20 just twice: 2005-06 and 2009-10.

Besides the national success, Nebraska also did well at the conference level in winning a pair of Big Ten championships. Volleyball finished with a share of the regular season title, while baseball won the Big Ten Tournament for the second straight year.

Nebraska baseball hoists the tournament championship trophy for the second year in a row. | Amarillo Mullen

Below is a table of all the Husker sports with their final place and the points that came with it. Asterisk indicates a required sport for scoring.

Sports	Place	Points
Wrestling	2	90
Bowling	3	86.5
Volleyball*	3	83
Men's Gymnastics	4	80
Softball	9	64
Men's Indoor Track & Field	12	63.75
Women's Indoor Track & Field	20	53
Women's Outdoor Track & Field	25	46
Women's Gymnastics	25	45.5
Football	26	45
Men's Outdoor Track & Field	35	38.5
Women's Swimming	34	38
Baseball*	33	37.5
Women's Cross Country	32	29
Women's Basketball*	33	25
Men's Tennis	33	25
Men's Basketball*	0	0
Soccer*	0	0
Men's Cross Country	0	0
Men's Golf	0	0
Women's Golf	0	0
Rifle	0	0
Women's Tennis	0	0

Below are Nebraska's finish in the Directors' Cup standings since 1993-94.

Year	Finish
2023-24	22
2022-23	29
2021-22	49
2020-21	35
2019-20	No standings due to COVID-19
2018-19	48
2017-18	44
2016-17	37
2015-16	27
2014-15	39
2013-14	23
2012-13	24
2011-12	40
2010-11	33
2009-10	17
2008-09	31
2007-08	31
2006-07	27
2005-06	19
2004-05	21
2003-04	32
2002-03	24
2001-02	22
2000-01	13
1999-00	6
1998-99	12
1997-98	9
1996-97	4
1995-96	8
1994-95	9
1993-94	18

2025 Learfield Directors' Cup Top 25

Place	School	Points
1	Texas	1255.25
2	USC	1253.75
3	Stanford	1251
4	North Carolina	1195.25
5	UCLA	1149
6	Tennessee	1078
7	Florida	1072
8	Ohio State	1032.25
9	Oklahoma	1017.16
10	Duke	1010
11	Arkansas	966.66
12	Virginia	966
13	Michigan	953.5
14	Georgia	920
15	Texas A&M	907.75
16	Penn State	893
17	LSU	881
18	Oregon	879.75871
19	Auburn	867.5
20	NC State	854.75
21	Nebraska	849.75
22	Alabama	830.5
23	South Carolina	826.75
24	California	819.75
25	BYU	813.75

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