Texas Longhorns Win 5th Directors’ Cup as Top Athletic Program

The Texas Longhorns have earned their fifth NACDA Directors’ Cup in six seasons, an all-sports award given to the top-performing athletic department.

The Texas Longhorns celebrate after winning the NCAA softball Women's College World Series championship over the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, June 4, 2026. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns have firmly established themselves as one of the best athletic departments in the country, if not the best.

While the Longhorns’ baseball season is not yet complete, the conclusion of the outdoor men’s and women’s track and field championships in Eugene, Ore., has secured Texas another title in the all-sports competition.

Texas finished inside the top three in over half a dozen sports. This Directors’ Cup win is the fifth for the program, all coming within the last six seasons.

Review of 2025–26 Athletic Season After Texas’s Directors’ Cup Win

Texas Longhorns run onto the field to celebrate after closing out a Super Regional game over the Oregon Ducks and securing a ticket to the College World Series at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The year is not over for Texas. The Longhorns’ baseball team is still active in the College World Series, advancing past Oregon in the Super Regional Round. They open the tournament against Georgia on June 13 after entering the postseason as the national No. 6 seed.

Success in the spring and summer helped Texas edge past Stanford in a close race for the Directors’ Cup. The Longhorns secured the title with outstanding performances from the track and field team, including silver medalist Kendrick Smallwood in the 110-meter hurdles.

Texas rowing won its fourth national championship in six years on May 31, with Lucy Searle winning CRCA Athlete of the Year. Less than a week later, on June 4, the Longhorns softball team swept Texas Tech 2–0 to win back-to-back national titles. Pitcher Teagan Kavan won Most Outstanding Player for the tournament.

Texas won three national titles this season, with the first coming in March. The men’s swim and dive team placed first at the NCAA Championships. Five athletes were named national champions — Rafael Fente-Damers, Hubert Kós, Rex Maurer, Baylor Nelson and Camden Taylor.

Texas Longhorns pitcher Teagan Kavan reacts after receiving the Most Outstanding Player trophy for the NCAA Women’s College World Series championship series at Devon Park. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Four other sports recorded top-three finishes for Texas. Men’s tennis finished as the national runners-up after losing 4–3 to Virginia in the championship. Women’s basketball lost to UCLA in the semifinals, as did the beach volleyball team.

Texas women’s swim and dive finished third at the NCAA Championships, while Jillian Cox and Campbell Stoll were named national champions for the 1,650-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly, respectively.

Other top finishes for Texas include men’s and women’s golf, both of which ended the season with losses in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Match Play Championship. Georgia O’Keefe claimed the third NCAA individual championship in Texas women's golf history.

Several Texas teams advanced to their respective sports' postseason. Texas volleyball fell to Wisconsin in the NCAA Regional Final, while men’s basketball reached the Sweet 16 of the men’s March Madness tournament, losing to Purdue. The Longhorns’ women’s tennis team fell in the NCAA Super Regionals.

Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark celebrates a made three-point basket Thursday, March 26, 2026, during a Sweet 16 game against the Purdue Boilermakers at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This all-around dominance made the 2025–26 athletic season a spectacular one for Texas. With several national championship teams, title-winning players and several deep postseason runs, the Longhorns provided top-level play for fans of every sport.

Finding success across 21 sponsored sports shows the dedication of athletic director Chris Del Conte and Texas has for its programs.

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