MEDFORD, MA (June 10, 2025) -- Following a strong spring season highlighted by national championships from the Tufts University men's lacrosse and women's rowing squads, the Tufts University athletic department jumped all the way from No. 10 to No. 3 in the Learfield Directors' Cup Final Spring Standings for the 2024-25 season.
Six spring teams scored points in NCAA events over the final months of the 2024-25 season, combining for a whopping 499 points to finish as the second-best squad in the nation in the spring behind eventual Directors' Cup champion Emory University and its 586.25 points in the final season. Leading the way was the 100 points each from the Tufts men's lacrosse and women's rowing squads, who each were NCAA champions. The Tufts women's lacrosse team and its NCAA runners-up finish netted 90 points, while the Tufts men's tennis team finished with 83 points after placing third at the NCAA Championships.
The Tufts women's tennis team picked up 50 points thanks to its 17th place finish in the NCAA Tournament, while the Tufts women's track and field team posted 38.5 points as well. Tufts softball also tallied 37.5 points for the spring total to help the Jumbos over the 1000 point total for the season, one of just four universities with more than 1000 points for the year.
Tufts was 10th after the winter season after tallying 264.50 points, following its fourth-place finish after the fall season thanks to 305.50 points in the opening season's championships.
Overall, the Jumbos finished third with 1069.00 points, behind only Emory University (1198.75) and Johns Hopkins University (1147.00). Tufts was one of three New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) schools in the top 10, as Middlebury College (971.75, 5th) and Amherst College (933.25, 7th) also were within the top 10. The NESCAC and UAA were the only conferences with more than one team, as the UAA had four teams listed in the top 10.
Tufts was fourth after the fall season, posting 305.50 points in the fall highlighted by a NCAA runner-up finish by the Tufts field hockey squad. Both Tufts cross country teams and soccer teams earned points as well. In the winter, five teams earn points during the winter by competing in NCAA events highlighted by the men's and women's swimming and diving squads posting 138 total points between the two teams. Both men's and women's basketball teams earned NCAA berths, while the Tufts women's indoor track and field team added 51.5 points as well on the strength of a national title in the triple jump by
Elysse Cumberland.
Overall, the Jumbos had six top 10 finishes on the year with 17 teams accounting for the points' total in the Cup standings.
The Jumbos third-place finish in 2024-25 was the 12th consecutive season that the Jumbos have posted a Top 10 ranking and 15th since 1995-96. Tufts earned its first Learfield Directors' Cup title in 2021-22, while finishing second in 2022-23 and fourth in 2023-24. The Jumbos were also third in 2016-17, while adding a fourth-place ranking back in 2015-16. Tufts was sixth in 2005-06 and 2009-10. The competition had been canceled in both 2019-20 and 2020-21 due to COVID-19.
The Learfield Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in NCAA Championships.
Please note, standings published midseason are unofficial. Official standings will be published upon the completion of the spring season. Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA's website at www.directorscup.org. In addition, please visit www.thedirectorscup.com and follow us on X @ldirectorscup.
About Learfield: Learfield is a media, data, and technology services leader in intercollegiate athletics. The company unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans through an omnichannel platform with innovative content and commerce solutions. Learfield services include licensing and collegiate sports properties' multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; data analytics and insights; ticketing software; and ticket sales, premium seating, and fundraising services; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions
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