CLEVELAND – The University of Denver Division of Athletics finished as the highest ranked Division I non-football school in 2021-22 Directors' Cup standings for the ninth-consecutive year that it was awarded (no official standings in 2019-20) and the 13
th time in the last 14 years.
In the final 2021-22 standings, Denver finished 59
th with 417.75 points, giving the Pioneers their ninth-straight top-60 finish. Prior to Denver's first I-AAA Directors' Cup All-Sports Trophy in 2008, Denver had only finished in the top 60 once.
"Congratulations to our Pioneer student-athletes, coaches and staff, including departing Vice Chancellor
Karlton Creech, for yet another tremendously successful athletic season," newly-named Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Ritchie Center Operations
Josh Berlo said. "During my time at Notre Dame and Minnesota Duluth as well as through the interview process here in Denver, it is clear that an incredible tradition of broad-based success exists here at DU. I think there's something special about an athletics program that is able to concurrently achieve excellence across several different sports."
Denver was 118
th following the fall sports season, with men's soccer reaching the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament to earn 50 points.
The Pioneers racked up 245.75 points in the winter season, highlighted by Denver Hockey's NCAA-tying ninth National Championship in program history. Skiing took third at the NCAA Championships to pick up 85 points, and gymnastics earned 60.75 points with an appearance in the Regional Final to round out Denver's winter scoring.
DU rounded out the spring with 122 points. Women's lacrosse once again reached the NCAA Second Round to earn 53 points, men's golf earned 33.5 points, and women's golf brought home 10.5 points. Women's tennis got back to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth-consecutive year to earn 25 points.
The Learfield Sports 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 up to 19 sports – four of which must be men's and women's basketball, baseball and volleyball.
Overall, Denver's athletic programs combined for a 95% graduation success rate, the second-highest rate in program history. Earlier this month, the NCAA released the latest APR data that showed Denver had a school-record 10 programs earn perfect APR scores. In 2020-21, men's golf, women's tennis, women's skiing, women's golf, women's soccer, men's skiing, men's tennis, women's swimming and diving, women's volleyball and hockey all earned perfect single-season APR scores. Denver combined for 12 conference championships across nine different programs and combined for nine national championship appearances. Denver's student-athletes combined to win 14 All-America honors and 91 all-conference honors.
"I've always found that just like when student-athletes are achieving at the highest level — when they are succeeding competitively, academically and socially — when an athletic department and a university have multiple disciplines excelling at a high level, it is emblematic of an institutional commitment and approach that results in perpetual levels of success," Berlo said.
Final Directors' Cup Standings
2022 – 59
th: 417.75 points (Highest-ranked Division I non-football program)
2021 – 51
st: 408.25 points (Directors' Cup I-AAA All-Sports Trophy Champion)
2020 – Not awarded
2019 – 52
nd: 484.00 points (Directors' Cup I-AAA All-Sports Trophy Champion)
2018 – 47
th: 529.25 points (Directors' Cup I-AAA All-Sports Trophy Champion)
2017 – 35
th: 634.25 points (Directors' Cup I-AAA All-Sports Trophy Champion)
2016 – 52
nd: 433.00 points (Directors' Cup I-AAA All-Sports Trophy Champion)
2015 – 49
th: 508.75 points (Directors' Cup I-AAA All-Sports Trophy Champion)
2014 – 43
rd: 519.25 points (Directors' Cup I-AAA All-Sports Trophy Champion)
2013 – 55
th: 425.50 points (Directors' Cup I-AAA All-Sports Trophy Champion)
2012 – 85
th: 227.50 points
2011 – 54
th: 384.50 points (Directors' Cup I-AAA All-Sports Trophy Champion)
2010 – 65
th: 306.80 points (Directors' Cup I-AAA All-Sports Trophy Champion)
2009 – 54
th: 396.50 points (Directors' Cup I-AAA All-Sports Trophy Champion)
2008 – 47
th: 434.25 points (Directors' Cup I-AAA All-Sports Trophy Champion)
2007 – 74
th: 267.25 points
2006 – Not in top-100
2005 – 68
th: 250.50 points
2004 – 59
th: 333.75 points
2003 – 75
th: 214.75 points
2002 – 75
th: 241.00 points
2001 – 87
th: 180.00 points
2000 – Not in top-100
1999 – 74
th: 110.00 points
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