Tufts Athletics Top Directors’ Cup Standings After Impressive Fall

After an historic fall sports season, Tufts University finds itself on top of The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Learfield Directors' Cup standings.

The Learfield Directors' Cup measures overall athletic department performance based on NCAA Championship finishes across up to 18 sports.

According to a Tufts athletics news release, Tufts qualified all six fall teams for NCAA Championships — men's and women's soccer and cross country, field hockey, and women's volleyball. Standings show Tufts finishing the fall with a nation-high 485.0. This accomplishment marks the third-highest fall total for Tufts in Division III history. 

Tufts women's volleyball won the NESCAC title. It hosted NCAA regional play at Cousens Gym and advanced to the regional final before falling to East Texas Baptist University 3-1, earning 64 points.

Tufts' cross country teams also posted strong showings at the national championships. The men placed seventh and the women 11th. The men's squad earned 72 points for the Directors' Cup total, while the women's cross country team achieved 66 points.

Women's soccer advanced to the NCAA Final Four by winning the NESCAC title, defeating Mary Washington 1-0 in the Elite 8 in overtime, to earn 83 points.

The Tufts men's soccer team achieved a fifth national crown in Salem, Virginia. After winning the NESCAC title, Tufts won six games in the NCAA Tournament, coming from behind in three of the games. The men's soccer team win earned 100 points for the Jumbos.

Tufts field hockey plowed through the NCAA Tournament, outscoring opponents 17-3. Tufts knocked off top-ranked Christopher Newport University 1-0 in the semifinals and scored in overtime of the national title game to raise the Jumbos over Johns Hopkins University 2-1 and earn 100 points. It was Tufts' second-ever national title.

Official final fall standings for NCAA Division I and III will be published Jan. 22, 2026.