General | 6/16/2025 2:07:00 PM

Cleveland, Ohio (June 10, 2025) - After a historic year of program firsts and postseason runs, Denison University's men's and women's intercollegiate athletic programs concluded the 2024-25 academic year in 20th place out of 323 institutions in the LEARFIELD Director's Cup competition. This marks the first time since 2005-06 and the fifth time overall that the Big Red have finished in the top 20.
 
 
The Big Red jumped 18 spots from the winter standings after six spring sports competed in postseason play, with five teams finishing in the top 17 nationally in their respective sports. Men's tennis led Denison in spring program point totals with 100 points. The men's tennis team secured its first NCAA Division III National Championship title by defeating Case Western Reserve University 4-2 for the third time in the 2024-25 season under Head Coach David Schilling, a 1984 Denison graduate. Contributing to the Big Red's spring program total were fifth-place finishes from the Denison baseball and women's lacrosse programs, which added 78 and 73 points, respectively. Denison also earned 58.5 points from women's golf and 50 points from men's lacrosse, placing 16th and 17th in their respective national championships. Additional points included 28.5 from Men's Outdoor Track and Field, with three team members finishing 42nd overall.
 
With 73 points after fall postseason play, the Big Red initially stood in 81st place but jumped to 38th after accumulating 205 points thanks to three teams competing in postseason competitions. The Men's Swimming and Diving team led in points with 100 after claiming its sixth NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Title. The Women's Swimming and Diving team also excelled at the NCAAs, finishing fourth and adding 80 more points to the Big Red's LEARFIELD Director's Cup total. Making its first NCAA appearance since the 2016-17 season, the Men's Basketball team earned 25 points for Denison after ranking 33rd in the NCAA Men's Basketball Championships, bringing the Big Red's total to 278 heading into the spring season.
 
The Denison Men's Soccer team narrowly missed its first Final Four appearance, falling 2-1 to Connecticut College in the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship Quarterfinals. The Big Red concluded their historic run with a fifth-place finish and 73 points to launch the 2024-25 season.
 
Ten teams represented the Big Red in NCAA competition this academic year. Ultimately, Denison finished the year with six top-five finishes, including two titles. The Big Red's postseason dominance made it one of only six schools with six or more top-five finishes this year. Emory, the LEARFIELD Director Cup winner, finished with nine, followed by Hopkins and UW-La Crosse with seven; WashU, NYU, and Denison each recorded six top-five finishes. Denison was also one of five departments with multiple national championships, alongside Tufts, Middlebury, and UChicago with five, MIT and Rowan with four; Williams, Washington & Lee, CMS, Amherst, and Whitewater with three, while Carnegie Mellon, Denison, and Pomona finished with two.
 
Team-by-Team Breakdown:
Men's Swimming & Diving - 1st, 100
Men's Tennis - 1st, 100 points
Women's Swimming & Diving - 4th, 80 points
Baseball - 5th, 78 points
Women's Lacrosse - 5th, 73 points
Men's Soccer - 5th, 73 points
Women's Golf - 16th, 58.5 points
Men's Lacrosse - 17th, 50 points
Men's Basketball - 33rd, 25 points
Men's Outdoor Track and Field - 42nd, 28.5 points


Complete LEARFIELD Directors Cup release provided by NACDA here.