Click here to view the 2021-22 Learfield Directors' Cup Standings
Click here to view the 2021-22 Learfield Directors' Cup Standings by Conference
Click here to view the Wildcats in the Learfield Cup Standings all-time
NEWARK, Del. - - The 2021-22 academic year proved to be a record-breaking campaign for the Wilmington University athletic department, as the Wildcats finished a department-best 79th in the Learfield Directors' Cup, a ranking of all NCAA Division II institutions by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
Much like how teams in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) accumulate points through regular season and CACC Tournament in competition for the Restaino Cup, athletic departments earn points towards the Learfield Directors' Cup by their success in the NCAA Tournament in each sport. The Wildcats garnered 261.5 points from six sports.
The Wildcats' 79th place finish is the best the department has ever done, improving upon the 100th place finish from the 2013-14 academic year. It is the first time the department has ever cracked double digits among the 306 NCAA Division II institutions. The Wildcats also finished 104th overall in 2019-20, the last time the Learfield Directors' Cup was awarded because there were no standings throughout the 2020-21 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Wildcats were the top team in the standings among fellow CACC programs, as Thomas Jefferson was closest with a 90th place finish. Holy Family was third in 176th. The Wildcats were also the sixth best program in the East Region this season, finishing behind five Northeast 10 institutions but ahead of all the schools from the East Coast Conference (ECC). American International was the best program from the East Region, finishing 19th overall with a strong fall season.
Wilmington accrued 50 points from the men's soccer team's second round showing in the Super Regional 1 Tournament in the fall. For the first time in program history, the women's bowling team contributed to the points total, picking up 42.5 points with a ninth place finish. The bulk of the point once again came from the spring season, as women's tennis and softball carried the load by each finishing in ninth place with 64 points. Baseball reached the Regional Tournament to earn 25 points while men's golf once again picked up points for reaching another Super Regional Tournament, earning 16 points.
Grand Valley State easily won another Learfield Directors' Cup with 1,013 points. West Texas A&M came in second with 862.25 while Indianapolis, who knocked women's tennis out of the National Tournament, finished third with 844.50 points.
AGATE:
2021-22 Learfield Directors' Cup
CACC Standings
Rank – Team – Points
79 – Wilmington – 261.50
90 – Jefferson – 230
176 – Holy Family – 93
182 – Georgian Court – 87.50
185 – Post – 81.50
214 – Caldwell – 50
214 – Chestnut Hill – 50
214 – USciences – 50
231 – Goldey-Beacom – 42
236 – Dominican – 25
236 – Felician – 25