OU, OSU finish top-25 in Directors’ Cup

The Learfield Directors’ Cup attempts to settle what sports fans everywhere debate with vigor.

What college has the best athletic program?

The Learfield Directors’ Cup, a contest started in 1993-94, is awarded to the school that earns the most points through athletic success. All sports in which the NCAA offers a championship are weighted equally.

While the Directors’ Cup’s evaluation of teams has been critiqued for favoring universities that sponsor many different sports such as Stanford, the 26-time champion in 29 contests, both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State performed well in 2022-23 despite sponsoring fewer sports.

Oklahoma placed 23rd nationally, it was announced Wednesday. Oklahoma State was ranked 25th.

It is OU’s 20th top-25 finish in the past 23 years. OSU secured its third-consecutive top-25 finish. In 2023, both schools trailed one Big 12 school, second-placed Texas, in the conference standings.

The Sooners powered their way to the top with national titles. OU got 100 points toward the Directors Cup standings for its softball national championship. It was OU’s fifth national softball championship in seven years. The Sooners also earned 100 points for its national championship in women’s gymnastics.

Strong seasons in men’s gymnastics (80 points), women’s tennis (64 points) and men’s golf (57 points) helped the Sooners rack up 813.75 points.

OSU scored 800 points. No team won a national championship, but the Cowboy cross country team’s runner-up finish in the national championship combined with women’s cross country and Cowgirl softball for stellar seasons to bolster OSU’s position.

Because it does not have a women’s volleyball program, and equestrian is not part of the Directors’ Cup, OSU had just 17 sports eligible for scoring. Schools with more sports can score their top 19 programs.

Three other Big 12 schools finished in the top 50: TCU, Baylor and Texas Tech.