Five Years Strong: Arkansas Extends Streak with Another Top-20 Finish
For the fifth straight year, Arkansas earns a top-20 finish in the Learfield Directors’ Cup, highlighting sustained excellence across collegiate sports and continued SEC dominance.
For a record-setting fifth consecutive year, Arkansas has earned a top-20 finish in the Learfield Directors’ Cup, a national ranking compiled by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics in partnership with USA Today. In the final standings released on Thursday, July 3, the Razorbacks placed eleventh overall and fifth among Southeastern Conference schools, accumulating a total of 966.7 points.
This result extends Arkansas’s impressive streak of top-tier performances, following finishes of eighteenth in 2023-24, thirteenth in 2022-23, seventh in 2021-22, and eighth in 2020-21. The Razorbacks’ consistency has firmly established the program as one of the most elite and reliable athletic programs in the nation.
Final Standings Here
Excellence Across the Board
The Learfield Directors’ Cup rankings reflect performance across a wide array of collegiate sports. Points are awarded in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, beach volleyball, bowling, cross country, fencing, field hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, rifle, rowing, soccer, softball, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling.
Over the past seven years, Arkansas has captured eight NCAA championships and thirty-nine Southeastern Conference team titles, with thirty-one of those coming in just the last five years. Both totals lead all SEC programs, and the Razorbacks’ thirty-nine conference championships surpass the combined total of seven other schools in the league during the same period.
Arkansas’ Growing Prominence
Since its establishment in 1993–94, the Learfield Directors’ Cup has recognized the nation’s top collegiate athletic programs, evaluating overall performance across men’s and women’s sports each academic year. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill claimed the first title, but Stanford University soon dominated with twenty-five consecutive wins. That streak ended in 2020–21 when the University of Texas reached the top spot, a position it repeated in 2022, before Stanford returned in 2023. Texas reclaimed the title in 2024.
Although Arkansas has never won the Directors’ Cup, the program has earned top-10 finishes in 2020–21 and 2021–22, reflecting its growing prominence on the national stage.
Behind the Razorbacks Winning Streak
Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek credited the program’s sustained success to the dedication of students, coaches, and staff, as well as the unwavering support of Razorback Foundation members. He noted that the University of Arkansas continues to rank among the nation’s top collegiate athletic programs.
“Achieving a top-20 finish in the Directors’ Cup for five consecutive years is particularly impressive given that Arkansas competes in only nineteen sports, fewer than many of our peers,” Yurachek said. He also highlighted the vital role of Razorback fans, whose loyal support remains essential as the program enters a new chapter in intercollegiate athletics.
Looking Ahead
The Razorbacks’ five-year streak reflects a culture of excellence, resilience, and community support that spans athletes, coaches, and fans alike. As Arkansas moves forward, the focus will be on sustaining this momentum and continuing to build its national prominence.
