NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame stands ninth in the 2018-19 Division I Learfield Directors’ Cup standings after the conclusion of the fall sports season on the back of point-scoring performances from the Fighting Irish football, men’s soccer and women’s and men’s cross country teams.
The Learfield Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA championships.
Notre Dame is the only university in the top 10 of the Directors’ Cup standings that can also boast a top-10 finish in football after Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Brian Kelly, the recipient of the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, led the Irish to a 12-1 record, a berth in the College Football Playoff Semifinals and a No. 5 ranking in the final Associated Press poll.
In his first season at the helm of the men’s soccer team, head coach Chad Riley led the squad to an NCAA quarterfinal appearance. The team not only copped on-the-pitch honors, but also was awarded two Academic All-America citations — a first-team nod to Thomas Ueland and second-team to Jack Casey.
The women’s cross country program continued running at a high level on the national stage, finishing eighth in the NCAA Championships. Individually, two Fighting Irish runners — Anna Rohrer and Jessica Harris — were named All-Americans during the national meet.
On the men’s side, the Irish backed up an ACC Championship title with a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, while freshman Danny Kilrea notched All-America honors. In his first year, Hatherly-Piane Head Coach Matt Sparks rejuvenated the program by leading it to its first USTFCCCA ranking since 2012.
The Irish look to add to their 280-point fall haul during the winter season.
The current standings include results from NCAA fall competition in field hockey, men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball, football and men’s and women’s soccer.
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