The Hawkeyes' wide success across all sports resulted in the athletic department jumping to 13th place on the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings.
The Iowa Hawkeyes boast one of the most successful athletic departments in the country.
While other teams like Kansas (men's basketball) and Penn State (football) center their attention around a single sport, Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz continues to mold hers into one of the nation's best, and she's now getting national recognition for it.
The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, a program that honors institutions maintaining broad-based intercollegiate athletics programs, announced on April 9 that the University of Iowa jumped to 13th place in the 2025-26 competition.
The Hawkeyes have collected 541.50 points so far, a figure that includes the completion of nine different sports - field hockey, football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s indoor track & field, women’s indoor track & field, women’s soccer, men’s wrestling and women’s wrestling.
Iowa's 541 points rank fourth overall in the Big Ten, trailing Ohio State (664), Penn State (645), and Michigan (624).
This is the fifth time in the 32-year Directors' Cup era that Iowa has surpassed more than 500 points. The highest finish (26th) and point total (658) occurred in 1994-95 and 2020-21, respectively.
Women's wrestling secured an impressive runner-up finish in the inaugural NCAA women's wrestling championships, but likely no postseason run garnered more national attention than men's basketball.
First-year head coach Ben McCollum led the Hawkeyes to an improbable NCAA tournament run to the Elite Eight. It was Iowa's deepest run in the Big Dance in 39 years, and it even earned McCollum a look from a blue blood program (he turned it down). The run earned Iowa's athletic department 73 points on the Learfield Cup standings - currently the third-most of any sport so far. Women's wrestling collected 80, and men's wrestling earned 90 for its fourth-place showing at the NCAA championships.
“I am proud for our student-athletes, coaches, staff and Hawkeye supporters,” Goetz said in a statement. “The Learfield Directors’ Cup is one measure of success, but it only begins to reflect the daily commitment, collaboration and competitive excellence happening across our department and campus. Our teams and staff work relentlessly to achieve at the highest level and deliver unforgettable experiences for our fans. We appreciate the accomplishments, celebrate them together and remain focused on what’s next.”
Final standings will be released in late June after the completion of the 2026 Men's College World Series.
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