CLEVELAND, Ohio — Six Northwest Conference institutions earned spots in the 2025–26 Division III LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup standings following the conclusion of the winter season.
The LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup, developed through a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today, awards points based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships across up to 18 sports.
Whitworth leads the Northwest Conference with 154.25 points, ranking 83rd overall. The Pirates added 129.25 points to their fall total behind an 11th-place finish in women’s indoor track & field (65.25 points), along with 33rd-place finishes in women’s swimming (39 points) and men’s basketball (25 points).
Whitman added 50 points with a 17th-place finish in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship, bringing the Blues to 75 total points and a No. 131 national ranking.
Puget Sound sits in 168th place with 50 points earned during the fall season. Pacific added 47.5 points from women’s indoor track & field to move into 198th place overall.
George Fox holds 32 points from the fall season and ranks 210th, while Pacific Lutheran sits in 221st place with 25 points.
Nationally, NYU leads all Division III institutions with 812.25 points. Williams follows closely in second with 811 points, and Washington University in St. Louis ranks third with 787.5 points.