ANDERSON, S.C. — Anderson University has reached a new pinnacle in its athletics history, finishing 36th nationally in the final 2025-26 Learfield Directors' Cup standings with 460.50 points — the highest ranking the program has ever achieved in the prestigious award that measures overall athletics excellence across all sports. The Trojans earned their landmark finish through standout performances across multiple sports, capping a remarkable year for Trojan Athletics.
Leading the way in the spring season was the Anderson women's golf program, which put together a historic spring season en route to a national runner-up finish — the highest finish in program history for the sport. The Anderson men's lacrosse team matched that success with a run to the national semifinals, further contributing to the Trojans' standing in the final rankings. The Trojans ranked 4th in the country after the fall season with women's soccer making their first NCAA appearance, the men's soccer team picking up an NCAA tournament win, the men's cross country program turning in an eighth-place finish and the volleyball team making it to the regional final. The men's basketball team added points in the winter season with thier qualification as the No. 1 seed for the Southeast Regional of the NCAA tournament.
"This is a tremendous achievement for our student-athletes, coaches, and the entire Anderson University community," said Vice President for Athletics Dr. Bert Epting. "Finishing 36th nationally in the Directors' Cup reflects the depth and commitment across our entire athletics program, and we are incredibly proud of everything our teams accomplished this year."
The Trojans finished with 237.50 fall points, 25 winter points, and 198 spring points, demonstrating competitive excellence across the department throughout the year.
The Learfield Directors' Cup, presented annually by Learfield and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, serves as the Division II standard for multi-sport success, scoring institutions based on their finishes across up to 15 sports.
