Cards Finish 8th in Fall Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup Standings
January 16, 2020 | Field Hockey, Football, General, Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Women's Volleyball
The eighth place finish in the fall standings is this highest ever in the department's history
CLEVELAND - In the third and final fall standings released by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the University of Louisville athletics department finished the fall sports season eighth in the Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup Division I Standings.
Eighth place is the highest UofL has stood in the final fall standings in the history of the Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup, topping an 11th place standing in the fall of 2011. Louisville accrued 302 points across all fall sports, second most in the Atlantic Coast Conference behind Virginia. Nine ACC schools completed the season in the top-25, the most among all Division I conferences and four more than the next conference, the Big Ten. The ACC also leads all conferences with four institutions in the top-10.
Louisville and Michigan were the only two programs to have collectively reached the postseason this fall in football, men's soccer, women's soccer, field hockey and volleyball.
The volleyball team earned the most points of any UofL fall team after advancing to Elite Eight for the first time in program history. The Cardinals upset No. 2 Texas in the Sweet Sixteen on its home court and advanced to face No. 7 Minnesota in the Regional Finals. The Cards also defeated 15th seeded Western Kentucky and Samford in the NCAA Tournament. Louisville concluded the season 22-10 after advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the 28th time.
The UofL football team earned a bowl bid to the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, where the Cardinals defeated Mississippi State 38-28. Louisville made its 18th postseason appearance over the last 22 seasons. In their first season under head coach Scott Satterfield, the Cardinals finished 8-5 as Satterfield was named the ACC Coach of the Year. The Cardinals completed one of the nation's top turnarounds among Power 5 teams, becoming only the second ACC team to go from 0-8 in league play to 5-3 the following year.
Louisville's field hockey team secured a fifth place finish as the Cardinals reached the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals for the first time in program history. They advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in program history, earning the national No. 4 seed. The Cards finished the season 16-6, tying a program mark for wins in a season. The team finished the season ranked 5th in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll.
The men's soccer team concluded its first season under head coach John Michael Hayden with a 10-8-2 record, which included two NCAA victories over USF and No. 18 UC Davis. The Cards qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year and have now made the NCAA Tournament 12 of the last 13 seasons. The Cardinals advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years and the seventh time in the last 10 seasons. The Cards handed eventual national champion Georgetown its lone loss of the season. UofL finished the season ranked 20th in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
Women's soccer earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, finishing with an overall record of 13-5-2 and 5-3-2 in ACC play. Louisville finished the regular season fourth in the ACC standings, earning their highest finish in the ACC. The Cardinals made their sixth NCAA Championship appearance and advanced to the second round for the second time in school history after defeating Lipscomb. Louisville finished the year ranked 25th in the final United Soccer Coaches poll.
The Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in NCAA Championships.
Eighth place is the highest UofL has stood in the final fall standings in the history of the Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup, topping an 11th place standing in the fall of 2011. Louisville accrued 302 points across all fall sports, second most in the Atlantic Coast Conference behind Virginia. Nine ACC schools completed the season in the top-25, the most among all Division I conferences and four more than the next conference, the Big Ten. The ACC also leads all conferences with four institutions in the top-10.
- Volleyball - Fifth, 73 points
- Field Hockey - Fifth, 70 points
- Men's Soccer - Ninth, 64 points
- Women's Soccer - 17th, 50 points
- Football - 26th, 45 points
- Department - Eighth, 302 points
Louisville and Michigan were the only two programs to have collectively reached the postseason this fall in football, men's soccer, women's soccer, field hockey and volleyball.
The volleyball team earned the most points of any UofL fall team after advancing to Elite Eight for the first time in program history. The Cardinals upset No. 2 Texas in the Sweet Sixteen on its home court and advanced to face No. 7 Minnesota in the Regional Finals. The Cards also defeated 15th seeded Western Kentucky and Samford in the NCAA Tournament. Louisville concluded the season 22-10 after advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the 28th time.
The UofL football team earned a bowl bid to the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, where the Cardinals defeated Mississippi State 38-28. Louisville made its 18th postseason appearance over the last 22 seasons. In their first season under head coach Scott Satterfield, the Cardinals finished 8-5 as Satterfield was named the ACC Coach of the Year. The Cardinals completed one of the nation's top turnarounds among Power 5 teams, becoming only the second ACC team to go from 0-8 in league play to 5-3 the following year.
Louisville's field hockey team secured a fifth place finish as the Cardinals reached the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals for the first time in program history. They advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in program history, earning the national No. 4 seed. The Cards finished the season 16-6, tying a program mark for wins in a season. The team finished the season ranked 5th in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll.
The men's soccer team concluded its first season under head coach John Michael Hayden with a 10-8-2 record, which included two NCAA victories over USF and No. 18 UC Davis. The Cards qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year and have now made the NCAA Tournament 12 of the last 13 seasons. The Cardinals advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years and the seventh time in the last 10 seasons. The Cards handed eventual national champion Georgetown its lone loss of the season. UofL finished the season ranked 20th in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
Women's soccer earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, finishing with an overall record of 13-5-2 and 5-3-2 in ACC play. Louisville finished the regular season fourth in the ACC standings, earning their highest finish in the ACC. The Cardinals made their sixth NCAA Championship appearance and advanced to the second round for the second time in school history after defeating Lipscomb. Louisville finished the year ranked 25th in the final United Soccer Coaches poll.
The Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in NCAA Championships.
