A prolific winter sports season has propelled Ohio State to a sizable lead in the Directors’ Cup standings.
Ohio State now has 858 points in this year’s Directors’ Cup standings, nearly 100 points more than second-place Texas (758.75), which has just a 4.25-point edge over third-place Stanford (754.5). The Buckeyes’ climb to the lead comes with five top-six finishes for its winter sports teams.
Eight total winter sports teams have scored Directors’ Cup points for the Buckeyes, led by the women’s hockey team, who earned 90 points for Ohio State with its runner-up finish at the Frozen Four. The wrestling team earned 80 points with its fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. The fencing team earned 75 points for its fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the women’s swimming and diving team earned 73.5 points for its sixth-place NCAA finish and the women’s basketball earned 73 points after it tied for fifth with its run to the Elite Eight.
Men’s swimming and diving (66 points for 11th place), women’s indoor track and field (55.5 points for 18th place) and men’s indoor track and field (32 points for 41st place) also added points for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State’s lead will grow even further following this weekend’s conclusion of the season for men’s hockey, where Ohio State also made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Points scored by Ohio State’s men’s and women’s gymnastics this winter will also be included in the next standings update, which is scheduled for April 20.
With the spring sports season still to go, Ohio State has received Directors’ Cup points from 13 different teams in 2022-23. Ohio State’s football team contributed 80 points with its fourth-place finish this fall, while the Buckeyes also received fall points from women’s volleyball (73 points for tying for 5th), women’s cross country (60 points for 15th) and men’s and women’s soccer (who each earned 50 points for tying for 17th).
| Team | Points | Place |
|---|---|---|
| WOMEN’S HOCKEY | 90 | 2nd |
| FOOTBALL | 80 | 4th |
| WRESTLING | 80 | 4th |
| FENCING | 75 | 5th |
| WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING | 73.5 | 6th |
| WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | 73 | 5th |
| WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL | 73 | 5th |
| MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING | 66 | 11th |
| WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY | 60 | 15th |
| WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD | 55.5 | 18th |
| MEN’S SOCCER | 50 | 17th |
| WOMEN’S SOCCER | 50 | 17th |
| MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD | 32 | 41st |
Schools only receive Directors’ Cup points for NCAA-sanctioned sports, so Ohio State’s lead comes even without its national championship wins from its synchronized swimming and pistol teams.
Ohio State finished fourth in last year’s Directors’ Cup standings behind Texas, Stanford and Michigan. Ohio State has never won the Directors’ Cup, but it has finished second to Stanford three times (2010-11, 2015-16 and 2016-17).
