CLEVELAND, Ohio – The 2025-26 Learfield Directors' Cup Division II Fall Standings were announced on Tuesday by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs is ranked No. 1 in Division II, boasting 289.50 points to top all 124 ranked Division II teams. The Mountain Lions are coming off their most successful fall season in school history, with all five programs qualifying for the NCAA postseason.

"Congratulations to the UCCS Mountain Lions. Competing in one of the toughest conferences in NCAA Division II, they have set themselves apart, not only through athletic excellence," said CU President Todd Saliman. "Their academic excellence and strong record of service to the community are also worthy of all the honors they have won. The entire CU family is proud of their achievements."

The Learfield 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.

"I am extremely proud of our Mountain Lion student-athletes, coaches, athletic department staff and Executive Director of Athletics Nathan Gibson for achieving this remarkable accomplishment," said UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet. "Our students dedicate countless hours of hard work in the classroom, on the field, in our community, and on campus. We are thrilled to celebrate this outstanding achievement."
 
Gaining the most points toward the Learfield Directors' Cup standings is the women's cross country program.  After claiming runner-up finishes at both the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship and the NCAA South Central Regional championship meets, the Mountain Lions finished sixth overall at the NCAA Division II National Championship meet in Kenosha, Wis., on Nov. 22, earning 73.5 points toward the standings. 
 
The men's cross country team secured 63 points toward the standings with a 13th-place finish at the national championship meet.  The Mountain Lions started their postseason run with a fourth-place finish at the conference championships, followed by a sixth-place finish two weeks later in Pueblo, Colo., at the regional championship meet.
 
Both men's and women's Mountain Lion soccer programs merited 64 points each with ninth-place finishes in the cup standings.  The men's soccer squad claimed the program's first RMAC Regular Season and RMAC Tournament Championship titles in 2025.  UCCS automatically qualified for the NCAA postseason tournament, earning the No. 10 seed, where they faced California State University Los Angeles in the first round, besting CSULA in penalty kicks, 4-3, to move on to the second round, where they took down No. 2 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills, 3-1.  The Mountain Lions' season came to an end with a 2-1 defeat at No. 3 seed Point Loma Nazarene University on Nov. 29.
 
The UCCS women's team also advanced into the NCAA Third Round.  For the first time since 2023, UCCS secured a spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the South Central Region. The Mountain Lions defeated No. 6 seed Midwestern State, 1-0, and went on to compete against No. 2 seed Colorado School of Mines in the semifinals. UCCS advanced on penalty kicks 3-1 over the Orediggers and met No. 1 seed Dallas Baptist University in the South Central Region Final, but fell to the No. 1 ranked team in Division II, 3-2, in overtime.
 
Recording their most successful season ever, the Mountain Lions volleyball team finished the 2025 campaign with a program-best 26-4 record, and they shared the RMAC regular season title with eventual NCAA National Champion Metropolitan State University of Denver, owning a 13-1 conference record.  Making just their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament (2007), the Mountain Lions fell in the quarterfinal round to Colorado School of Mines, 3-2, but collected 33 points toward the cup standings.

"This fall provided so many amazing moments!" commented Gibson.  From hosting RMAC Championships in Cross Country, winning RMAC Championships in Soccer and Volleyball, National Championship runs by all of our Fall Sports...it was truly unforgettable!  I see every day the hard work put in by our coaches, staff and student athletes to accomplish at this level, so it is truly humbling to be recognized as the No. 1 institution in the Learfield Directors' Cup this fall!"

With the conclusion of the fall championships, four Mountain Lion programs finished the season ranked in the top 25 by their respective coaches' organizations: No. 6 Women's Cross Country, No. 11 Women's Soccer, No. 13 Men's Cross Country, and No. 19 Men's Soccer. In addition, 64 Mountain Lions earned RMAC All-Academic honors, with nine being named to the RMAC All-Academic First Team. Men's Soccer student-athlete Nick Walker was recognized as the RMAC Academic Athlete of the Year. Walker, along with teammate Miles Seminario and volleyball standout Payton Tompkins, received College Sports Communicators Academic All-District distinction. Seminario also earned CSC Academic All-America honors for the second consecutive year.

The Mountain Lions excel not only in the classroom and on the field but also in giving back to their community. In the 2024-25 NCAA Division II rankings, UCCS placed seventh overall for the most community service hours, according to Helper Helper. Within their respective sports, five Mountain Lion teams ranked in the top 10 for community service leadership: No. 4 Men's Cross Country/Track and Field, No. 5 Women's Lacrosse, No. 6 Women's Cross Country/Track and Field, No. 6 Baseball, and No. 8 Men's Soccer.  Since July 1, 2025, the Mountain Lions have committed more than 1,440 hours to community service and accounted for more than $50,000 in monetary impact..

Looking ahead, UCCS aims to extend its impressive streak of 42 consecutive semesters with a department GPA of at least 3.00. For the past 21 years, the Mountain Lions have consistently met this goal, and they are poised to make it 43 straight semesters once the final grades for the fall semester are tallied.

Ten of the 15 RMAC schools earned points in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings.  Joining UCCS in the top 10 are No. 3 Colorado School of Mines (275 points) and No. 6 Western Colorado University (203 points).
  
The winter standings will be announced in April 2026.

 
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.