Virginia Tech Finishes No. 32 in 2020-21 Directors’ Cup

Virginia Tech finished No. 32 in Learfield IMG’s Directors’ Cup in the 2020-2021 academic year with 631.25 points, good for the second-highest finish in school history. 

After recording an athletic department-best finish in 2017-2018 at No. 28, the Hokies fell to No. 49 in 2018-2019. In the 2019-2020 academic year, Virginia Tech finished 21st, though many winter and all spring championships were canceled due to COVID-19. Here is a complete list of Tech’s finishes since joining the ACC:

• 2004-2005: No. 58
• 2005-2006: No. 45
• 2006-2007: No. 48
• 2007-2008: No. 37
• 2008-2009: No. 46
• 2009-2010: No. 38
• 2010-2011: No. 45
• 2011-2012: No. 35
• 2012-2013: No. 36
• 2013-2014: No. 37
• 2014-2015: No. 35
• 2015-2016: No. 38
• 2016-2017: No. 40
• 2017-2018: No. 28
• 2018-2019: No. 49
• 2019-2020: No. 21* (COVID)
• 2020-2021: No. 32

Virginia Tech only earned 64 points in the fall, all of which came from Mike Brizendine’s Sweet 16 appearance with men’s soccer. The Hokies came in 12th out of the 15 ACC schools in the fall standings, finishing ahead of Miami, Syracuse and Boston College. It’s also the first time since Tech joined the ACC that the football team did not place.

Despite earning few points in the fall, the Hokies dominated the winter, tallying 364.25 points, good for second in the ACC behind NC State’s 401.75. 

Tech’s men’s and women’s basketball teams reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the same season in school history, and both programs finished third in the conference in terms of points. While the men fell to Florida in overtime in the first round of the big dance, the women knocked off Marquette in their first NCAA Tournament game since 2006 before falling to Baylor.

Men’s and women’s swimming finished fourth and fifth in the conference, respectively, while the women’s indoor track and field team topped the ACC by finishing 14th nationally, the second-highest finish in program history. The men’s indoor track and field team was not far behind with a second-place finish in the conference. Between the two teams, the track and field program had nine First Team All-Americans and four Second Team All-Americans. 

The winter was capped off by the Hokies’ wrestling squad, which won the ACC regular season title and finished second in the conference. Tony Robie’s program had three All-Americans, including Korbin Myers, who placed fourth at the NCAAs, and Sam Latona, the ACC Freshman of the Year.

In the spring, Virginia Tech tallied 203 points as five different programs placed. Pete D’Amour and the softball team’s run to the Super Regionals earned 64 points while Carol Robertson and the women’s golf team’s first-ever national championship appearance scored 52.5. Both of those finishes were second best in the ACC. Tech’s men’s tennis team, which was ousted by Texas Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, racked up 25 points.

Dave Cianelli’s track and field program earned more points at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships as the men finished fourth in the ACC while the women finished tenth. In all, the track and field team accounted for 180.75 of Tech’s total 631.25 points (29%).

A full list of each program that placed with its national ranking and total points:

• Softball: No. 9, 64
• Men’s Soccer: No. 9, 64
• Men’s Swim and Dive: No. 11, 57
• Women’s Indoor Track and Field: No. 14, 61.5
• Wrestling: No. 15, 60
• Men’s Indoor Track and Field: No. 16, 57.75
• Women’s Basketball: No. 17, 50
• Women’s Golf: No. 21, 52.5
• Women’s Swim and Dive: No. 21, 53
• Men’s Basketball: No. 33, 25
• Men’s Tennis: No. 33, 25
• Men’s Track and Field: No. 37, 35
• Women’s Track and Field: No. 46, 26.5

Here’s how all of the ACC schools fared:

• No. 4 North Carolina: 1126.25
• No. 11 Virginia: 970.25
• No. 14 Notre Dame: 900.00
• No. 16 Florida State: 893.00
• No. 21 Duke: 831.50
• No. 23 N.C. State: 783.25
• No. 32 Virginia Tech: 631.25
• No. 36 Clemson: 554.75
• No. 40 Louisville: 532.75
• No. 44 Georgia Tech: 487.00
• No. 54 Wake Forest: 394.75
• No. 62 Miami: 358.50
• No. 64 Syracuse: 328.00
• No. 73 Pitt: 279.00
• No. 74 Boston College: 277.00

The Hokies finished seventh in the ACC as a whole, right in the middle of the 15-team conference. Tech is nowhere close to catching UNC, UVa and Notre Dame at the top, who each won at least one national championship (UVa won two), but sits comfortably behind N.C. State and ahead of Clemson. 

There’s plenty of potential for 2021-22, too, between football, women’s soccer and baseball, three teams that weren’t far away from placing in 2020-21.

Full results (PDF)