Virginia Tech Finishes No. 33 In 2021-22 Directors’ Cup

By: David Cunningham | Managing Editor
Whit Babcock and Virginia Tech finished No. 33 in this year’s LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup. (Liam Sment)

Virginia Tech finished No. 33 in the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup for the 2021-22 academic year with 688.25 points, good for the third-highest finish in program history.

After finishing 32nd in 2020-21 with 631.25 points, the Hokies actually put up 57 more points this year. However, many other institutions around the country improved as well, thus the lack of gain in ranking.

For example, Texas, back-to-back Directors’ Cup champions, posted 1252 points last year. They blew that out of the water over the course of the most recent academic year with 1449.50 points – a gain of 197.50 points. The Longhorns won four national championships (Men’s Indoor T&F, Women’s Tennis, Rowing, Men’s Golf) and had 10 NCAA top-two finishes.

Virginia Tech finished just 47.25 points behind its highest-ever point total of 735.50 in 2017-18. The Hokies placed 28th that year, still the athletic department’s best-ever showing.

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
  • 2021-2022: No. 33

Virginia Tech ranked 50th after the fall season with 125 points, a large jump from the previous fall’s total of 64. Football earned 25 points for its Pinstripe Bowl appearance, while men’s and women’s soccer racked up 50 points each after advancing to the Sweet 16. The Hokies came in 11th out of the 15 ACC schools in the fall standings, finishing ahead of Virginia, Georgia Tech, Miami and Boston College.

The athletic department was dominant in the winter, posting 332.75 points, jumping the Hokies up to No. 21 overall. Virginia Tech was No. 19 in winter sports alone, fourth in the conference behind Notre Dame, North Carolina and NC State.

For the second time in program history, the men’s and women’s basketball programs made the NCAA Tournament in the same season, garnering 25 points each. Despite both having first round exits, the men won the ACC Tournament for the first time in school history, while the women were a No. 5 seed in the Big Dance.

Men’s and women’s swimming & diving finished 11th and 23rd, respectively, combining for 117 points (66 and 51). Men’s indoor track & field picked up 22.5 points for placing 47th, but the women’s track & field squad posted a sixth-place finish, good for 72.75 points. Both programs won the ACC Championships in Blacksburg, too. To cap off the winter, wrestling earned 70.5 points for finishing eighth.

Virginia Tech had a very successful spring with 230.50 points, highlighted by top-four baseball and softball programs. Out of the ACC schools, the Hokies placed seventh behind Virginia, Florida State, Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest and Miami.

Both teams hosted NCAA Tournament play, though they fell in game three of both series to Oklahoma and Kentucky, respectively. They were both top-four seeds, however, and got the honor of hosting Super Regionals for the first time ever. They each picked up 64 points. Women’s outdoor track and field posted a 17th-place finish, good for 56.5 points, while women’s golf made some noise, finishing 26th (46 points).

Here’s a full list of each program that placed with its national ranking and total points:

  • Women’s Indoor Track & Field: No. 6, 72.75 points
  • Wrestling: No. 8, 70.5
  • Baseball: No. 9, 64
  • Softball: No. 9, 64
  • Men’s Swim & Dive: No. 11, 66
  • Women’s Track & Field: No. 17, 56.5
  • Men’s Soccer: No. 17, 50
  • Women’s Soccer: No. 17, 50
  • Women’s Swim & Dive: No. 23, 51
  • Women’s Golf: No. 26, 46
  • Women’s Basketball: No. 33, 25
  • Men’s Basketball: No. 33, 25
  • Men’s Indoor Track & Field: No. 47, 22.5
  • Football: No. 49, 25

Virginia Tech had 14 sports place this year, one more than last year’s 13. Men’s outdoor track and field and men’s tennis did not record points, unlike last year. However, football, women’s soccer and baseball each did, none of whom added to the tally in 2020-21.

Here’s how all of the ACC schools fared:

  • No. 6 North Carolina: 1087.25 points
  • No. 8 Notre Dame: 1021
  • No. 11 Virginia: 942.50
  • No. 14 Florida State: 910
  • No. 17 NC State: 870
  • No. 21 Duke: 849.50
  • No. 33 Virginia Tech: 688.25
  • No. 34 Louisville: 663.50
  • No. 45 Wake Forest: 530
  • No. 50 Miami: 516
  • No. 65 Clemson: 357.5
  • No. 68 Georgia Tech: 352.25
  • No. 72 Syracuse: 304
  • No. 73 Pitt: 298
  • No. 109 Boston College: 165

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13 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. We are ahead of Clemson and Miami, who are thought (along with FSU) to be the most desirable teams for the SEC or B1G to poach. Anyone lining up to poach Duke (who somehow ranks ahead of us, and it ain’t because of football). Other than the Ivy League, that is.

    Speaking of, why can’t schools like Vandy and Northwestern join the Ivy League and open up a few spots in the P2 for large state schools like VT? Duke should join too, but that doesn’t help us in terms of opening up an existing spot in the P2.

  2. Prob most surprising of that ACC list is NC State. I def don’t typically think they’d have the nod overall athletics over VT, but I guess I’m wrong!

  4. VT doesn’t have rowing, field hockey, rifle, gymnastics or men’s lacrosse. Add a few of those and the number of points would increase .

    1. Makes something of an argument for dropping some things and focusing on fewer sports. No, I don’t have suggestions We are not going to do much better than this as the NCAA is currently configured. Thought we really had a good year except for FB and yet a worse result. Just not sure this is something we are ever going to be able to compete in, had a good year and we are 8th – not ever top half in the conference. Sorry, the way college athletics is going has me so ticked off it may be coloring all I see of the NCAA. Cannot even imagine a more useless governing structure.

      1. I would rather have a strong football, basketball and baseball program and a score like Clemson( who is well below us) than a higher score in some sports which few people care about

        1. I wouldn’t. I actually care about all the sports. Why wouldn’t a VT athletic fan care about all the VT sports?

          2. Totally agree. I fully enjoyed the softball team this year, as well as wrestling. Great stories among a lot of our programs.

    2. Have you looked at the Commonwealth Clash standings? We dominate them in the mutual sports in which we participate! We have won 2-0-1 in the last 3 yearly competitions. UVA hasn’t won this head to head competition in 5 years! Where we choose to play, we beat UVA, period. Go Hokies! Click on:

      https://hokiesports.com/feature/commonwealth-clash

      1. Just to add, the only thing UVA has going for them in the Clash with VT is Golf, Lacrosse, and Tennis. Please excuse me while I yawn and oh, by the way, pardon me, would you have any grey poupon?

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