Cleveland, OH - The University of the Cumberlands athletic department continued its reign atop the NAIA landscape Tuesday afternoon as the Patriots captured their third consecutive NAIA Learfield Directors' Cup, officials announced.  For the second straight year, UC set a NAIA Learfield record for points as the Patriots accumulated 1,021 points during the 2025-26 season.
 
Cumberlands becomes just the fourth NAIA institution to win three consecutive Learfield Directors' Cups and the first school since Oklahoma City (2017-19) to accomplish the feat. The Patriots once again showcased unmatched depth and excellence across all sports programs as they qualified 24 teams for NAIA National Championship competition and recorded another historic season on the national stage.
 
"This achievement speaks volumes about the culture we have built here at Cumberlands," said Athletic Director Chris Kraftick. "Winning one Learfield Cup is special, but winning three in a row takes consistency, sacrifice, and commitment from every single person in our department. Our coaches, staff, and especially our student-athletes continue to represent this university at the highest level both athletically and academically. We are incredibly grateful for the support from President Dr. Quentin Young, and the entire university administration who continue to invest in our vision."
 
The Patriots once again established themselves as one of the premier athletic departments in the country, producing multiple national championship contenders and numerous top-five finishes throughout the academic year. UC had 16 programs finish inside the top-10 nationally, while 11 teams recorded top-five finishes at their respective NAIA National Championships.
 
Leading the way was the continued dominance of the Patriots' track & field and cross country programs. Cumberlands swept all six conference championships and produced a combined four top-three national finishes.  Highlighting their success was capturing the NAIA Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championship for the second time in program history.  UC scored 79 points and captured a trio of individual national titles as well as finishing atop the podium in the 4x100 relay for the first time in program history.  The Patriots men's team also notched a runner-up finish at the Indoor National Championship, while placing third at cross country nationals for the second straight year.
 
In addition to the men's success, Cumberlands also posted a national runner-up finish at the NAIA Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship to earn 90 points towards the Learfield standings. The Patriots garnered 11 NAIA All-American honors, including Heather Durrant winning the 5k racewalk and a trio of national runner-up finishes. 
 
Cumberlands tallied national runner-up finishes in both men's swimming & diving as well as women's soccer, which garnered 90 points apiece. The Patriots men's swimming & diving team tallied 397 points to earn their first national runner-up finish in program history.  The Patriots had 28 NAIA All-Americans and had a program best three athletes capture individual national titles.  Titouan Bernot won the 500 free, Ruthiik Satti garnered the 100 back national title, and Brandon Holder won the 200 back.

UC women's soccer made a tremendous run during the national tournament.  After earning their seventh straight tournament appearance, the Patriots won three straight matches at the final site to reach the national championship match for the second time in program history. Cumberlands compiled a 17-5-3 record and had three NAIA All-Americans selections and four players named to the NAIA All-Tournament Team.

Women's swimming & diving tallied a program record 414 points to place third at the NAIA championships, securing 85 points towards Learfield.  The Patriots notched 33 All-American performances, while MSC Freshman of the Year Bella Hoare captured the 500 free national title.

Posting top-five finishes in their respective championships, UC cheer and women's golf closed out their season strong.  Cheerleading had a record-breaking season after winning six competitions, including the MSC Championships with a program record score of 95.08.  The Patriots scored a 91.73 at nationals to earn a fourth-place finish. 

Women's golf notched their first top-five since 2019 to notch 75 points towards the Learfield Cup.  Cumberlands closed out nationals scoring a 927 (+63) to climb into the top five, as Atchariya Thanaudomkul and Jasmine Points both garnered NAIA All-Tournament Team honors.  UC won five events on the year, including the MSC Championship. 

UC set the tone for the season with an historic fall season that produced a school record 330.5 points.  Two pivotal programs to that success were men's soccer and volleyball, which are both mandatory counters in the Learfield standings.  Patriots men's soccer once again delivered one of the best seasons in program history with another run deep into the NAIA National Tournament. Under head coach Paulo Neto, the Patriots continued to compete among the nation's elite after back-to-back historic campaigns as they reached the National Semifinals for the second time in program history.  Cumberlands closed out the year with a 9-6-6 record and a 5-1 mark in MSC play as UC captured their first conference title since 2008.

Volleyball posted its best season in program history compiling a 36-1 record en route to capturing their first MSC regular season title.  The Pats went on to win the MSC Tournament for the second time in the past three years and hosted a NAIA Opening Round match.  The 3-1 win over (RV) Columbia International advanced UC to the NAIA Final Site, where they posted a 3-0 sweep over #17 Midland.  Sara Zampedri was an NAIA First Team All-American as they volleyball team tallied 64 points towards Learfield. 

Men's basketball earned 64 points after reaching the NAIA Round of 16 for the third consecutive year.  The Patriots compiled a 25-8 record on the year and went 7-5 in conference play.  Rounding out the scoring is women's basketball, who qualified for their sixth consecutive national tournament. 
 
Cumberlands softball and baseball remained among the nation's premier programs. After earning a third-seed in the Williamsburg bracket, the Patriots softball team fended off elimination three times, defeating top-seed Keiser 6-3 to reach the NAIA World Series for the fourth straight year.  Baseball captured the MSC regular season and tournament title behind dominant conference play to earn another trip to the NAIA Opening Round.

Both tennis programs etched their names into the record books with strong finishes at the national tournament.  Women's tennis recorded their best finish in program history as they reached the national quarterfinals for the first time in program history. The men's tennis team earned a first-round bye at the national tournament for the first time before advancing to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive season. 

The Patriots also continued their rise in lacrosse as both the men's and women's programs remained among the nation's top teams. After reaching the national championship game the previous season, both squads earned a trip to the national tournament, while continuing to establish Cumberlands as a national power in the sport.

Other teams that contributed to the Learfield standings includes; women's cross country, men's golf, women's indoor track & field, men's wrestling and women's wrestling.  In addition to the success Cumberlands had at NAIA Championships, the Patriots archery team recorded a trio of national runner-up finishes, while UC eSports captured their first conference title in program history.
 
In addition to athletic success, Cumberlands continued to excel academically as the department once again ranked among the national leaders in NAIA Scholar Teams, Academic All-Conference selections, CSC Academic All-America honorees and NAIA Scholar-Athletes.
 
The Learfield Directors' Cup is presented annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in NAIA National Championship competition.
 
For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter/X – @UC_Patriots, Instagram – @UCPatriots, YouTube – Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.
 
What People are Saying:

"What an accomplishment! Winning the Learfield Director's Cup now three years in a row proves how committed our administration is to our coaches and student-athletes. We've got an incredible coaching staff who recruit great student-athletes and work tirelessly. When you've got the right people in the right seats and full support from your President and administration, you're able to accomplish some pretty special things." – Sam Lee, Deputy Athletic Director
 
"Winning the Learfield Directors' Cup for a third consecutive year reflects the dedication and hard work of every team in our department. Our teams push each other to excel while also supporting one another's success. For our Cheer program, this achievement is especially meaningful as we set a school record with a fourth-place finish at the NAIA National Championships. It highlights the commitment of our entire department to perform at the highest level." – RJ Conroy, Head Cheerleading & Dance Coach
 
"Our volleyball team had a special year, and we're proud to contribute as one of the core sports counted toward the Learfield Cup. At the same time, this award is a reminder that success like this takes everyone—it's the result of coaches, staff, and student-athletes across every program committing to excellence every day. That's what makes winning the Learfield Cup three years in a row so impressive." – Dr. Kathryn Park, Head Volleyball Coach
 
"I'm really happy with the year we had with both the men's and women's golf teams achieving tremendous success.  I'm glad our programs could do their part in helping the department win another Learfield Cup. I'm excited for the future of both programs." – Dr. Aaron Watkins, Head Golf Coach