CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Grand Valley State sits atop the 2016-17 Division II Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Standings following the completion of the winter sports season. The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) leads NCAA Division II with seven programs inside the Top 40.
GVSU accumulated 351.5 points during the winter season to push its 2016-17 total to 701.5 points. The Lakers currently hold a 203-point advantage over Colorado School of Mines (498.5) in second, while Wingate sits in third with a 498 point total. The Lakers are looking to capture their 12th Division II Learfield Sports Directors' Cup and fourth straight title.
Findlay sits 13th in the rankings with 326.5 points, while Ashland jumped to No. 22 following its women's basketball crown with 288.5 points with Tiffin sitting 28th coming off back-to-back men's indoor track and field title. Saginaw Valley (34th), Northern Michigan (36th) and Ferris State (38th) round out the top seven GLIAC schools all represented inside the Top 40.
The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 14 sports -- seven women’s and seven men’s.
2017 Division II Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Winter Standings: Overall | By Conference
| Rank | School | Points |
| 1 | Grand Valley State | 701.50 |
| 13 | Findlay | 326.50 |
| 22 | Ashland | 288.50 |
| 28 | Tiffin | 265.50 |
| 34 | Saginaw Valley | 241.50 |
| 36 | Northern Michigan | 231 |
| 38 | Ferris State | 226 |
| 53 | Hillsdale | 188.50 |
| 82 | Wayne State | 146.50 |
| 127 | Walsh | 92.25 |
| 170 | Northwood | 49 |
| 185 | Lake Erie | 45.5 |
| 190 | Michigan Tech | 38 |
Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA’s website at www.directorscup.org. In addition, please visit www.thedirectorscup.com, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/lsdirectorscup or follow us on Twitter @lsdirectorscup.
About Learfield Sports: An industry leader for more than four decades, Learfield has a deep presence in the college athletics landscape nationwide. It manages the multimedia and sponsorship rights for more than 120 collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas, and supports athletics departments at all competitive levels as title sponsor of the prestigious Learfield Directors' Cup. Learfield also provides its collegiate partners access to professional concessions and ticket sales; branding, licensing and trademark consulting; digital and social platform expertise; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue and technology systems through its affiliated companies.
