CLEVELAND, Ohio – Lee University Athletics placed 15th in the LEARFIELD Directors' Cup final standings for NCAA Division II with 569.0 total points. The Flames were listed as 27th after the fall semester and 45th after the winter sports season, but got a boost with six sports scoring in the spring semester. It is the third time Lee has been a top 15 school in all of DII.

Throughout the 2025-26 year, Lee earned points from men and women's cross country, women's soccer, men and women's outdoor track and field, women's indoor track and field, men and women's golf, baseball, and men's tennis.
 
The Flames were 28th last year. After the 2023-24 season Lee was 15^th. At the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year, Lee was 25^th. The highest finish came in 2022 with an impressive 11^thmark. The University of West Florida was the highest ranking Gulf South Conference school coming in 12th with 613 points. The Flames regional conference foe, the Sunshine State, stood out with one in the Top 10, the University of Tampa (six). 
 
Men's cross country led the way for Lee in the fall with a tenth place finish at the national championships and earned 67.5 points. Women's cross country had a 15th place finish at the national championships and earned 60 points. Women's soccer had a 33rd place finish and earned 25 points. Women's track and field finished 13th at the indoor championship with 62.25 points. Men's indoor track and field came in 45th with 26 points. In the spring, men's golf was a national semifinalist and earned 82.5 points. Women's golf earned a 19th place earning 55 points. Men's tennis came in 33^rd place for 25 points. Baseball had a 17th place finish for 50 points. Men's outdoor track and field had 54 points for coming in 20th while women's outdoor track and field was 13th for 62.3 points.

Lee Athletic Director John Maupin is proud of the continued excellence of the Flames athletic department. "I'm really proud of the year that Lee Athletics has had.  A top 15 finish in the Learfield Director's Cup is something to celebrate, and puts our success in the upper echelon of NCAA Division II.  I believe we have the right people at Lee University, doing things the right way, and feel blessed that we get to do what we do.  I celebrate our coaches, our staff, and our student-athletes for the time and effort they put in, and again, just really proud of Lee Athletics and the year we've had! Go Flames!"

For the 18^th time in the Learfield Directors' Cup history, Grand Valley State University will take home the hardware after compiling 1,089.75 total points in 20 total sports, including three of the four sports that must be counted. The Lakers took home the title in women's basketball, women's cross country and men's outdoor track and field. Due to scoring in the max number of 11 additional sports being counted, the following scores were omitted in the final total – women's soccer, men's swimming and diving, women's lacrosse, men's tennis and women's outdoor track and field. 

Overall, eleven schools from the GSC were ranked in the final Learfield standings. It marks the tenth consecutive year and the 11th time since 2010-11 that at least ten Gulf South institutions were recognized.

The Learfield 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 NCAA Championships. Overall, 15 sports are counted in the final DII standings, four of which must be women's volleyball and basketball and men's basketball and baseball. The next highest (11 max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.