CLEVELAND, Ohio – Saint Leo University jumped 14 spots in the latest 2017-18 Learfield Directors' Cup Spring Standings report, released Thursday by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), to fourth in the country out of all Division II Institutions.

Saint Leo remains the top Sunshine State Conference institution where Florida Southern trails the Green and Gold in 10th, with only baseball to go, the Lions will finish as the top institution in the SSC.

The Lions stand in fourth with a total of 695.25 points, 27.25 short of third place. Saint Leo scored in seven of the spring championships, including a runner up finish in men's lacrosse. The Moccasins are in 10th with 590.25 points, and even if the Mocs were to win the baseball national title, they would finish with 690.25 points, 5.25 short of the Green and Gold. Saint Leo tallied 428.75 points in the spring from men's lacrosse (90), softball (83), men's golf (72.75), women's golf (51), men's tennis (50), women's tennis (50), and women's track (32). 

A total of eight Sunshine State Conference institutions were ranked among the top 100 in the latest Directors' Cup standings report, with the Lions, Moccasins, Buccaneers and Lynn Fighting Knights among the top 45 institutions.
 
The Southern Athletic Conference and Sunshine State Conference lead all Division II conferences with two institutions in the top-10 each: Queens (NC) (5th) and Wingate (8th) from the SAC, and Saint Leo (4th) and Florida Southern (10th) from the SSC.

Grand Valley State remains in the lead with 958.75 total points. With only the baseball championship yet to finish, GVSU looks to defend its Division II Learfield Directors' Cup crown for a fourth consecutive year and 13th overall. The Lakers lead by only 78.75 points.

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. To review the updated scoring changes for the 2017-18 year, please click here.

The next Learfield Directors' Cup standings update will be announced on Thursday, June 14, which will stand as the 2017-18 final Learfield Directors' Cup standings.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo Department of Athletics, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
 

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Please note, standings published midseason are unofficial. Official standings will be published upon the completion of the spring season. 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/ldirectorscup or follow us on Twitter @ldirectorscup.
 
About Learfield: 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 nearly 130 collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas, and supports athletic department's at all competitive levels as title sponsor of the prestigious Learfield Directors' Cup for 10 years. 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.