In the past decade, WashU has celebrated eight NCAA championships, 25 individual national champions and some 60 University Athletic Association conference championships. But one title has been elusive: the Learfield Directors’ Cup.
Awarded by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the Learfield Cup is presented to the athletic program with the best overall NCAA postseason success in collegiate sports. WashU, a perennial top-five finalist, finally got the No. 1 spot for the 2025-26 year due to the collective success of its 19 programs, 18 of which made the NCAA tournament in their respective sports and two of which — women’s soccer and women’s indoor track-and-field — won the championship title.
To recognize the hard work of WashU athletes, coaches and staff, University Advancement and the Division of Student Success invites the WashU community to the Learfield Directors’ Cup Celebration and Festival at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, at Tisch Park. The party will feature complimentary local food and drink, arcade games, caricature artists, airbrush tattoos and a photo booth. At 6:30 p.m. revelers will parade to Francis Olympic Field to watch the three-time national championship women’s soccer team play Millikin University.
“While we love the victories, what makes me most proud is how our students represent WashU, their achievements in the classroom, and how they develop as leaders,” said Anna Gonzalez, vice chancellor for student success.
Here, Anthony Azama, the associate vice chancellor for student success and the John M. Schael Director of Athletics, reflects on the Bears’ Learfield Directors’ Cup victory and what this season has in store for Bears fans.
For those unfamiliar with the Learfield Directors’ Cup, why is this honor so important?
At our core, we are a collection of people who really enjoy the development of student athletes. We don’t start off the year saying, ‘Winning the Directors’ Cup is the ultimate goal.’ No, the ultimate goal is how can we get everybody on the roster 1% better; how can we create an environment that nurtures joy in sport. To that end, we have doubled down on our infrastructure — from the athletic trainers to strength and conditioning to mental health to leadership development. By focusing on the student experience, we created the momentum that brought us here, winning the ultimate measurement of athletic department success, the Learfield Directors’ Cup.
And, of course, our scholar-champions are outstanding. They don’t come here just to compete for a conference championship. They come here for the opportunity to compete on a grand stage. When you think about it, each sport did something special to meet the moment, whether it was making 10 penalty kicks to reach the women’s soccer championship or throwing 120 pitches to win our first game in the baseball postseason or being 11-under-par on the last day of the women’s golf championship.
Athlete Hayden Kunkel (left), Zachary Duckworth (right) and assistant track-and-field coach Lane Lohr joined him on the podium. (Photo: WashU Athletics)
For those members of the WashU community who have yet to cheer for the Bears in person, what’s your pitch?
The experience here is very different from the noise you hear about in college athletics today, which can be so transactional. At WashU, our focus is on education, yes, but it’s also on entertainment. Every time new people come out, they’re surprised by how competitive our student athletes are; how fan-friendly the experience is. Most of our sporting events are free, so if you haven’t given us a chance, now is the time.
WashU teams are off to a mind-blowing start. Football opened its season with a 73-0 win over Rhodes College and women’s soccer beat Greenville University 14-0. What’s in store for fans this season?
It’s not just football and women’s soccer. Men’s soccer, cross country, golf and volleyball are also off to a strong start. Our football team is now in a different conference, the North Coast Athletic Conference, which aligns a little bit better academically. It’s going to be very competitive, but our student athletes are excited about the challenge. With two straight championships, people are thinking three-peat for women’s soccer. Fall sports are focused on the process. Obviously, Olivia Clemons (two-time NCAA All-Tournament Offensive Player of the Year) is going to be a threat. But women’s soccer has great leaders in this senior class. The culture amongst our fall, winter and spring sports shines through in competition when the moment requires the best version of themselves.
No matter what the sport, you’re going to see some really competitive matches. We take every opportunity to have a strong strength of schedule so when we make the postseason, we’re battle-tested. Look at women’s volleyball — they’re playing numerous top-25 teams just in September. Recruits really want to play at that level, and that’s one of the reasons WashU is a destination for top talent.
