GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s third straight NCAA men’s outdoor track and field title led to 11 teams in the top five as the Gators track and field program placed fourth in the 2023 LEARFIELD Directors Cup standings- 24.
Florida is the only program to finish among the top 10 in the country in each of the last 40 national rankings in all sports combined.
Florida Top 5:
The third straight NCAA title by men’s outdoor track and field has the Gators’ 11 teams ranked in the top five in 2023-24. The 11 teams ranked in the top five include a national top nine in the top three.
It’s the 15th consecutive full season with a Gators team winner a national team title. Florida is one of two programs with a national title in every full season since the 2008-09 campaign. UF has 27 championships during that span.
In 2023-24, 11 Gators teams ranked in the top five in the country, including nine in the top three. It’s the 22ndsd consecutive full season, 10 or more Gators teams were among the top 10 in the country.
- No. 1 in men’s outdoor athletics
- Women’s Indoor Athletics No. 2
- No. 2 Women’s Outdoor Athletics
- No. 3, men’s swimming and diving
- No. 3 Women’s Swimming and Diving
- Men’s Indoor Athletics No. 3
- Baseball No. T3
- No. T-3 Lacrosse
- Softball No. T-3
- Gymnastics #4
- Women’s Cross Country No. 5
| LEARFIELD Directors Cup Rankings 2023-24 | ||
| Rank | School | Points |
| 1. | Texas | 1377.00 |
| 2. | Stanford | 1317.75 |
| 3. | Tennessee | 1217.00 |
| 4. | FLORIDA | 1189.00 |
| 5. | Virginia | 1066.25 |
| 6. | Texas A&M | 1059.25 |
| 7. | North Carolina | 1035.75 |
| 8. | Michigan | 1030.00 |
| 9. | Alabama | 1028.40 |
| ten. | UCLA | 1017.50 |
LEARFIELD Directors Cut
The LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup, presented annually by the nation’s athletic directors, recognizes schools with the best overall athletic performance during an academic year. The scoring system uses results from NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and women’s volleyball. Additionally, a program can receive points in up to 15 other sports toward its final score. Texas won its third Directors’ Cup this season.
Over the past 15 seasons, 15 different programs have appeared in the top five of the Directors’ Cup finals. Only Florida and Stanford have appeared in the top five since 2008-09, with Michigan (7), Ohio State and Southern California (6) earning the second-most top-five finishes during that span.
UF Athletic Director Scott Stricklin says:
“Another NCAA title in men’s outdoor track and field was one of many celebratory moments for the Gators this season. Eleven top-five finishes in Florida, including nine national top-three finishes. So much effort and training are necessary to prepare to compete on the national stage, so we applaud the competitive spirit of our student-athletes, coaches and staff – UF Athletic Director Scott Stricklin.
2023-24 NCAA Individual Champions for the Gators:
Eleven Gators have won a national record 15 individual NCAA titles in five sports during the 2023-24 season.
| 2023-24 NCAA Individual National Champions | ||
| sport | Name | Event |
| Women’s cross country | Parker Valby | Race winner |
| Gymnastic | Leanne Wong | Uneven bars |
| Men’s swimming | Josh Liendo | 50 and 100 free; 100 butterfly |
| Josh Liendo, Adam Chaney, Julian Smith, Macguire McDuff | 200m freestyle relay | |
| Adam Chaney, Julian Smith, Josh Liendo, Macguire McDuff | 200m medley relay | |
| Women’s swimming | Bella Sims | 200 and 500 free |
| Bella Sims, Isabel Ivey, Emma Weyant, Micayla Cronk | 800 free relay | |
| Athletics (indoor) | Parker Valby | 3000 and 5000 meters |
| Athletics (outdoor) | Grace Stark | 100 meter hurdles |
| Parker Valby | 5,000 and 10,000 meters | |
Other Gators successes:
Four Southeastern Conference titles (women’s cross country, gymnastics, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, volleyball) brought the Gators’ all-time titles total to 265, a league best. Lacrosse won its final American Athletic Conference title in 2024 as the team moves up to the Big 12 for the 2025 season.
Two Gators teams won 2024 conference tournament titles. Softball won its sixth SEC Tournament title, which is the most wins in the event’s history. Lacrosse won its 10th consecutive conference tournament title and 11th overall in Nashville, Tenn., during the 2024 AAC Tournament.
National Athlete of the Year honors went to three Gators in 2023-24:
- Jac Caglianone John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year by College Baseball Foundation
- Perfect Play Two-Way Player of the Year
- Jocelyn Erickson TUCCI/NFCA Division I Player of the Year Award
- Parker Valby Honda Awards (cross country and athletics)
- USTFCCCA Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Runner of the Year
Seven Gators earned nine conference athlete of the year honors in 2023-24. It’s 47th In consecutive seasons, at least one Gator has won the league’s Athlete of the Year award.
- Leilani Correa SEC 6 Women’s Basketballth Woman of the year
- Jocelyne Erickson SEC Softball Player of the Year
- Elyse Finnelle AAC Goalie of the Year
- Maggi Room AAC Forward of the Year
- Josh Liendo SEC Swimmer of the Year
- Bella Sims SEC Swimmer of the Year
- Parker Valby SEC Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Runner of the Year
Alligators in numbers
NCAA men’s outdoor track and field team crown marks 15 Consecutive full season a Gator team has won a national team title. Florida won 27 national team titles since the 2008-09 season.
11 the national team finishes in the top five. 22sd consecutive full season, 10 or more Gator teams in the final top 10. Includes a top-nine national top-three finish.
5 Gators conference titles in 2023-24 – women’s cross country, gymnastics, lacrosse, men’s and women’s swimming and diving.
95 Percent graduation pass rate, as reported last fall during the 2023 NCAA Federal Graduation Pass Rate Date, set UF’s all-time high.
3,325 grade point average of Gator student-athletes in the 2023-24 academic year – an all-time high. A recording 433 The Gators earned 2023-24 SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition.
1 named an NCAA Elite 90 recipient as the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the NCAA Lacrosse Championships – Emilie Lortz.
3 College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans – Jake Mitchell (swimming), Korbe Otis (softball) and Emma Weyant (swimming) – no longer possible.
3 picked up 4 conference coach of the year honors, scoring 29th consecutive season, at least one UF coach has been recognized. Third consecutive national coach of the year for Michael Holloway (USTFCCCA Men’s National Outdoor Coach of the Year).