University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Lead In Learfield Directors’ Cup Through Fall
January 12, 2023 | General
CHAPEL HILL – The University of North Carolina's 10th field hockey NCAA title and 27th appearance in the women's soccer national championship game highlighted an outstanding fall and lifted the Tar Heels to the top spot in the 2022-23 Learfield Directors' Cup standings.
Carolina amassed 382.5 points in the fall, including 100 by field hockey and 90 by women's soccer.
The field hockey team, led by head coach Karen Shelton and National Player of the Year Erin Matson, defeated Northwestern, 2-1, to win its fourth national championship in the last five seasons. Shelton retired following the season, her 42nd as head coach of the Tar Heels, as the winningest coach in the history of collegiate field hockey.
Men's cross country placed fifth and women's cross country raced to a 10th-place finish, providing 75 and 67.5 points, respectively. It was the first time in school history both cross country teams finished in the top 10 in the NCAA Championship in the same season.
Football won the ACC Coastal Division, competed in the Holiday Bowl and contributed 25 points to the Directors' Cup total.
Last year, Carolina placed sixth in the Learfield Directors' Cup. It was UNC's 23rd top-10 performance in the 28-year history of the Cup and the 20th time Carolina was the highest-finishing Atlantic Coast Conference institution.
The University of Texas won both the 2021 and 2022 Directors' Cups.
Stanford, BYU, Ohio State, Syracuse, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Texas, Virginia and Alabama join UNC in the top 10 in the 2022-23 fall standings. The ACC has two schools in the top five, four in the top 10 and 10 programs in the top 25.
The final winter sports standings will be released in April.
Carolina amassed 382.5 points in the fall, including 100 by field hockey and 90 by women's soccer.
The field hockey team, led by head coach Karen Shelton and National Player of the Year Erin Matson, defeated Northwestern, 2-1, to win its fourth national championship in the last five seasons. Shelton retired following the season, her 42nd as head coach of the Tar Heels, as the winningest coach in the history of collegiate field hockey.
Men's cross country placed fifth and women's cross country raced to a 10th-place finish, providing 75 and 67.5 points, respectively. It was the first time in school history both cross country teams finished in the top 10 in the NCAA Championship in the same season.
Football won the ACC Coastal Division, competed in the Holiday Bowl and contributed 25 points to the Directors' Cup total.
Last year, Carolina placed sixth in the Learfield Directors' Cup. It was UNC's 23rd top-10 performance in the 28-year history of the Cup and the 20th time Carolina was the highest-finishing Atlantic Coast Conference institution.
The University of Texas won both the 2021 and 2022 Directors' Cups.
Stanford, BYU, Ohio State, Syracuse, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Texas, Virginia and Alabama join UNC in the top 10 in the 2022-23 fall standings. The ACC has two schools in the top five, four in the top 10 and 10 programs in the top 25.
The final winter sports standings will be released in April.
Carolina Insider: Rapid Reactions – Men’s Basketball vs. Radford – November 11, 2025
Wednesday, November 12
Hubert Davis Post-Radford Press Conference
Wednesday, November 12
UNC Men's Basketball: Tar Heels Handle Radford, 89-74
Wednesday, November 12
FB: Head Coach Bill Belichick Pre-Wake Forest Press Conference
Tuesday, November 11