KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan Athletics has once again finished atop the Mid-American Conference in the final 2025-26 Learfield Directors' Cup standings, marking the third consecutive year the Broncos have led the league. Western Michigan totaled 180.00 points to finish tied for 102nd nationally, extending its recent run of success and further establishing the Broncos as one of the premier athletic departments among Group of Six institutions.

Finishing first in the Mid-American Conference Learfield Directors' Cup standings for the third consecutive year reflects the collective success of Western Michigan Athletics. As the premier measure of overall athletic department achievement, the Directors' Cup recognizes institutions that excel across multiple sports, highlighting the sustained success of Bronco student-athletes, coaches and programs.

"Having an athletic department that competes at the top of our leagues is one of the key pillars of our vision of Comprehensive Excellence," WMU Vice President / Director of Athletics Dan Bartholomae said. "In 2024, it was thrilling to see that vision come to life with the 1st MAC Director's Cup title in our history. Two years later, we have now done what only two other institutions in MAC history have, in securing the top spot in the Directors' Cup for the third straight year - a three-peat! This unprecedented success at WMU is a result of tireless effort from our student-athletes, our coaches and our staff. It is also a reflection of unprecedented community support, both philanthropically and in our venues. And it is a statement on what we have aspired to become. WMU is a destination Group of 6 program, and Kalamazoo is the City of Champions."

The achievement is the latest milestone in one of the most successful stretches in department history. Since 2022, Western Michigan Athletics has captured 37 conference championships and made 33 postseason appearances, highlighted by the men's ice hockey program's 2025 NCAA National Championship. Together, those accomplishments have helped establish Western Michigan as a true City of Champions and one of the nation's premier Group of Six athletic departments.

Western Michigan's 2025-26 finish in the Directors' Cup standing was fueled by another remarkable year of competitive success, highlighted by nine Mid-American Conference championships and six NCAA postseason appearances across multiple programs.

The Bronco football program captured the Mid-American Conference Championship and followed it with a victory in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, capping one of the most successful seasons in program history. Football's championship run marked the program's first MAC title since 2016 and contributed significant points to the Directors' Cup standings.

Western Michigan men's soccer continued its championship tradition by claiming the MVC Tournament title and advancing to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. Women's soccer followed its third straight MAC regular season championship by once again earning a postseason berth after winning the MAC Tournament Championship for the second consecutive year.

The Bronco hockey program followed its historic national championship season by earning its fifth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the regional finals.

This spring, the WMU men's tennis program captured its fifth MAC regular season title in the last six seasons and its 30th overall.  

Western Michigan student-athletes also excelled on the national stage through several standout individual performances. In gymnastics, Reese Samuelson earned a berth to the NCAA Regional Championships on uneven bars, representing the Broncos among the nation's top competitors. On the track, the Broncos claimed three Mid-American Conference individual championships, led by Mabinty Kebe in the 400-meter hurdles, Ava Kurczewski in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and Laurine Marimon in the triple jump. Western Michigan's success continued on the national stage as four student-athletes qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round, with Kebe, Kurczewski, Marimon and Sandra Ferrari earning the opportunity to compete at the NCAA Regionals.

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.

Each institution is awarded points in a pre-determined number of sports for men and women. Four sports—baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball and women's volleyball—are counted automatically, with the next highest point-producing sports regardless of gender included in the final standings. The overall champion is the institution that records the highest number of points in its division's Directors' Cup standings.