CLEVELAND, Oh - FDU Athletics continued its strong national showing in the LEARFIELD Directors' Cup Standings with the Knights improving from 86^th  to 75^th place in the latest update. FDU resides in the top 20 percent of all Division I athletic programs, and of the New York metropolitan area institutions, only Columbia (72^nd) is ranked ahead of the Burgundy and Blue. 

Leading all Northeast Conference (NEC) programs, FDU was bolstered by the Knights' incredible run in the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, leading to 50 points being added to FDU's fall total of 75 points. FDU men's basketball became the first 16-seed to win multiple games in the same NCAA tournament out of the First Four and the Knights busted brackets everywhere, knocking down #1 Purdue, just the second-time ever a 16-seed beat a 1-seed (UMBC). 

The Burgundy and Blue received an additional 44 points in men's indoor track and field thanks to Salif Mane's silver medal finish in triple jump at the NCAA Championships after the record-breaker set a personal-best of 16.79m in Albuquerque. The only mid-major jumper to finish in the top five, Mane was also named a First Team All-American for the third time in his career.

In total, 249 of the 363 DI institutions received points in the April 6 update with Ohio State (Big Ten) leading the charge. Almost 100 points separate the Buckeyes from second place Texas, which FDU's women's volleyball team faced in the first round of the NCAA championships in December. 
 
Area Schools
FDU leads all New York metropolitan area schools in the latest Directors' Cup standings, with the exception of Columbia University which is ranked 72^nd. Other area schools are as follows: St. Johns (123), Iona (138), Fordham (T171), Hofstra (T171,) NJIT (193), Seton Hall (202) Army (247), Fairfield (NR) and Stony Brook (NR).
 
Conference
As it did in last year's LEARFIELD final standings, FDU leads all NEC schools through the winter update. LIU is second best in the conference, good for 145^thnationally, while Sacred Heart University and Saint Francis University are tied for third best at 202. 
 
School Record
FDU's 169 points earned in the Directors' Cup is the most in department history, with the spring season still ahead. The Knights improved from last year's 124 points when it finished 139^th in the final 2021-22 standings.  
 
About LEARFIELD Directors' Cup
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. LEARFIELD is a leading media and technology services company in intercollegiate athletics.

About FDU Knights Athletics
The Knights are home to 21 NCAA Division I teams. A member of the Northeast Conference, FDU has had tremendous success in the classroom, in athletic competition, and giving back to the Bergen County community. Since 2019, the Burgundy and Blue have captured 18 Northeast Conference championships. In 2020, FDU student-athletes were also recognized for their efforts in the community by winning the NEC Building Communities Award with over 3,000 community service hours. Other recent milestones include men's basketball winning three NCAA Tournament since 2019. In addition to recent championships, FDU also holds two NCAA National Championships in the sport of women's bowling (2006, 2010).