The 2024-25 collegiate athletics season has officially wrapped up with school out of session and all sports now finally having come to a close, and for the first time in a very long time, Auburn had an overall better year for athletics than Alabama.
According to AL.com, the Tigers finished ahead of the Tide in the final standings of the Learfield Directors’ Cup — a tally of athletic programs across the country and their overall department ratings — for the first time since 2016.
Though neither school finished particularly well, with Auburn coming in at No. 19 and Alabama No. 22, the Tigers certainly earned some bragging rights.
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It was a steep fall for the Crimson Tide, who finished No. 9 last season, and a big rise for the Tigers after coming in No. 33 last year.
The winner of the cup was the Texas Longhorns during their first season in SEC play. The top-rated school’s exceptional ranking was driven by a strong showing in football before winning national championships in men’s swimming and diving as well as softball.
Texas was the highest ranked SEC program with the Tennessee Volunteers coming in at No. 6, Florida Gators at No. 7, Oklahoma Sooners at No. 9, Arkansas Razorbacks at No. 11, Georgia Bulldogs at No. 14, Texas A&M Aggies at No. 15, LSU Tigers at No. 17, and South Carolina Gamecocks at No. 23.
