WACO, Texas -- By securing three Big 12 Conference titles and seeing 18 of 19 athletics programs advance to postseason competition, Baylor University secured its second-highest finish with a No. 24 result in the 2016-17 Learfield Directors' Cup standings, announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

The Director's Cup is a program that honors institutions achieving success in many men's and women's sports. Each Division I institution is eligible to earn points for 10 men's and 10 women's sports programs. No institution with fewer countable sports programs finished ahead of Baylor in this year's Directors' Cup, which leaves three-time NCATA national champion acrobatics and tumbling and Big 12 Champion equestrian teams out of its equation.

Baylor's 17 countable sports combined to record its highest point total in cup history of 790.25, earning 168.00 points in the fall, 225.75 in the winter and 396.50 in the spring. The Bears improved greatly upon last year's No. 56 result with 425.00 points.

"I am continuously impressed by the tremendous leadership of our coaches and staff members and the dedication of our student-athletes," Rhoades said. "Having our institution well-represented in the postseason, earning three Big 12 Championships and posting a record 790.25 points in the Learfield Sports NACDA Directors' Cup are testaments to that."

Baylor finished third among Big 12 institutions, behind Texas (No. 7, 1067.75) and Oklahoma (No. 17, 876.00), and ahead of conference foes Oklahoma State (No. 27, 748.25), West Virginia (No. 45, 514.50), Kansas (No. 57, 440.00), Iowa State (No. 59, 428.50), TCU (No. 60, 427.50), Texas Tech (No. 65, 396.25) and Kansas State (No. 66, 378.50).

Stanford won the Directors' Cup for the 22nd consecutive year followed by Ohio State, Florida, USC and North Carolina, all of which carry a minimum of 21 sports programs.

In 2016-17, Baylor women's basketball won its seventh-consecutive regular season conference championship and went on to earn a No. 1 seed in its 14th-straight NCAA Tournament. The Lady Bears advanced to their fourth Elite Eight in a row.

Women's indoor track and field captured its first Big 12 Championship, compiling a program record 129.5 points to finish ahead of the second place Longhorns (100.0). Five individual event titles and four runner-up finishes combined with 28 All-Big 12 performances brought home the hardware for the Lady Bears.

Equestrian recorded its second Big 12 title in the last three years, besting Oklahoma State in the final round, 11-7, and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCEA National Championship for the first time in program history.

After leading the field with five individual national championship titles, No. 2-seeded Baylor acrobatics and tumbling hoisted its third consecutive NCATA Championship with a victory over No. 1-seeded Oregon.

Football secured its seventh consecutive bowl bid and, in spite of a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Seth Russell, closed the year with a Motel 6 Cactus Bowl victory over Boise State, 31-12.

Two programs, men's basketball and men's golf, achieved their first-ever No. 1 national ranking in 2016-17 and had strong postseason runs. Men's basketball earned its program-record fourth-straight NCAA Tournament bid and advanced to its fourth Sweet Sixteen since 2010. Men's golf registered its first NCAA Regional title to qualify for its seventh NCAA Championship in a row, where the Bears closed the program's best season in quarterfinals. Women's golf, which qualified for its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six seasons and its 15th in program history, also advanced to the quarterfinals before bowing out.

Baseball earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship, returning to the postseason for the first time since 2012 and the 19th time in program history, while softball advanced to its fourth Women's College World Series. The Lady Bears won their way there with Waco Regional and Tucson Super Regional titles.

Baylor men's tennis earned its 20th NCAA Championship berth in a row and advanced to the Round of 16 for the 15th time in the last 16 years. Women's tennis secured its 13th-straight NCAA Championship, where the Lady Bears advanced to the second round for the 13th season in a row.

Volleyball returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011 and upset San Diego in the first round. It was the first postseason victory for the Lady Bears since 2009.

With a runner-up finish at the regional meet, Baylor women's cross country qualified for its ninth NCAA Championship in the last 16 years. Seven runners represented men's cross country in the regional race. In the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Baylor boasts 17 total entries, its second-highest program total in school history and eight more than last season. The women have 10 entries (eight individual and two relays), while the men have seven entries (five individuals and two relays).

Despite earning a national ranking and the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Championship, a league which saw six programs earn NCAA Championship bids, soccer was left out of the postseason. The future is bright for the Lady Bears, who welcome back 26 returners and have added four talented recruits and one transfer to its 2017 roster.

Baylor's All-Time Directors' Cup Finishes
1993-94 -- No. 109, 105.00 points
1994-95 -- No. 64, 197.50 points
1995-96 -- No. 120, 98.50 points
1996-97 -- No. 125, 106.50 points
1997-98 -- No. 65, 130.00 points
1998-99 -- No. 32, 230.00 points
1999-00 -- No. 43, 377.00 points
2000-01 -- No. 53, 336.50 points
2001-02 -- No. 40, 456.00 points
2002-03 -- No. 69, 259.50 points
2003-04 -- No. 47, 402.25 points
2004-05 -- No. 25, 570.50 points
2005-06 -- No. 32, 511.00 points
2006-07 -- No. 38, 510.25 points
2007-08 -- No. 42, 477.50 points
2008-09 -- No. 33, 611.75 points
2009-10 -- No. 31, 633.00 points
2010-11 -- No. 35, 623.75 points
2011-12 -- No. 25, 726.00 points
2012-13 -- No. 45, 498.00 points
2013-14 -- No. 31, 710.50 points
2014-15 -- No. 23, 767.75 points
2015-16 -- No. 56, 425.00 points
2016-17 -- No. 24, 790.25 points