After winning the past 18 straight titles, Stanford is battling some stiff competition in this year's Division I Learfield Sports Directors' Cup.

The Cardinal was fifth in the previous standings, but since has moved up to third with 324.50 total points. Stanford finished third in both NCAA women's soccer and cross country, fifth in women's volleyball, ninth in women's field hockey and 16th in men's cross country.

After the completion of seven NCAA championships, Michigan took the lead in the standings. The Wolverines have scored 348.00 points with a third-place finish in women's volleyball, fifth-place finish in women's cross country, ninth-place finish in both women's field hockey and soccer, 17th place in men's soccer and 23rd in men's cross cross country.

North Carolina fell one spot to second with 342.00 points capturing the women's soccer title, finishing runner-up in women's field hockey, fifth in men's soccer, 17th in women's volleyball and 32nd in women's cross country.

Penn State jumped four spots from eighth to fourth in the standings with 323.50 total points, finishing second in women's soccer, third in women's volleyball, fifth in women's field hockey, 14th in women's cross country and 32nd in men's cross country.

UCLA rounds out the top five with 306.00 points after a second place showing in men's water polo, a fifth place finish in women's soccer, 13th place finish in men's cross country and 17th place finishes in men's soccer and women's volleyball.

The Pac-12 now leads all conferences with three institutions in the top 10 -- Stanford (third), UCLA (fifth) and Oregon (10th).

To date, the following institutions have capturing NCAA titles: Oregon (women's cross country), Oklahoma State (men's cross country), Princeton (field hockey), North Carolina (women's soccer), Indiana (men's soccer), USC (men's water polo), and Texas (women's volleyball).

The Learfield Sports 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 up to 20 sports -- 10 women's and 10 men's.

The final Division I fall standings will be released Thursday, January 10 after the completion of the FCS National Championship and the Bowl Games.

— Palo Alto Online Sports

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