The UNC athletic program took a tumble in the latest Directors’ Cup standings, finishing 14th in the standings that measure each school’s performance in the NCAA post-season competition. But it was the ACC as a whole that shined the brightest of all the conferences in 2013-2014.

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The ACC placed five schools in the top 15 of the final Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings, more than any other conference in the nation.

Carolina, however, recorded a disappointing finish by the lofty standards of the Tar Heels. It was the first time UNC finished outside of the top ten in five years.

But the top of the standings always remain unchanged. The Stanford Cardinal amassed 1,482 points to snag the top spot for the 20th consecutive year.

Freshly-minted ACC member Notre Dame finished in third place while Virginia, fresh off its national runner-up performance in the College World Series, checked in at No. 4.

Duke slid into the top ten at No. 9 and football national championship-winning Florida State preceded Carolina at No.12.

The most notable performance by Carolina in postseason play during the 2013-2014 NCAA championship season was Head Coach Brian Kalbas’ women’s tennis squad.

The Tar Heels made a thrilling run all the way to the national championship match, losing a tight contest to UCLA.

Other notable finishes for UNC squads were a third-place result for field hockey and fifth-place tallies by women’s soccer, women’s basketball, women’s lacrosse and men’s tennis.

Carolina has been a model of consistency in the Directors’ Cup, earning a spot in the top 20 in all 21 season the award has been contested. In fact, UNC is the only school to dethrone Stanford for the top spot, winning the trophy in 1994 in the inaugural year.

With high expectations for men’s and women’s basketball, football and of course, an always talented women’s soccer squad to go along with a loaded and experienced women’s tennis team, the Tar Heels should expect a return to the top ten in 2015’s Directors’ Cup final standings.