Indianapolis, IN (July 11, 2025) ¨C Cleveland State University (CSU) claimed the 2024-25 Horizon League McCafferty Trophy after taking the top spot in the all-sports standings, the league office announced today. This marks the third time the department has claimed the league¡¯s top honor after winning the title in 2007-08 and most recently in the 2012-13 season. Cleveland State posted a first-place finish in the overall standings after a successful 2024-25 athletic season which included collecting two regular season championships, one division championship and one tournament championship across the department¡¯s Horizon League sponsored programs.  

The trophy, named in honor of the Horizon League¡¯s first commissioner, tracks regular season and post-season competition across all of the league¡¯s sponsored sports among the full-time members of the conference. Cleveland State took the top spot in the overall standings for the year coming in with 43.5 points, narrowly edging out in-state foe Youngstown State who finished second. 

¡°I¡¯m incredibly proud of all of our sport programs and student-athletes for their competitive success this season,¡± said CSU Director of Athletics Kelsie Gory Harkey. ¡°Winning this award from the Horizon League would not be possible without the hard work and dedication to a transformational student-athlete experience that our coaches and staff display on a daily basis. I look forward to continued success next year and beyond.¡±

Cleveland State finished first in the women¡¯s standings with 23 total points, just ahead of Milwaukee. Among the highlights were a tournament championship for volleyball, regular season titles in softball and women¡¯s tennis, and women¡¯s basketball placing third in the regular season standings. 

The Cleveland State men¡¯s teams finished second in the men¡¯s standings with 20.5 total points. Standout performances on the men¡¯s side included men¡¯s tennis capturing a North Division regular season championship, runner-up finishes for men¡¯s basketball (regular season) and men¡¯s golf (league championship), as well as a third-place finish from swimming and diving at the league championship meet. 

Final 2024-25 McCafferty Trophy Standings

1. Cleveland State ¨C 43.5
2. Youngstown State ¨C 41
3. Oakland ¨C 39.5
4. Milwaukee ¨C 34.5
5. RMU ¨C 33
6. Purdue Fort Wayne ¨C 22
7. Wright State ¨C 21
8. Northern Kentucky ¨C 18\
9. IU Indianapolis - 17
10. Green Bay ¨C 16.5
11. Detroit Mercy ¨C 3 

Men¡¯s All-Sports Totals

1. Youngstown State ¨C 24
2. Cleveland State ¨C 20.5
3. Oakland ¨C 20.5
4. Milwaukee ¨C 14.5
5. RMU ¨C 14
6. Wright State ¨C 14
7. IU Indianapolis ¨C 13
8. Northern Kentucky ¨C 8.5
9. Green Bay ¨C 4.5
10. Purdue Fort Wayne ¨C 3
11. Detroit Mercy ¨C 0.5 

Women¡¯s All-Sports Totals

1. Cleveland State ¨C 23
2. Milwaukee ¨C 20
3. Oakland ¨C 19
4. Purdue Fort Wayne ¨C 19
5. RMU - 19
6. Youngstown State ¨C 17
7. Green Bay ¨C 12
8. Northern Kentucky ¨C 9.5
9. Wright State ¨C 7
10. IU Indianapolis ¨C 4
11. Detroit Mercy ¨C 2.5