Current season, competition or edition: 2024 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships | |
Sport | College cross country running |
---|---|
Founded | 1938 |
No. of teams | 31 (253 individuals) |
Most recent champion(s) | BYU (2) |
Most titles | Arkansas (11) |
The NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championship is the cross country championship held by the National Collegiate Athletic Association each autumn for individual men's runners and cross country teams from universities in Division I. Teams and individual runners qualify for the championship at regional competitions approximately a week before the national championships.
BYU is the defending men's team champions.
Each autumn since 1938, with the exception of 1943 and 2020, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has hosted men's cross country championships. Since 1958, the NCAA has had multiple division championships. Since 1973, Divisions I, II and III have all had their own national championships.
Teams compete in one of nine regional championships to qualify, where the top two teams automatically advance and thirteen additional teams are chosen as at-large selections. In addition to the 31 teams, 38 individual runners qualify for the national championship. [1] [2]
The field for the Division I national championship race has ranged in size from a low of 6 teams in 1938 to a high of 39 teams in 1970. From 1982 to 1997 the field was fixed at 22 teams. Beginning in 1998, the national championship race has included 31 teams.
The race distance from 1938 to 1964 was 4 miles (6.4 km). From 1965 to 1975 the race distance was 6 miles (9.7 km). Since 1976 the race distance has been 10,000 meters (6.2 mi). [3]
Wisconsin and Syracuse are the only two teams East of the Mississippi River that have won in the 21st Century
Team titles
| Individual titles
|
Rank | Team | Appearances |
---|---|---|
1 | Wisconsin | 57 |
2 | Notre Dame | 51 |
3 | Arkansas Colorado | 49 |
4 | Michigan State | 45 |
5 | Oregon | 44 |
6 | Providence | 42 |
7 | Penn State | 41 |
8 | Indiana | 39 |
9 | Georgetown Texas | 37 |
10 | BYU | 36 |
11 | Michigan Villanova | 34 |
12 | Oklahoma State Tennessee | 32 |
13 | NC State | 31 |
14 | Kansas Northern Arizona | 29 |
15 | Iowa State Miami (OH) Stanford | 28 |
Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine was an American long-distance runner who from 1973 to 1975 set American records at every distance from 2,000 to 10,000 meters. He competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics, and was preparing for the 1976 Olympics with the Oregon Track Club at the time of his death in 1975.
The NCAA Men's Division II Cross Country Championship is an annual cross country meet to decide the team and individual national champions of men's intercollegiate cross country running in the United States. It has been held every fall, usually in November, since breaking off from the NCAA University Division Men's Cross Country Championships in 1958.
The NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship is the cross country championship held by the National Collegiate Athletic Association each autumn for individual runners and cross country teams from universities in Division I. Teams and individual runners qualify for the championship at regional competitions approximately a week before the national championships. The championship has been held annually since 1981. The reigning national champions are the BYU Cougars.
The 1969 NCAA University Division Men's Cross Country Championships were the 31st annual cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 24, 1969, the meet was hosted by Manhattan College at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, New York City, New York. The distance for this race was 6 miles.
The 1970 NCAA University Division Men's Cross Country Championships were the 32nd annual cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 23, 1970, the meet was hosted by the College of William & Mary on the grounds of the Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, Virginia. The distance for this race was 6 miles.
The 1971 NCAA University Division Cross Country Championships were the 33rd annual cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 22, 1971, the meet was hosted by the University of Tennessee at the Fox Den Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee. The distance for this race was 6 miles.
The 1973 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were the 35th annual cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 19, it was hosted by Washington State University at Hangman Valley Golf Course, near Spokane, Washington.
The 1974 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships were the 36th annual cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 26, 1974, the meet was hosted by Indiana University at the IU Cross Country Course in Bloomington, Indiana. The distance for this race was 6 miles.
The 1975 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships were the 37th annual cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 24, 1975, the meet was hosted by Penn State University at the Penn State Golf Courses in State College, Pennsylvania. The distance for this race was 6 miles. This was the final national meet at this distance.
The 1976 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships were the 38th annual cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 22, 1976, the meet was hosted by North Texas State University at the NTSU Cross Country Course in Denton, Texas. The distance for this race was 10 kilometers.
The 1977 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships were the 39th annual cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 21, it was hosted by Washington State University at Hangman Valley Golf Course, near Spokane, Washington.
The 1978 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships were the 40th annual cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 20, 1978, the meet was hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison at the Yahara Hills Golf Course in Madison, Wisconsin. The distance for this race was 10 kilometers.
The 1979 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships were the 41st annual cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 19, 1979, the meet was hosted by Lehigh University at the Saucon Valley Fields in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The distance for this race was 10 kilometers.
The 1980 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships were the 42nd annual cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 24, 1980, the meet was hosted by Wichita State University at the Echo Hills Golf Course in Park City, Kansas. The distance for this race was 10 kilometers.
The 1981 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were the 43rd annual NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship and the 1st annual NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's and women's collegiate cross country running in the United States. For the first time, a women's national championship was held alongside the men's meet. In all, four different titles were contested: men's and women's individual and team championships.
The 1983 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were the 45th annual NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship and the 3rd annual NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's and women's collegiate cross country running in the United States. In all, four different titles were contested: men's and women's individual and team championships.
The 2015 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were the 77th NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship and the 35th NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship to determine the national champions of men's and women's NCAA Division I collegiate cross country running. It was held at E. P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky and was hosted by the University of Louisville on November 21, 2015. Four different championships were contested: men's and women's individual and team championships.
The 1987 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were the 49th annual NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship and the 7th annual NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's and women's collegiate cross country running in the United States. In all, four different titles were contested: men's and women's individual and team championships.
The 1989 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were the 51st annual NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship and the 9th annual NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's and women's collegiate cross country running in the United States. In all, four different titles were contested: men's and women's individual and team championships.
The 2003 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were the 65th annual NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship and the 23rd annual NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's and women's collegiate cross country running in the United States. In all, four different titles were contested: men's and women's individual and team championships.