...goodbye by 2025. There will not be enough small schools with teams by then.
...goodbye by 2025. There will not be enough small schools with teams by then.
so it goes
It's just as well. Track sucks in America because it's an after school activity like playing trombone in the marching band.
Road racing thrives because it's not a kids' sport. Take track away from schools and adults may want to run track. They won't want to play the trombone again though.
Bad Wigins wrote:
It's just as well. Track sucks in America because it's an after school activity like playing trombone in the marching band.
Road racing thrives because it's not a kids' sport. Take track away from schools and adults may want to run track. They won't want to play the trombone again though.
I've got a buddy who plays the trombone (30 years out of HS). He's in his community's adult band. They don't march in parades, though, they ride a float and play.
What a joke, fewer d3 schools are cutting track than d1. D1 is cutting for precious football. D3 football is on tv maybe once a year, if that for the national championship. If you want to go to a school where all athletes are respected its probably going to be d3. At d1 schools like BC, Maryland (do they still have track), Richmond, Vanderbilt, etc. runners are treated like second class athletes. OP you need to start keeping up with what is actually happening in collegiate running.
Of all your nutty theories, this stands apart.
Track, obviously, does not suck in America.
All other sports are "after school activities". Why don't they " suck" too?
Most road races are filled with people NOT racing, just running for fitness or social reasons.
Yuuuge wrote:
Of all your nutty theories, this stands apart.
Track, obviously, does not suck in America.
All other sports are "after school activities". Why don't they " suck" too?
Most road races are filled with people NOT racing, just running for fitness or social reasons.
Wiggins has a point. I know friends, good runners, who stick to the roads. They don't want to be around a bunch of younger college kids at a meet. They race all the major road races in the area, which is only like 4 or 5 a year and travel to race a marathon twice a year. Most people aren't like this, but for some there is some stigma that keeps them from signing up and running an open meet against college kids a few years younger.
Common*Sense wrote:
...goodbye by 2025. There will not be enough small schools with teams by then.
You're wrong on that. It'll be the opposite. Way more D1 programs will get cut before the lower divisions. Already happening.
Out west a steady number of NAIA schools have been switching to D2 and the newer smaller Cal State U's have been going D2. D2 is growing not shrinking.
All this talk of trombones had me thinking of a 'rusty trombone' I got back in the late '90's. I don't mind telling you, the memory had me excited.......and then, someone had to bring up 'shrinkage'.
West Coast CCAA wrote:
Out west a steady number of NAIA schools have been switching to D2 and the newer smaller Cal State U's have been going D2. D2 is growing not shrinking.
The CCAA has shrunk considerably from what it used to be. All the Cal States should be d2 CCAA.
this is so unbelievably wrong. small d3 schools are investing in track to help drive enrollment. number of programs is growing. facilities are being built. number of full time coaches is growing. number of athletes is growing and the level of competition just keeps getting better.
I say by 2025 concussion lawsuits and settlements will price all but the elite of the elite of college football teams out of the sport.
That gives 60+ more men the opportunity to compete at each school under Title IX.
Track will be OK.
edward teach wrote:
Yuuuge wrote:Of all your nutty theories, this stands apart.
Track, obviously, does not suck in America.
All other sports are "after school activities". Why don't they " suck" too?
Most road races are filled with people NOT racing, just running for fitness or social reasons.
Wiggins has a point. I know friends, good runners, who stick to the roads. They don't want to be around a bunch of younger college kids at a meet. They race all the major road races in the area, which is only like 4 or 5 a year and travel to race a marathon twice a year. Most people aren't like this, but for some there is some stigma that keeps them from signing up and running an open meet against college kids a few years younger.
The fact that they are even running marathons tells us that they have moved away from the distances offered on the track for the most part. There's nothing wrong with that, but don't make excuses that they just "don't want to be around a bunch of younger college kids." If someone can run as fast as you, you race them. Age doesn't matter after the gun sounds.
bold prediction wrote:
I say by 2025 concussion lawsuits and settlements will price all but the elite of the elite of college football teams out of the sport.
That gives 60+ more men the opportunity to compete at each school under Title IX.
Track will be OK.
Division III schools do not have the same Title IX burdens because they don't offer scholarships. Any school that offers a full complement of women's sports is pretty much fine. And one of the posters above is completely correct in stating that Division III athletics are a way for small colleges to attract more students-- especially more male students.
There were 52 teams and 371 individuals at the Mideast regionals this year in Division III. Ten years ago, there were 40 teams and 279 individuals. The numbers can't go up at that pace indefinitely, but there are still plenty of schools out there that can add cross-country (which is insanely cheap). I can't remember the last D3 school I heard of that cut their program unless it was in the context of the entire athletics program (or even the entire school) shutting down.
In other words, noooooooooooooope.
113 wrote:
bold prediction wrote:I say by 2025 concussion lawsuits and settlements will price all but the elite of the elite of college football teams out of the sport.
That gives 60+ more men the opportunity to compete at each school under Title IX.
Track will be OK.
Division III schools do not have the same Title IX burdens because they don't offer scholarships. Any school that offers a full complement of women's sports is pretty much fine. And one of the posters above is completely correct in stating that Division III athletics are a way for small colleges to attract more students-- especially more male students.
There were 52 teams and 371 individuals at the Mideast regionals this year in Division III. Ten years ago, there were 40 teams and 279 individuals. The numbers can't go up at that pace indefinitely, but there are still plenty of schools out there that can add cross-country (which is insanely cheap). I can't remember the last D3 school I heard of that cut their program unless it was in the context of the entire athletics program (or even the entire school) shutting down.
In other words, noooooooooooooope.
Willy P baby! Biggest dumbarses in the NJAC!!!!
"...goodbye by 2025. There will not be enough small schools with teams by then."
The above is what I originally said. There have been a number of conflicting posts on here. The logical thing that will happen is that track programs in every division, will continue to be cut. (I am most alarmed with D2 since that is the level I ran.)
What I am talking about is that we might see only ONE division in the future...D1.
Every time a college or high school program is cut you should consider that a threat to our sport because schools are adding lacrosse, soccer, and tiddley winks! Girls who do not care, are getting programs added. Am I the only one who sees this?
I do appreciate the many posts on here, especially the one from the guy stating that D3 programs are increasing. Although there may be some truth to what you said, keep in mind that things are not the same all over the USA.
I am shocked by participation by East Coast high school students. They start CC in the Fall which goes until December for the best kids. Indoor Track starts in December. Then Indoor goes right into Outdoor, then we have AAU/USATF or whatever all summer. In other words our best kids race all year long! No wonder we are not reaching our potential here.
Kids race too much and peak at 19!!! We need to focus more on college and professional Track & Field because that is what will drive the sport.
A top distance runner is at his peak in his mid-30s IF there is some patience involved. Jim Ryun and many others were ruined by our system.
What is really lost more than anything else is the average guy, who wants to keep running past high school. He cannot run at private colleges, so he is done at 18. That to me sucks because I would have been one of those guys!!!
Common*Sense wrote:
"...goodbye by 2025. There will not be enough small schools with teams by then."
The above is what I originally said. There have been a number of conflicting posts on here. The logical thing that will happen is that track programs in every division, will continue to be cut. (I am most alarmed with D2 since that is the level I ran.)
What I am talking about is that we might see only ONE division in the future...D1.
Every time a college or high school program is cut you should consider that a threat to our sport because schools are adding lacrosse, soccer, and tiddley winks! Girls who do not care, are getting programs added. Am I the only one who sees this?
I do appreciate the many posts on here, especially the one from the guy stating that D3 programs are increasing. Although there may be some truth to what you said, keep in mind that things are not the same all over the USA.
I am shocked by participation by East Coast high school students. They start CC in the Fall which goes until December for the best kids. Indoor Track starts in December. Then Indoor goes right into Outdoor, then we have AAU/USATF or whatever all summer. In other words our best kids race all year long! No wonder we are not reaching our potential here.
Kids race too much and peak at 19!!! We need to focus more on college and professional Track & Field because that is what will drive the sport.
A top distance runner is at his peak in his mid-30s IF there is some patience involved. Jim Ryun and many others were ruined by our system.
What is really lost more than anything else is the average guy, who wants to keep running past high school. He cannot run at private colleges, so he is done at 18. That to me sucks because I would have been one of those guys!!!
You failed to make a single valid point supporting your original statement. Poster after poster have posted valid, statistically-backed answers showing that D2 and D3 track and cross country numbers are improving and due to the lack of athletic scholarships in D3, will continue to be an enrollment friendly sport that institutions will support. As some of the other posters have said- both sports are relatively cheap and benefit outweigh the cost.
If any level is going to struggle, it will be D1 as the money continues to come from and thus be put back into football and basketball.
After seeing many Mens D1 Track and Field programs being dropped by schools such as : Univ of Maryland, Univ of Del., Univ of Richmond, James Madison Univ and others. I would counsel a HS runner take a hard look at D2 and D3 programs. I have found they are very interested in working with kids that have decent academics with promising athletic ability.. D1 has been racing towards professional football..giving kids huge benefits while close to 80% of them never graduating while dropping endurance sports with kids that have high academics ...What does that tell you..The race for kids to go to D1 schools in many cases is a mistake..Many DIII programs offer better academics and a better life style balance...
Bad Wigins loves to play some adult trombone.