I have little respect for NCAA teams that assemble foreign XC Teams

Let's see. It has never been done. If that was the easiest approach, every coach would be doing it but none have done it.

My son and some of his teammates are 13:40 guys. They are on 50% academic and 25% athletic while paying 25%. Their foreign teammates are on fulls. Bottom line is that the equivalent foreigner is requiring a full while the coach gets 4 Americans for 1 full.

how much will this matter when teams can field full rosters of 17 with full scholarships next season?

In the same sense that recruiting a 1:49 800m guy instead of a 2:02 800m guy is easier.

I’m all for age limits. Hating on having internationals within those age limits is cowardly,

Have you paid attention to recruiting news recently? Have you seen Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Iowa State? I bet you these 3 teams will all podium this year in Men's XC. What do you think the average age of this team is?

I love that foreigners want to come to the NCAA to get an education and pay for it with their running. I do not love that 18 year old kids are racing 25 year old men. There needs to be an age limit.

Wrong, like you usually are.

Google Koitatoi Kidali.

Youre out of your mind if you think the majority of schools (yes, even p4) will be offering 17 fulls

Here is a nice Q&A with the New Mexico coach who has a lot of foreigners.

citiusmag.com

How New Mexico’s Darren Gauson Is Shaping The Future Of The Lobos’ Cross Country Program - CITIUS Mag

Catching up with University of New Mexico's Darren Gauson, Head Coach of Cross Country and Track, after his successful first year with the Lobos.

Open link

PS. Look, I get why at a gut-instinct level people think it's not fair to have a 28-year old freshman from Kenya for some of these schools. But is it fair that NAU gets Nico and the Sahlman brothers? Life isn't fair. And you don't win without talent.

But I have the perfect solution. Everyone said we must treat this kids like pros. Ok, let's do it. The pros have a draft. How amazing would it be if the NCAA started drafting HS players out of HS? (I know it's never going to happen)

I'll say what others have said: when your job and your ability to feed your family, put a roof over their heads, and save for retirement is predicated on winning conference championships, qualifying for nationals, and maybe competing for a podium position, you do what you gotta do.

Athletic directors don't want to hear about you wanting to develop 18-21 year old kids, and you aren't there to develop future Olympians. They've got bigger problems, like making sure the star quarterback and wideouts have enough NIL money so they won't bounce after the season's over.

This doesn't make any sense. How does NAU getting 3 great highschool 18 year olds make it right for schools to recruit athletes 7 years older than them to compete? They can still find great international athletes that aren't over the age of 25. Or it forces coach to DEVELOP (god forbid) athletes that aren't basically pros coming in!!!

The NCAA is there to create the idea of fairness when in reality nothing about the ncaa is fair.

For example Graduation rate and APR standards are the same across the board. Dip below this, consequences.

But are all universities equal? No some elite private colleges have a 90% grad rate because they attract the best and brightest (also usually wealthy). Then there is a directional school where 60% of students graduate. The track teams at both schools need to hit the same graduation rates for athlete.

All to say the ncaa isn’t fair. Internationals aren’t going anywhere, get faster

Scholarship limits even it out. All schools have the same max. Foreigners cost more, not less. Schools sacrifice depth in track if they overpay for some elite distance foreigners.

No. Always right. It has never been done. He is walking onto campus as we speak. He hadn't run a race yet. So yes we expect it this track season but until then, it has never happened. And saying it is easier is not true. He is on a full ride and it required significantly more work to get him.

A draft wouldn't work because 90% of kids wouldn't qualify academically at the elite schools. And schools all provide different levels of scholarships. A kid may walk-on at Wisconsin while being offered a nice scholarship at Marquette.

Don’t you really mean - age quicker?

I get that the optics are unfortunate, but as a BYU fan watching the team over the years I can confidently say that it is pretty rare for the “old” BYU guys to in retrospect have a faster career than was predicted for them. Clinger won’t have a better performance measured career than he would have had with four straight years out of HS. BYU would have had just as good of race results from with 4 straight years (5-6 with Covid and normal redshirt) as they will with the 2 yr mission break.

Same with Mantz. Same with Troutner or Bons.

The only position in a sport where BYU seems to get a consistent performance bump from the mission is with football linemen, particularly on the OL. Boys just get bigger with age and that helps the linemen.

it's always rubbed me the wrong way when coaches take a shortcut and grab ready made pro's. especially last year. I thought OSU and NAU could have had a duel for the ages, especially after they tied in '22. could have been a great rivalry and provided drama to a sport that desperately needs it. but when I saw Dave Smith recruit two Kenyans I knew it was over.

unfortunately the athletic departments don't care. they want trophies, plain and simple, and as long as nobody is cheating (or doesn't get caught cheating) they'll do whatever they have to do. it's about survival.

and this isn't going to stop, especially with the new NCAA rules where Kenyans are basically being paid to run for college teams. I don't blame them at all. It's the opportunity of a lifetime. and none of these coaches care, if adding 3 Kenyans can help them get a bonus or an extended contract believe me they'll do it.

I give it 5 years before mens and womens XC turn into the NYC Marathon - top loaded with Kenyans. all the great high school phenoms, the future Parker Valbys and Nico Youngs, will be lucky make the top 20.

That example is not new! ...UTEP recruited Emmanuel Korir at age 21 back in the mid 20teens.

But the issue should stay focused on max age in NCAA, not in limiting international talent.

Contrary to it's naysayers, the NCAA is and always has been a pathway to Olympic success...in every sport. In the 2024 Olympic 330 medals were awarded to athletes from 26 different countries who are or were NCAA athletes. 126 gold medals to athletes who were also NCAA Champions.

The NCAA should not out any limits on athletes who are superior. Instead, it should be encouraged. As Hocker, Lyles, SML, Crouser, Holloway, etc prove, the US can compete across the board without handicapping itself by limiting better athletes from attending university in the US. ...instead put a hard limit on age at 25 years old, no exception.

So back to the 1970's when UTEP and Washington State had teams (Rono, et al). The NCAA survived then, and some athletes at that time relished the competition that helped make them better. The foreigners in the NCAA - this thread is picking on Kenyans, but wait until the Ethiopians learn English and come over at their young ages (especially the women) - are not new, this has been going on for decades. But this whining comes up every year, probably by the same people.