College XC teams with a “team house”?

CoachWC wrote:

I coach a high school sophomore who wants to run in college. After reading the book “Once a Runner“, he loves the idea of being on a team where they all live together in a team house. Does anyone know any schools where this exists?

I go to a small NAIA college in Michigan and we have a team house. I think it's more of where the college is located than anything else. We are in a city and can find cheap off-campus houses everywhere so we usually have a couple for the XC and Track teams.

Bingcommit wrote:

Looking forward to that

I bet.

What is Home Park

Unfortunately for many of us at Arkansas, it was Pomfret Hall. Worst food in the dorm system!

Sub Elitist wrote:

Literally every school has a team house. Guys that sweat and bleed together tend to gravitate toward each other.

I would literally suspect that not literally every single college does.

Penn State.

The College of Wooster and Calvin College, two DIII programs do

Every team that isn't in a big city does this. I say except for big cities because some places don't have many houses and everyone has to live in an apartment, and even then they'll have two or three runners living in an apartment together. Not every runner on the team is in the house obviously, but it's very common to have at least one house where four of them live in it, and then another group of three or four live in another one.

At my un-named P5 school on the whole track team there were probably 5 houses that had people living in them ranging from 3-5 tenants. Most of these houses were in the same block or two, and then more of the team was in the apartments, so we had probably 30 track and field people living in the same small area because it was near where we practice. Of course parties happen in college, so it was easy to have a large chunk of the team over for those since everyone lived right next door.

Party at the Moontower

Not sure how many schools have official team houses, but almost all would have informal team houses with 3-5 guys or girls living together. Back in the day at my small D1 school we always had a few. Man those were fun times!

gahagand wrote:

My school (Binghamton University) has two houses off campus where the entire team, except freshmen, live. It's relatively common from my understanding.

Former Bearcat here; is one of the houses still the big 8 BR on West End Ave? Also, do you guys still run GQ for hilly long runs?

CoachWC wrote:

I coach a high school sophomore who wants to run in college. After reading the book “Once a Runner“, he loves the idea of being on a team where they all live together in a team house. Does anyone know any schools where this exists?

At least half the schools I am aware of have a "team house" where only people on the team live. It's not always the same house year after year. But you tend to live with your friends and since you spend a lot of time with the people on the team and share a big common interest you tend to gravitate towards living with each other. In Once a Runner it was a track team dorm where all the track team lived year after year and was an official deal. I'd guess this still exists somewhere but not sure where. When you're in the dorms coaches usually try to get you paired up with a fellow team member.

I think track shacks / cross country houses are double edged sword. Some can be great, if there is a positive supportive culture on the team. Some can be one step away from a 12 step program. The culture of the team is what is most important.

I've been inside the Brown house and I've gotta say it was pretty gross... I've only been to one other house so I guess I don't have much to compare to, but the Brown house was messy to the point of being borderline disgusting to live in... For instance one of the couches had a permanently damp armrest

Two brothers were on the team, instead of paying for housing their dad bought a house and rented out the spare BR to other members of the team.

Even club teams have houses. Groups of friends generally try to live together in collehe

tallangryww wrote:

Home Park for the W

Home Park hotties?

Penn State had (or has) the goat house.

I would like to see an eSports house party with a XC house.