Why Does Oklahoma State and Alabama Recruit Foreigners?

You cannot add Oregon.

Historically Oregon did not reach out and recruit foreign athletes. They usually contacted the school first.

Biwott came to Oregon, I believe in his own words the reason was "to continue running with Rupp."

J. Cruz, was not recruited by Oregon, he recruited Oregon. As did the Norwegians Oregon had previous to the 70's.

To my knowledge, Dellinger never recruited a foreign athlete that did not seek out Oregon first.

Also, Oregon has never had a squad of 7 Kenyans.

Is Biwott the only Kenyan to ever score points for Oregon?

I think so. And he underperformed his Sr. year, or the ducks would have won the outdoor title too.

It does get awfully tiring reading this drivel. If you are so concerned about the purity and sanctity of the sport, go run Division-III. It is still very competitive but there is a ceiling.

If you want to run against the best, that is Division-I and only someone who is fearful of competition wherever it comes from would want to limit it. Alabama has had an unprecedented degree of success the last five years and there is no reason to think they wouldnt choose Alabama kids over Kenyan kids if Alabama HS cross country ever took its head out of its collective rear end.

dwigt schrude wrote:

Limit Foreign Athletes wrote:

I'd rather go to a school with diversity, but not a flood of foreigners.

Who has more diversity than Oklahoma State University? Why would going to a school with 5 sub-14 foreigners dismay you more than going to a school with 5 sub-14 Americans?

In context: a school with a rich diversity of students from around the world, not a team flooded with older foreign athletes.

Do you have any idea how much money in tuition and living costs those "200 scholarships" amount to in real dollars?

Getting beat put for scholarships by 18 year old foreign athletes is not the issue.

Getting aced out by 22, 24, 26 year old foreign "Freshmen," who have trained in their countries club systems, or gov't supported systems (which should make them a pro and ineligible) is the issue.

Think about your job. Would you like being outsourced?

It is really the same thing. Promising 18 year olds are being sold out by "outsourcing" their slots to foreign athletes, usually several years their elder.

By coaches that cannot develop talent.

Funny, you call someone and ignorant fool and then post no argument of merit.

The issue is not that there is an occasional foreign athlete in other sports -- the issue is schools that fill half or their entire team with foreign athletes.

I agree with the poster who gives kudos to the great coaches who have taken sub ten 2 milers and coached them into champions.

If that were the inspiration of all coaches...problem solved.

Importing older faster athletes and throwing away American scholarships, degrading the developmental resources of our sport...is, as others have pointed out, the problem here.

And in Okie States case, recruiting foreign transfers from another school...same diff. Give a scholarship to an American kid, especially in these tough economic times.

I love Kiwi's.

The issue is these coaches recruit out of country athletes, with already proven creds, rather than find local talent and develop them.

No one cares what NZ companies think about a NZ citizens USA college degree.

The issue is whether we should be giving you NZ-ers a free education.

Especially if you start as a 20, 22 year old Freshman.

You want to come here, have your government pay for your education here, have at it.

GlobalView wrote:

Funny how not so many criticize the Irish at Villanova and Arkansas, the Canadians at Michigan and now Florida State, and the many other schools who recruit "non-visible" minorities. But you get in some African runners and the tolerance levels go way down.

It has nothing to do with race. At my school the Canadians that were on our track team started at school the same age as we did.

The 30+ years history of Kenyans going to school here, has too many examples of 24 year old first years students taking scholarships away from 18 year olds.

i do it for the lolz wrote:

i haven't had time to read most of this retarded thread, but i would bet a paycheck that not a single person, if there is even more than one on this thread, that wants to "limit foreign athletes" has ever worked in college athletics. i bet none of them are coaches or teachers either.

you all seem to have this perception that these foreign althetes are all devious pricks. work with them sometime. there's a lot of nice kids who can run pretty fast and contribute a lot to a school and a program.

oh, and show me one taxpayer who is "fed up." give me a break.

Where do you get this idea that the people posting here think the foreign athletes are "devious pricks."

Great terminology -- gives us a peak into your brain.

I think most people know that the foreign athletes are good people.

The thread is about the lazy, cheating, devious prick coaches. Wolves in sheeps clothing though some may be.

This a perfect example of why a few foreign athletes should be allowed on each team.

2 is enough.

numbers wrote:

first of all, taxpayer dollars are used to fund athletic programs at public universities.

secondly, the Alabama athletic department is probably not self sufficient. NCAA records from the 2005 academic year show that Alabama athletics brought in $18,784,112 and spent $18,872,742. In the last few years, athletic department spending has risen at 3 times the rate, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, as university spending as a whole, and it would seem unlikely that Alabama suddenly found some huge new revenue source from athletics. it's a common misconception that college athletic programs are hugely profitable.

No, it is not a common misconception that college athletic programs are hugely profitable.

It is commonly reported on ESPN business of sports programs that FB and BB are the sports colleges make money on, the deficit is from funding all the non revenue generators such as XC.

Even more reasons not to give the money generated by football, to an entire team of foreign runners. Ireland and the UK have programs for funding their university students. They should pay their own way here. At most schools students from out of state pay higher tuition, making these scholarships even more costly on paper.

Even more reasons not to give the money generated by football, to an entire team of foreign runners. Ireland and the UK have programs for funding their university students. They should pay their own way here. At most schools students from out of state pay higher tuition, making these scholarships even more costly on paper.

You are flat wrong. They come here for a level of competition that does not exist in collegiate athletics ANYWHERE else in the world. And they raise the level of competition when they come. Please give us one good reason why more competition is a bad thing?

(and please spare us the 24 year old freshman horseshit. There might be a few that are 24 years old when they graduate, but nobody is coming into D-1 that old unless they were in the army or on a mission).

hahahahah wrote:

Back in the mid 90's when you guys didn't make nationals and were very average.

Joe Walker and Alabama will be fine again this year finishing top 10 in the nation for the 3rd year in a row. Oh and winning another SEC championship in XC. Another thing you guys were no where close to doing in the 90s.

I know back then you all circle jerked together and held hands by the camp fire. But now they win, sorry you cannot get behind them. They don't need losers like you around.

Laugh all you want, but you are mistaken. We went to Nationals in XC 3 out of the 5 years I was there. Were 2nd to Arkansas at SECs 3 out of 5 years. Had All-Americans every year. Maybe you've heard of one of them. Tim Broe ring any bells?

"I didn't hear Salazar, Centrowitz, McChesney, Chapa, etc., complaining about the Kenyans."

--You didn't hear it because you were not there when it happened.

I was on that team, and it happened. How could it not? We were teenagers, and some crazy coach from up north just imported an ENTIRE team of adults, Keino's and Boit's, just to beat us. You think we didn't bitch about it? You bet we did, but it was short lived, so short lived that the press never heard us complain. I think there was some coverage of the Kenyan invasion at the time, and whether it was fair or not (it wasn't) but once it was done, it was done. What were we going to do? We were kids in a machine, and we didn't make the rules.

The main reason we didn't complain? Aside from the few days a year when we faced them, we were doing our own thing. Our running, our lives, school, women. Frankly most of our time was focused on school, running, and chicks.

Interestingly enough, we actually didn't talk about running that much. We were surrounded by it, and we were doing it twice a day. That was enough. Mostly, we talked about chicks.

I hope things are the same for Centro Jr. and Wheating et al. these days. Talking about chicks in college is a whole lot more fun than talking about running.

Ah, college.

Knows all wrote:

Even more reasons not to give the money generated by football, to an entire team of foreign runners. Ireland and the UK have programs for funding their university students. They should pay their own way here. At most schools students from out of state pay higher tuition, making these scholarships even more costly on paper.

You are flat wrong. They come here for a level of competition that does not exist in collegiate athletics ANYWHERE else in the world. And they raise the level of competition when they come. Please give us one good reason why more competition is a bad thing?

(and please spare us the 24 year old freshman horseshit. There might be a few that are 24 years old when they graduate, but nobody is coming into D-1 that old unless they were in the army or on a mission).

No, you are wrong.

Why? Bcause your points are moot.

Most athletes in Europe, in college, run for their club teams, not their colleges.

Henry Rono was a 24 year old FROSH.

Historically, many Kenyans are older than 18 when they register as Freshman at USA colleges.

The only reason as many older Kenyans are not coming to the USA as Frosh, is because they go pro younger than in the past.

More competition is good. As long as it is on an even playing field.

Very few athletes go NCAA after military service, Mormon missions are NOT required (according to Steve Young) during college. It is a choice.

hahahahah wrote:

Oh and I call bullshit on a 4 time regional qualifier from Alabama. There hasn't been one. Actually since Joe Walker showed up at Alabama name one high school kid from Alabama who runs distance who became an All-American in college. Please don't bring up d2, d3 or NAIA. You can't name one, because they do not exist.

I did not go to the University of Alabama I went to a smaller school out of state. I did not become an All-American, but I did quality for the regional champs four years in a row with my best 1500 being 3:47. There is talent in the state of Alabama, you just have to look for it and develop it.

That was back when you guys had 3 footlocker finalist and did nothing at the national meet. And finishing 2nd at the conference meet doesn't mean you won it. You lost to Arkansas like everyone else. Only Alabama has won it since Arkansas showed up and they are about to do it two years in a row. By the way how did Tim Broe only win one NCAA title at Alabama? Great coaching going on there before Joe Walker...

Oh and winning your conference title to make regionals doesn't mean anything. 3:47 doesn't score at the SEC meet.

So I will continue to laugh at both of you.

No, you are wrong.

Why? Bcause your points are moot.

Most athletes in Europe, in college, run for their club teams, not their colleges.

Henry Rono was a 24 year old FROSH.

Historically, many Kenyans are older than 18 when they register as Freshman at USA colleges.

The only reason as many older Kenyans are not coming to the USA as Frosh, is because they go pro younger than in the past.

More competition is good. As long as it is on an even playing field.

Very few athletes go NCAA after military service, Mormon missions are NOT required (according to Steve Young) during college. It is a choice.

You are still wrong because you are working off incorrect and outdated information. Henry Rono would never be cleared today as a "24 year old freshmen" because the NCAA has significantly tightened its age restrictions for Division-I. I know what I am talking about and if you want me to quote the manual I will. The days of 24 year old freshman (for non militiary or non mission purposes) are over. That doesnt mean there arent some seniors who are 24 by the time they graduate but that is entirely different. You destory your own credibility through your i) exageration ii) lack of knowledge of actual Division I rules.

Secondly, good luck find a 10k in europe that consistently matches Stanford or Mt Sac. I dont mean once. I mean year after year after year. Get back to me. There is a reason these kids are over here.

um.

i want you to quote the manual.

chris weinke. moron.

Sounds like everybody on this thread wouldn't mind seeing a Stanford victory come November. 100% homegrown talent baby.