Oxford and Cambridge model vs. Brown

Running for the chance to compete at NCAAs is a pretty huge deal.

I don't fully understand the rules regarding meets, etc. Can club teams participate in meets and invites with NCAA sanctioned teams (even Heps, perhaps)? If so, it really might now be such a downgrade.

Our good runners mostly go through the university funded programs.

Brits' good runners all go through the state sponsored doping program.

I would argue that the university money spent on athletics is not taxpayer money (at least not any in serious terms). How is the UK (and almost every other system in the world funded? With taxpayer money or in some cases with lottery money (Norway); that money could be going to other things or just be not taken from taxpayers.

Also, I seem to recall many distance runners coming to the US to run for college teams; I am guessing a good number get degrees and go back to their countries to make them better places. Others stay here to become productive US taxpayers.

The entire US university system, or group of systems, is overstuffed and overpuffed. If one way to right-size them is to take an axe to sponsored/funded athletics programs, I'm all for it. In all but the slimmest number of cases, the student bodies are paying for those programs but shouldn't be.

All American university sport programs should be club or intramural only.

Luv2Run wrote:

I would argue that the university money spent on athletics is not taxpayer money (at least not any in serious terms). How is the UK (and almost every other system in the world funded? With taxpayer money or in some cases with lottery money (Norway); that money could be going to other things or just be not taken from taxpayers.

Also, I seem to recall many distance runners coming to the US to run for college teams; I am guessing a good number get degrees and go back to their countries to make them better places. Others stay here to become productive US taxpayers.

Definitely not taxpayer-funded for some UK institutions. In Oxbridge, many of the sporting facilities are funded by student-paid membership fees or from wealthy alumni (which is likely to be sport-specific, e.g the rowing pool or the rugby gym). The Roger Bannister Running Track upkeep is funded mostly by membership fees, although some university subsidization may exist. For the sporting clubs, this is all student membership fees. Most races are paid for by students (where a student club exec will hire a bus). Some UK universities with high-performance facilities will be Govt funded, at least in part (e.g. St Mary's where Mo went).

TBH, I'm somewhat surprised the top US colleges aren't better for the dollars they spend and the facilities on offer.