It's gotta be pretty easy to qualify for the 5K if you're in the NCAAs if it's run so few times a season and a lot of times the pace doesn't go that fast. Only 3 guys got in the field last year (Dylan Jacobs, Charlie Hicks and Patrick Kiprop) outside of the BU opener IIRC.
Also, why are people running so many 1000s if they don't qualify for the NCAAs based on it?
I would imagine it'd be more of a novelty event at the NCAA level like the 4 X 1 mile.