House Lawsuit Impact - Bad News Coming for NCAA Track

I know of two good D1 programs that have already informed existing athletes that they will not have roster spots next year. These cuts were to both men and women. No increases in athletic aid dollars or team budgets. Don’t get injured, sick, or slow. Perform or perish is the new model for XC and track.

If you have football at your school.....Good luck maintaining XC and Track programs if those Athletic departments don't make massive amounts of money

the rich will get richer. the poor will disappear

Would you mind naming these schools?

Plus the Portal will be nothing like anyone has seen

TBD. It’s not like there will be huge money to attract transfers and how many kids who get cut will look to transfer to a less competitive school to keep running once it’s already clear their ceiling doesn’t include a pro career? At some point they should be focusing on the school choice for the degree, not the running opportunity.

I am still not convinced of this doomsday scenario. Most of D1 will opt out. Whole conference like the Patriot League, MAAC, etc will not be part of this model. Of course this is a non issue for D2 and D3. Track will be fine overall. Not the same but fine. But I am no heal digger. I can be convinced otherwise but so far it’s just been a bunch of fear mongering.

What do you think happens when these schools opt-out? There will be a totally new entity formed. The Big 10 and SEC aren't going to pay for the patriot league to exist anymore lol

Honestly who thought this was going to be good for track? I'm also not convinced schools will be able to opt out, I keep hearing differently from people. I think those schools may also be scrambling to cut rosters when this is all official.

Swimming might be even worse. The SEC is cutting men's swimming to 22 even further than the NCAA limit of 30. Florida has 41 men on its roster. Swimmers commit earlier than XC and track so I've already heard of Florida and Texas incoming swimmers being told they no longer have a spot.

I have heard news organizations are starting to look into doing stories on how the roster cuts will hurt student athletes so maybe that will put some pressure on the NCAA to rethink this? Probably not, but I doubt it'll be good press.

It will create a tiered system of those that opt in and those that don’t. Those that don’t were never getting money in the first place. They will just continue to operate as they have been. Its like what used to be D1 A and D1 AA. Probably back to that.

I was on four recruiting visits with my kid all P4 programs and that is exactly what every Director of Athletics told us… that they will hold roster spots, no decision on how much funding but here is my kids scholarship offer and good for four years etc.

that't why the Big10 gave into Hollywood, Now the women's teams have to change their kits to fit Southern California beach norms. The frumpy mid-west look is gone.

One more thing. Many of the non power 4 schools have track and field because it increases enrollment for the school. Enrollment is obviously needed for schools to continue functioning. Some programs know there is a whole market of student athlete that would NOT consider the school without popular HS sports like track and field.

Schools like Mount St Marys in Maryland or American U in DC that have no football team will not be opting in unless they feel the need to do it for basketball which is doubtful. Schools like that use track for to help with enrollment.

Who didn't already think/know this when the news first came out? Got an links to documented optimists?

THe Famous Olympics 4 teams will do well as always.

i have been told by my AD that schools who opt out have the same rooster limits if the want to participate in ncaa championships or regionals... kinda makes sense if you think about it.

The NCAA isn't running this show... it's the P4 who are... they make all the money and they want to keep it that way... this will make all of the P4's stronger and the rest weaker... as has been said above many schools including P4s will drop minor sports to the club level where they can. the ohio state AD has said as much.

I'll give you a heads up, you will be surprised by the schools that are about to opt into the settlement. I'm a current coach at a school just like them and half of our conference is considering opting in. Don't discount small schools just because they're small from opting in. There's pressure from conferences for schools to opt in and potential restrictions to conference championships such as roster limits that are being talked about to force schools (even schools that are enrollment driven) to opt in. The current thought is if you want to play power 4 teams in basketball you're going to have to opt in or they are going to cut you out. Maybe not right now but down the line that's going to be the benchmark for being D1. If we see restrictions put in place like that and access to the ncaa basketball tournament is restricted to schools that have opted in to even get a automatic qualifier in the smaller conferences then you will see the small schools opt in.