Ishmael Kipkurui DOMINATES NCAA 10,000 - How long till his win is invalidated for being a pro?

I mean it is the sign off the times. He is no more pro to me than a College QB making $4MM a year like Carson Beck.

I'm not trying to be pedantic, but the OP is correct, there is a real legal distinction here. (For reference I am an NCAA athlete)

NIL money cannot be tied to performance, ie college runners still have to turn down the 50 dollar Chili's gift card for winning the local Turkey Trot. It can only be received for performing other non athletic tasks, such as community events, or signing a football. Now is a preschool visit by a P4 football player actually worth a million bucks? Probably not, but the legal distinction is real and it matters.

American high school kids still have to sign documents affirming that they have never been payed to play their sport, even in the NIL error. Yet, these Kenyans are very obviously actual, bona-fide, pro-athletes. There is no way they are buying flights, visas, entry fees accommodation, to these big European races by themselves and then just turning down the prize money at the end.

The NCAA is just selectively not enforcing the amateurism rules against them, probably out of laziness (most of the illegal pro events would have been outside of the U.S., so more difficult to track and verify) or a fear of getting sued again.

Kipkurui should enter the transfer portal. he's only a freshman and now that collegiants can get paid imagine what a Power 4 school could offer. it's gotta be a hell of a lot more than what New Mexico is giving him.

I bet Dave Smith is on the phone with T. Boone Pickens right now trying to convince him Kipkurui is the answer to another XC title.

Dave might indeed be on the phone with T Boone, although it might be a one way conversation as T Boone died in 2019.

You cry about Dave Smith recruiting international athletes but you are SILENT about 25 year old international Mullarkey running for NAU????????

Surely Mullarkey is a nonscholarship walk-on, right? Mike Smith would never "buy" an athlete using scholarship money! Only evil Dave Smith would ever dare to offer a scholarship!

I hope Marco Langon wins the 5k for the USA. We believe in you, Marco!

New Mexico was able to give him more money than pro teams that were trying to sign him after The 10… they have more than enough money to buy their way to a competitive team

yup, it's a bunch of malarkey if you ask me

I think Marco will make a race of it, but Strand would probably be the American with the best chance. Or maybe Soca. Soca has gone unsung all year, but he has racked up some solid performances.

I have a feeling 5k will not be a kicker's affair.

To be fair. Mullarkey was brought over by Florida State!

Problem for Strand is the 1500 is before the 5K

The idea that New Mexico which has an athletic department always on the brink of financial disaster would have the resources to "pay" Kipkurui more than a pro group is funny. They do not have a big NIL program and struggle to pay basketball or football players. So how do you think they can come up with money for any other smaller sport. The guys probably get a full scholarship and some small funding but that is about it.

Some team like USC or Georgia could easily carry their entire track distance program if they secured a transfer like him.

He's basically a free 10+ points (10000m, 5000m placings) for the cost of one roster spot. And for a team primarily consisting of sprinters and fielders, one stud distance guy basically guarantees you a track championship (if schools still care about that going forward)