Why Does Oklahoma State and Alabama Recruit Foreigners?

How many elite hs american runners do you know that want to go to either of those schools and run in the late summer/early fall. Plus the academics aren't stellar. Foreigners don't care about that as much.

I know you are just trying to pick a fight but the answer is the coach wants to win. Winning brings many good side effects.

Another good question would be the better STUDENT athlete. The Bama football players or the cross team.

So, you are saying the "coach wants to win" is the reason. Well if that is the case, I say fire the coach because he is supposed to be working for the state (this means the taxpayers) that is paying his salary. How do you think the taxpayers will feel about this self-serving coach? What % of taxpayers give rip about cross country and this bumpkin coach's desire to win?

So should coaches just recruit in state guys? What's the real difference between a state school paying for a kid that's from out of state vs. out of country?

"Do"

Alabama is a top 50 public university. Their athletic program is self-sufficient. NO TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE USED TO FUND ANY PROGRAM. They can do whatever the hell they want.

Yup, they sure can do whatever they wish with their money. One of the poorest states in the country and looking at their XC roster they most certainly have decided to send most of their scholarship money off to Eldoret, Kenya.

Southern Nonsense wrote:

Yup, they sure can do whatever they wish with their money. One of the poorest states in the country and looking at their XC roster they most certainly have decided to send most of their scholarship money off to Eldoret, Kenya.

They could send it to Huntsville, Birmingham or Mobile but guess what? They'd be absolutely terrible. There is almost zero XC talent in Alabama.

Your post makes zero sense. What difference does it make if that money does not public funds?

EDIT: "...does not originate from public funds?"

Then the fine folks in Alabama would be a hell of a lot better off in the long run, to start taking care of the home folks and start building a XC program within the state. It takes work, and it takes money to build enthusiasm and support, but it can be done. But instead, the fine folks in those institutions of higher learning have taken the quick fix, instead of putting in the work. Do a little research about Texas El Paso's history from the 70's of bringing in hordes of Kenyans to run.

Southern Nonsense wrote:

Then the fine folks in Alabama would be a hell of a lot better off in the long run, to start taking care of the home folks and start building a XC program within the state. It takes work, and it takes money to build enthusiasm and support, but it can be done. But instead, the fine folks in those institutions of higher learning have taken the quick fix, instead of putting in the work. Do a little research about Texas El Paso's history from the 70's of bringing in hordes of Kenyans to run.

There's no high school talent in Alabama, at least not enough to maintain a top 25 XC team. A coach that tried to get by with instate talent in Alabama would be fired very quickly.

That is simply not going to happen in a speed state.

(I could write for a week on the failure of either Alabama or Auburn to develop the sport of track and field in the state)

Part of the issue is about keeping our sport alive. If these colleges (like Alabama and Okla State) keep bringing in foreign athletes, the American interest in the sport will be even less than it already is. When that happens, no one will get a XC scholarship (American or foreigner).

The other part has to do with the taxpayers, who are already fed up. If the state university is spending tax dollars (as is does at most state universities) on foreign athletes, it will piss off even more people who are fed up. If wealthy T. Boone Pickens money is used for foreign athletes, instead of American kids, the public will be similarly disenchanted/pissed and will support our sport even less so than the abysmally small number who do now.

You're right... the only reason you don't see 92,000 fans at the Crimson Classic XC race is because they have Kenyans at Bama. If they had a buncha pasty white boys from Scottsboro everything would be great.

Alabama has plenty of participation in XC at the HS level, Kenyans have zero effect on whether or not a 9th grade kid decides whether or not to come out for XC in the state of Alabama.

I remember when this subject came up a few years ago and the concensus was that you cannot deny a qualified person, foreign or not, admission into a state University. At that point, do you (in America) say that you will not provide opportunity to someone that wants to come here and compete by giving them funding. How un-American would that be?

Mtn Dew wrote:

So should coaches just recruit in state guys? What's the real difference between a state school paying for a kid that's from out of state vs. out of country?

Please confess to us that you are smart enough to know the difference.

Aren't you?

Limit Foreign Athletes wrote:

Please confess to us that you are smart enough to know the difference.

Aren't you?

No, enlighten me. Because they haven't paid any taxes? Because they're generally better than American born runners? Because they're black? Because some may be older than typical freshmen?

Which exactly is it?

At that point, do you (in America) say that you will not provide opportunity to someone that wants to come here and compete by giving them funding. How un-American would that be?

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Good question. The answer is that the time is now. American Taxpayers are fed up with how our money is being used, to the detriment of developing our own kids, and our own country. If the athletic community doesn't understand this, they will be the dinasours of the future, and the ego-centric coaches will find themselves without a program.