track All American status to EVERY nationals qualifier

That's so the coaches want a raise. Indoors is not real T&F and should have no AAs. And outdoors should go back to the old way of determining AAs.

For outdoors that is great... I always thought that anyone who made the final in their respective event should be an all-american.

For indoors it should be the same thing. Now everyone is going to run on oversized tracks and most of those people will say they are "all-americans".

Seems a bit redundant to have two distinctions with the same qualifying criteria. If "All-American" means the same thing as "nationals qualifier," why have All-American be a separate distinction?

This sucks. All-American should only go to like top 3-5 in each event. Nobody wants a watered down honor. Also in cross it should be reduced to either top 7 or 14.

Bear of Bad News wrote:

Seems a bit redundant to have two distinctions with the same qualifying criteria. If "All-American" means the same thing as "nationals qualifier," why have All-American be a separate distinction?

My thoughts exactly. There is a certain element that will be missing as well, normally there are at least nine guys running so everyone must compete to earn AA, not anymore..

I love how one of my buddies always brings up that he was an AA, but he always leaves out that he was an academic all-american, even though he never qualified for a national meet at the naia level. In fact, the kid never ran under 18:00 flat. Good buddy none the less.

exactly. Maybe every player that plays on a NCAA B-Ball tournament team should be an AA! Yep, thats what I thought... ridiculous!

"Ice cream for everybody.... you're all a winner!"

when you realize how many division 1 athletes compete in a given year in a given event you will understand how being one of the best 18-24 is certainly deserving of distinction.

Just like there are tiers of All Americans in other sports, 1st team, second team, honorable mention, so too will it be with D1 track and field.

Plus in other sports, like basketball and football, there are like 5 different groups handing out All American awards etc. Playboy All American, Parade All American, Sporting News All America etc etc etc

every sport in the NCAA is expanding their qualifiers and recognition for student-athletes. this is consistent with the trend.

but we still have the greatest sport of all because the stop watch and the measuring tape are the final judges.

NCAA qualifier is a status unto itself...leave top 8 as AA

Everybody is a winner!!!! Everybody is a winner!!!! Everybody is a winner!!!! Everybody is a winner!!!! Everybody is a winner!!!! Everybody is a winner!!!! Everybody is a winner!!!!

This is for those people who don't want their athletes/kids/dogs to have a self-esteem issues. Why every kid gets a trophy; why there are no honor rolls in High Schools anymore; why SAT's no longer matter.

It is the sign of the apocalypse when excellence goes unrewarded.

you could have 12 athletes at nationals and not score any points, but brag about having 12 ALL-AMERICANS!

that makes sense

I'm not a fan of this either. People have already criticized track and field for having too many All Americans, why have more? Those who reach the final is just fine.

When does this take effect?

Anyone have a link to this?

It was a proposal as far as I understand...It will still have to be approved by some NCAA Committee...Such a bunch wusses......

This sport is becoming such a joke....

So there would be what, over 500 potential All Americans in D1 Men's track? Or is it 600?

100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 3k, 3k steeple, 5k, 10k, 110h, 400h, shot, disc, jav, hammer, hj, lj, tj, pv, plus 8 guys on 2 relays. Thats 27x24 which is 648 potential AA athletes. Am I missing anything?

#1 it in a not a proposal awaiting NCAA approval. Track All American awards are given by the USTFCCCA and therefore the vote at that convention was final approval.

#2 here is a list of the different organizations that give football All American Awards:

Associated Press (AP), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Walter Camp Foundation (WCFF), The Sporting News (TSN), Sports Illustrated (SI), Pro Football Weekly (PFW), ESPN, CBS Sports (CBS), College Football News (CFN), Rivals.com, and Scout.com.

That isn't both confusing and watered down? So much so that they had to create a category named Concensus All American if you are named in 3 of those publications it is considered a concensus.

#3 the issue here is creating recognition. USTFCCCA has now created 1st team (top 8), second team (next 8) and honorable mention (other remaining national qualifiers). It eliminates the confusion of the 12th place American being All American, but the 10th place Canadian not being All American.

The debate was heated. The elite of the elite programs who only sign HS athletes that will be at the NCAA Championships as freshman want the strictest definition of only the top 8 scorers. They are also the same people that want the smallest # of qualifiers to NCAAs based on a descending order list because they have cornered the market in recruiting, and have the resources to find the exact track and the exact conditions to run the fastest on any given weekend in the regular season. They want to create a BCS of track and field where only certain conferences and schools can even run with them.

Then there is a majority of other programs in the country that have an equal voice only in a place like the USTFCCCA convention that stand opposed to being legislated out of competitiveness in our sport.

traxxxxxxxxxracr wrote:

you could have 12 athletes at nationals and not score any points, but brag about having 12 ALL-AMERICANS!

that makes sense

Just wondering, how did you settle on 12? Why not 5, or 15?

young whipper snappers! When I was ... well you know ... top 4 in track&field and top 25 in xc were named all american. Least thats what I remember