NEWS: North Alabama Adds Men's and Women's Track & Field to Athletic Offerings

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Written by Kevin Fischer, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin

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The University of North Alabama has announced that they will begin sponsoring men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field starting in 2026, along with women's flag football.

North Alabama, an NCAA Division One school that resides in the ASUN Conference, already sponsors men's and women's cross country. Broadly speaking, the Lions have held their own on the grass, although they have also been outmatched by more established conference rivals such as Eastern Kentucky, Lipscomb and North Florida.

Last fall, at the 2024 ASUN XC Championships, North Alabama took 7th place on the women's side and 5th on the men's side in a field of 12 teams.

It's worth noting that a select few individuals have had solid success during their time at North Alabama.

Brian Bett, for example, won the men's race at the ASUN XC Championships last fall before finishing 20th at the South Regional XC Championships. Last week, at the Gans Creek Classic, Bett placed 7th in the "Black" race while teammate Sandra Maiyo won the women's "Open" race.

North Alabama's press release states that the track and field programs will be "distance-based." Current head cross country coach Connor Callahan, who started that role in 2024, will also be at the helm of the Lions' track and field programs.