Some of the best distance programs in the country will preview the Division One cross country national meet course at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri this Friday. Many teams in the "Gold" field will receive their first true challenge, and valuable Kolas points are at stake for teams hoping to return here in November. Here is the relevant information for anybody seeking to follow along: How to Watch The event will be streamed on SEC Network Plus beginning at 8:10am Central Daylight Time (CDT). A separate SECN+ subscription is not required for those with TV providers that carry the SEC Network. Race Schedule The schedule of races is listed here, with all times listed in Central time. A full entry list and live results once races start can be found on PrimeTime Timing . Friday, September 26th Men's 8k Black (8:15am) Women's 6k Gold (9:00am) Men's 8k Gold (9:45am) Women's 6k Black (10:30am) Men's 8k Open (11:15am) Women's 8k Open (12:00pm) Who is Competing? The "Gold" races feature 15 men's teams and nine women's teams ranked in The Stride Report's NCAA Division One Preseason XC Top-25 Rankings. Several teams, however, will not be at full strength, with full breakdowns for the men's race being found here and for the women's race being found here . Here are the ranked teams that will do battle tomorrow: Men's 8k "Gold" Race: TSR #1 Iowa State TSR #4 BYU TSR #5 Wake Forest TSR #6 Virginia TSR #7 Oregon TSR #10 Stanford TSR #11 Alabama TSR #12 Washington State TSR #13 Syracuse TSR #14 Northern Arizona TSR #15 Butler TSR #17 Colorado TSR #18 Eastern Kentucky TSR #22 Princeton TSR #23 Tulane Women's 8k "Gold" Race: TSR #1 Oregon TSR #5 Northern Arizona TSR #6 Florida TSR #7 Stanford TSR #9 Alabama TSR #10 Colorado TSR #12 Michigan State TSR #16 Utah TSR #25 Virginia

The University of Kansas is not expected to host the Kansas Relays in the spring of 2026. The decision was first reported by the Lawrence Journal-World  on Friday followed by several separate outlets. The school's decision to suspend the historic meet cited the desire to cut expenses as a result of financial pressure from revenue sharing. The House vs NCAA settlement went into effect this past July, allowing power conference athletic departments to pay between anywhere from $20 to $23 million annually towards student athlete compensation. It is not clear yet whether the meet will return in future years, although athletic director Travis Goff remains optimistic, noting that, "this isn't never again," per the Journal-World report. The inaugural Kansas Relays were held in 1923, and have returned nearly every year since, only pausing between 1943-1945 during World War II, 1998-1999 during stadium renovations, and 2020-2022 due to COVID-19. The Kansas Relays have featured many legendary athletes since its inception. Those athletes include Olympic 10,000-meter champion Billy Mills, Olympic 1500-meter silver medalist Jim Ryun, Boston and New York City Marathon winner Sharon Lokedi, and 800-meter American record holder Bryce Hoppel. The meet has also provided a stage for some of the best high school athletes in Kansas and neighboring states. In the most recent edition of the Kansas Relays this past spring, nine high school girls ran under five minutes 1600 meters while seven boys ran 4:15 or faster.

Production via Wyatt Barnsley On this week’s episode of The Stride Report Podcast, Ben and Garrett react to Cole Hocker’s 5k gold medal performance at the World Championships before diving into the the NCAA’s decision to adopt a 32-team format for the NCAA XC Championships. Then it’s all about cross country as the guys break down the Roy Griak Invitational. There, California Baptist bested Minnesota on the women’s side while the men’s race delivered its own thrill. Finally, the guys look ahead with a full Gans Creek Classic preview, analyzing both the women’s and men’s fields and what they mean for the national picture this fall. Be sure to listen, subscribe and review! (2:45) Cole Hocker Wins 5k Gold at World Championships (8:49) NCAA Announces 32-Team National Championship Format (12:39) Roy Griak Results (Men) (16:44) Roy Griak Results (Women) (24:31) Gans Creek Classic Preview (Women) (40:09) Gans Creek Classic Preview (Men) You can listen to that episode (and others) on our PODCASTS  page! You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Soundcloud. If you like it, be sure to leave us a rating  and a review ! Note: If you're having issues loading the episode on the site via mobile, try refreshing  the episode page. We will look into this issue for future episodes.