Written by Cory Mull Last September, Matt Bingle met before his University of Minnesota men’s track and field team and issued a statement.  Let’s show everyone in the NCAA just how good we are. Bingle set his sights then on an achievable objective: Finish the Big Ten Conference Championships in the top two and follow with a top 10 outing at the NCAA Championships.  Nine months later, his vision remains in play.  From the Brink of Disappearance to National Prominence “The mission we talked about is still in place,” said Bingle,  Minnesota’s Director of Track and Field and Cross Country  whose Gophers were tied for second with Wisconsin at Big Tens with 81 points. “Everyone is excited for the opportunity to see what happens.”  That  opportunity  is a rather historic moment for a program like Minnesota. After all, it was just five years ago that this team was on the chopping block when tight wallets and the pandemic prompted a few universities across the U.S. to consider cutting athletic programs. Bingle was just a few years on the job.  Coach Matt Bingle at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon // Photo via Minnesota Athletics The Minnesota men’s track team were able to walk away from the cliff, though only barely. The university’s Board of Regents  still cut indoor track and field -- along with men’s gymnastics and men’s tennis -- allowing for the outdoor track and field team to remain (though the men’s team has since had opportunities to compete unattached over the indoor season).  In the ensuing time since, the Gophers haven’t only managed to get by, but they’ve thrived, building  an annually competitive program  that even produced an Olympian in 2024 – 3,000-meter steeplechase athlete Matthew Wilkinson, a 2023 graduate and two-time Big Ten champion. This week, Minnesota will chase after an NCAA team title, with 10 athletes spread across seven events, including four athletes in the 4x100-meter relay. The (Unconventional) Formula for NCAA Gold The Golden Gophers, who last won a national collegiate title in 1948 -- when the meet was held in Minneapolis -- are about as antithetical as you can get with a track and field program.  Minnesota's greatest strength is in the field events, harkening back to that great 2018 University of Georgia team, which powered to a national title in the field disciplines and was led by Petros Kyprianou, a coach who always believed in building a diverse roster.  But to be fair, Minnesota might need just a little bit more -- they might just need their relay team to put together an epic two-round haul in the 4x100.  Minnesota's 4x100-meter relay competing at the BIG 10 Championships // Photo via Minnesota Athletics Minnesota enters as the  10th-ranked team  in the country according to the USTFCCCA. But crazier things have happened. Just last year, Florida claimed a national team title with a meager 41 points -- their third national title in a row and fifth over the last eight seasons. Then again, the Gophers might have a bit more fight. “We’ve been preparing for this 4x100-meter relay since October,” said Ibrahim Kabia, Minnesota’s sprints, hurdles and jumps coach. “The goal is to become national champion. That’s still the goal.”  Late last week, Bingle said he wasn’t focusing on the result of the NCAA Championships. Naturally, no coach would.  The objective is to get through the first set of events on June 11th, and then get as many individuals and teams to the finals on June 13th. The Gophers have an opportunity to secure points right away with the men’s hammer throw and the men’s long jump. The pole vault and the first round of the 4x100 are also going to be completed on Day One. Minnesota is ranked 1-2 in the hammer behind the NCAA’s tandem of Angelos Mantzouranis and Kosta Zaltos, two Bowerman Award vote getters who enter with the only two performances in the circle over 250 feet this season.  “That will tell us where we’re at real quick,” Bingle said.  Kosta Zaltos competing in the hammer throw at the BIG 10 Championships // Photo via Minnesota Athletics From there, Minnesota sports the No. 2 triple jumper in the NCAA (Hakeem Ford) and the No. 2 long jumper (Charles Godfred). If a national team title is to be won, then the Gophers will need optimal results in their main three events.  The Golden Gophers Have Everything to Prove How has Minnesota managed to compete nationally against programs with sprint-heavy rosters?  Few would doubt the Gophers operate with a chip on their shoulder. After nearly getting cut in 2020, no one inside the program takes anything for granted anymore.  “For me, personally,” Bingle said, “I feel like I have to prove everything, all the time. I’ve always had that mentality, wherever I’ve coached. You have to prove it each year. That’s the mentality of where I’ve been and that’s the standard we’re trying to put in front of the student athletes.”  Kabia echoes those sentiments, only he goes a step further.  Charles Godfred (left) & Coach Ibrahim Kabia (right) at the BIG 10 Championships // Photo via Minnesota Athletics On paper, Minnesota isn’t the ideal setting for sprinters. But they have a brand new outdoor track and an indoor facility with a Mondo track. Kabia says none of his athletes have ever used excuses as to why they couldn’t be more competitive.  “It doesn’t matter what challenges are in front of us,” Kabia said. “We will try to overcome them. That’s how our staff operates. It doesn’t stop us from getting the best athletes in the world.”  This weekend, the Gophers’ fight and resolve will be on full display. And if they win their first team title since 1948?  Well, sometimes you’re meant to surpass that vision.

Production via Wyatt Barnsley On this week’s Episode of the Blue Oval Podcast, Ben and Garrett preview one of the most stacked NCAA Championships in recent memory. Ben and Garrett dive deep into the historically loaded 1500-meter fields, analyzing the favorites, sleepers and wild cards for both the men’s and women’s races. The steeplechase battles also promise to be all-time classics, with heavy-hitters and rising stars ready to clash. Plus, could New Mexico really pull off a sweep of the men’s and women’s 10k and 5k? Tune-in for a breakdown of every distance event — from the 800 meters up to the 10k — giving you predictions, key match-ups, and names to watch as we head into the biggest weekend of the year for collegiate track and field! Be sure to listen, subscribe and review! (3:03) Men’s 10k Favorites (5:01) Men’s 10k Sleepers (8:22) Men’s 10k Wild Cards (11:26) Women’s 10k Favorites (14:39) Women’s 10k Sleepers (17:53) Women’s 10k Wild Cards (23:43) Men’s 1500m Favorites (28:35) Men’s 1500m Sleepers (33:35) Men’s 1500m Wild Cards (35:41) Women’s 1500m Favorites (39:59) Women’s 1500m Sleepers (43:46) Women’s 1500m Wild Cards (46:21) Men’s Steeplechase Favorites (49:24) Men’s Steeplechase Sleepers (51:16) Men’s Steeplechase Wild Cards (53:01) Women’s Steeplechase Favorites (54:13) Women’s Steeplechase Sleepers (58:38) Men’s 800m Favorites (1:01:52) Men’s 800m Sleepers (1:03:16) Men’s 800m Wild Cards (1:04:45) Women’s 800m Favorites (1:06:42) Women’s 800m Sleepers (1:08:41) Women’s 800m Wild Cards (1:10:51) Men’s 5k Favorites (1:13:22) Men’s 5k Sleepers (1:14:36) Men’s 5k Wild Cards (1:16:54) Women’s 5k Favorites (1:17:53) Women’s 5k Sleepers (1:19:56) Women’s 5k Wild Cards 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.

The grand finale is almost here! In the coming days, the 2025 Division One NCAA Outdoor Championships will take place in Eugene, Oregon to figure out which individuals (and relays) reign supreme over their competition. The men's competition will begin on Wednesday while the women's races will begin tomorrow on Thursday. On the site, The Stride Report had six different writers offer D1 national meet All-American predictions for later this week. Go check out our PREDICTIONS page and peruse through the never-ending picks that we have for the most exciting time of the year!

Sourcing via The Athletic, AP News, Yahoo Sports, Fisher Phillips & TSR's network UPDATE: Since the original publication of this article in July 2024, a federal judge has since approved a settlement agreement regarding an antitrust lawsuit with the NCAA and Power Five conferences. Schools may begin to compensate athletes on July 1st, 2025. On Friday, the NCAA and the Power Five conferences agreed to settle a series of antitrust lawsuits with a payout of $2.8 billion over the next 10 years. A federal judge must still approve the filed settlement. The details of the settlement, as well as the associated consequences of the lawsuit, could ultimately alter the NCAA track and field and cross country realm as we know it. Below, we broke down the most important aspects that you need to know... What Is Happening The NCAA and the Power Five conferences agreed to a deal that will distribute a total of nearly $2.8 billion to athletes who missed out on earning opportunities (from NIL deals) from 2017 to 2020. The agreement also allows schools to pay their athletes portions of the school's athletic department revenue each year. Power Five programs could pay up to $21 million, annually. The change will begin at the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic calendar. That same settlement also includes limits on scholarships and roster spots. Men's and women's cross country (each) now have a max total of 17 scholarships and 17 roster spots. Men's and women's track and field (each) now have a max total of 45 scholarships and 45 roster spots. If an athlete competes in both cross country and track, then they will count towards scholarship spots (assuming they do receive a scholarship) and roster spots in both sports. It should be further emphasized that these are scholarship and roster limits. Schools do not have to match/reach the maximum allocation. Why This Is Important With annual revenue sharing to athletes now exceeding $20 million in some cases, schools will likely begin to cut costs. Some schools may also aim to invest more funds into the higher scholarship limit for revenue-driving sports such as football. That, in turn, could leave many NCAA track and field and/or cross country programs (as well as other non-revenue generating sports) on the chopping block. The roster limits, especially for cross country, will also lead to athletes being cut from teams that previously held more athletes on their roster. You can expect the transfer portal to be the busiest that it’s ever been this time next year. With scholarship limits rising, schools with greater funds will be able to invest even more heavily into their respective programs for cross country and/or track and field (should they choose to do so). Smaller schools, however, will likely struggle to keep pace in terms of recruiting as they are (usually) not able to fund nearly as many scholarships. In theory, that will further widen the gap between top programs and the rest of the NCAA. It should be noted, however, that certain schools will only be bound by these new roster and scholarship limits should they choose to distribute revenue. “Those that are not defendants in the settlement case — schools and conferences in the Group of Five, FCS and non-football playing Division I programs — are bound by the roster limits, reporting system and enforcement mechanism only if they choose to share revenue with athletes. They can opt out of the new model if they decline to share revenue.” - Ross Dellenger, Yahoo Sports The Stride Report is already aware of certain Power Five track and field and cross country programs that intend to capitalize on the scholarship allocation increase. In other words, schools that you would usually not associate with cross country may become nationally competitive in that area over the next couple of years.

Production via Wyatt Barnsley On this week’s episode of the Blue Oval Podcast, heartbreak strikes as Parker Wolfe announces the end of his NCAA career due to injury. After that, Ben and Garrett dive into a chaotic East Regional Championship 10k race that somehow started well after midnight before exploring why there were so few upsets in the women’s East and West regional races. The guys then analyze the women’s 1500-meter qualifying rounds and national title picture, highlight Kirk Dawkins’ breakthrough 1:46.62 (800) mark to qualify for the national meet and discuss the surprising fall of several top men’s 800-meter runners. Ben and Garrett also offer a breakdown of the two disqualifications (and one reinstatement) along with the celebration of Wake Forest’s domination in the 5k. Be sure to listen, subscribe and review! (3:43) Parker Wolfe Announces End of Collegiate Career Due to Injury (8:16) The East Regional 10k Started at What Time??? (13:12) Should We Be Surprised by Lack of Upsets in Women’s Regional Races? (18:47) Women’s 1500m Regional Analysis (27:46) Kirk Dawkins PRs with 1:46.62 (800) to Qualify for NCAA Championships (30:17) Men’s 800m Sees Multiple Indoor All-Americans Fail to Advance (33:52) Rivaldo Marshall & Matthew Smith DQ (& Protest Win) Discussions (37:51) Wake Forest Men Dominate Top-Four Spots in East Region 5k (41:40) Quick Hitters 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.