.png)
FloTrack is reporting that the NCAA D1 executive committee voted on a proposal to have a winter cross country season, with a vote of 21 to 3 in favor of the proposal.
The Stride Report has confirmed the existence of the proposal via multiple sources and that it was the NCAA cross country executive committee that voted on the proposal.
According to the report, the proposal (which still needs to be approved by the NCAA championship committee) suggests holding a D1 collegiate cross country season from January to March. Should the proposal be approved, cross country would theoretically compete at the same time as indoor track should that season go on as planned.
The lingering uncertainty as to whether or not an indoor track season will still happen has left many TSR sources questioning the viability of the proposal, specifically as to how two championship meets would take place in the same week.
TSR spoke to one source who cited a potential conflict of interest from the cross country committee given that many athletes who run cross country are officially on scholarships for track and field.
According to one source in FloTrack's initial report, student-athletes "would not be able to compete in both cross country and indoor track".
FloTrack also noted that in addition to the NCAA championship committee approving the proposal, the need for a 50% participation rate from Division I conferences would also be required. Otherwise, a winter cross country championship meet (which would be held in March) would not take place.