Cross Country scholarships are shared in the NCAA with track and field scholarships. They are treated as the same team.  Scholarships are shared between cross country and track & field as it is classified as an equivalency sport. This means coaches rarely award “full ride” scholarships, but divide the scholarships up among multiple athletes.

There are 525 colleges that offer college cross country scholarships for men in the NCAA divisions I and II.  That is over 6,600 cross country scholarships in the NCAA alone. For women’s cross-country the total number in the NCAA is just over 8,900. Remember this is x-country and track and field together.

The NCAA allows each division 1 track and field / cross country program 12.69 scholarships for men and 18 for women. In division 2 the ratio is 12.6 scholarships for men and 12.6 for women. There are also a large number of scholarships available in the NAIA, with 12 per men and women, and junior colleges which offer up to 30 scholarships for men and women cross country and track.

Tips to get noticed:

1. Compete in the track and field season also. This will maximize your exposure to potential schools and show that you are willing to compete in more than one event and season, making you more marketable to coaches.
2. Attend camps. Most colleges have summer camps and clinics. Take advantage of these and attend at schools that you are interested in or are actively recruiting you.
3. Compete nationally. If you have the opportunity to compete at larger national and open meets, do so! These events get far more media attention and exposure for athletes. You are also competing against athletes who are wanting the same scholarship as you, so this gives you a good measuring stick towards your abilities.
4. Contact coaches early. Being contacting schools in your Junior year. Let coaches know who you are and that you want to compete for them. Track and Cross County coaches have limited recruiting budgets. You need to let them know you exist.
5. Save all of your meet times and results. Coaches will need to see the official results. If your name is in the paper, save these and add them to your personal recruiting packet that you will mail to colleges.

If you want a cross country scholarship you are going to have to work for it. You are competing against thousands of other talented high school runners. Start your cross country recruiting early and be persistent. You don’t give up during the middle of a race, don’t give up during your recruiting. Follow a recruiting plan through to the end and you can guarantee yourself results.

Cross Country Scholarships can be hard to come by but if you are willing to put in the hard work required with recruiting, we can show you the way. CLICK HERE to get the recruiting system that has helped hundreds of other runners like you, make it to the collegiate level.

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