United States Political Landscape’s Effects on Collegiate Running

An Unexpected (Running) Journey

It Isn’t shocking that the state of Education, specifically Higher Education, in the United States, is currently in a tumultuous cluster. What does this mean for university athletics? Though by no means am I an expert, I previously worked in Higher Education, specifically Enrollment Management, for almost 9 years. With this experience, I witnessed the change of political regime twice and its effects on how universities recruit students. If you are a young athlete hoping to run collegiately, the route you take to your dream may have some unexpected twists.

That Pesky Enrollment Cliff

Higher Education officials have been holding their collective breath for nearly a decade in anticipation of what has been called the Demographic Enrollment Cliff. This refers to the smaller population of college-age students for this and further years due to the lower number of children born back in the late 2000s. There simply aren’t as many young adults in the population as previously, and colleges are competing harder with each other to grab recruits. In other words, it would appear that students are in a “buyer’s market” with the schools chasing them instead of the other way around. To be desirable by schools when I was college age, I was urged to be the best academically, get high ACT test scores, and have the most illustrious letters of recommendation I could gather. Does this mean that college admittance standards are lower? I’m not going to say yes directly because I don’t wish to downplay the effort high schoolers are putting into their portfolios, but I’ll reiterate: it’s a buyer’s market. 

Be Good or Good at It

Colleges are much more prepared to bend their seemingly set-in-stone rules if it means reaching an enrollment goal of “x” students. Therefore, young adults aspiring to run at the collegiate level should play their hand and see what schools can offer them. I say “schools” because hedging your bets with multiple schools with varying athletic department funding can mean the difference between being a walk-on and having a decent chunk of tuition paid for.

These speculations are largely focusing on how small private colleges operate. For those wishing to compete at Division I schools, the adage that “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer” may come into play. Division I schools typically have higher endowments, greater prestige, and thus a greater number of applicants. That buyer’s market tips closer to the seller’s side as athletic aid is much more dependent on straight-up athletic talent and promise. While the current political climate is even putting pressure on bigger universities, these schools are often reliant on the notoriety of their sports. While cross-country and track and field aren’t the most revenue-generating sports due to lack of spectators filling stadiums and fields, these programs are still top-tier and very selective.

Keep it Secret, Keep it Safe

The best thing a high school runner and collegiate athlete hopeful can do right now is focus on progressive improvement in their sport. Results are results, and while most colleges look at recruits and see dollar signs, the coaches are checking out your statistics. Is this runner showing improvement throughout high school and will their grades keep the athlete eligible? The responsibility of the athlete, then, is to apply to several schools and commit only after you get the cold hard financial facts.

Beast Mode Activated

If you dream of competing collegiately, a running coach can help fill in the blanks during high school, getting you the times and podium finishes that attract coaches. Summer and winter off-season training is often a great time to build the base necessary to attack the workouts during spring and fall that lead to the results you want and need to get noticed. Maximum Mileage Coaching has the expertise you need to stay healthy, motivated, and see improvement.

If this has piqued your interest, reach out to us at Maximum Mileage and let us help guide you to your best performances ever! Also, stay tuned to this blog for more tips for not only college runner hopefuls, but for runners of all ages.

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