improving team competition

[Guest]

Just curious if anybody out there has any ideas (outside of regionals) to improve team competition at the college level.

One suggestion I heard was to encourage schools to have more well rounded programs by requiring a minimum of 2 scholarships be allocated each year for each of the categories: sprints/hurdles, distances, throws, jumps. It would spread a bit of the wealth around and prevent schools with depth in only a couple events from winning team titles.

Also, what about mandating that all meets are scored? This is easy and cheap (free). This could help improve overall team strength. I don't think many coaches would want to finish in the bottom half of team standings in 7-8 meets every season because they don't have depth outside of 3-5 events.

[dl]

Re: improving team competition

I agree that emphasizing team competition would be good for the health of the sport at the collegiate level.

One suggestion given to me by a Big 10 coach a few years ago was to have a round robin of triple or quadruple duals through out the season (would only require 3-4 meets per team per season). The dual head-to-head scores would then count, say one-half, toward a school's score at the conference meet.

This would encourage diverse team strength withouth forcing any scholarships restrictions on anyone.

[Halfmiler]

Re: improving team competition

I think Nike ought to sponsor a tournament of quad meets among the top collegiate track powers and name it the Bowerman Cup in honor of their co-founder: four quad meets in a first round with the four winners in a final round. This would come closer to identifying the best team in the nation than the NCAA meet which can be won by a handful of athletes.

[lagsun]

Re: improving team competition

How about a separate relays championships? I'd love to see the top teams battling it out in the sprint and distance medleys, 4x8 and 4xmile, etc. Make Penn and Drake the regional qualifiers. Just a thought...

[Guest]

Re: improving team competition

Seems like this would require a couple of changes...

#1 A de-emphasis of relays and invitationals (only the strongest would survive). Getting 2 or 3 schools to travel to another to compete would likely require weekend meets (in the Big 10, it's unrealistic to think Penn State to travel to Minnesota or Iowa for a mid-week meet, etc...)

#2 Restructure quialifying for NCAA's. As more more and more dual/tri/quad meets are contested, athletes might not have to necessary competition to achieve the current qualifiers.

#3 Figure out a way to emphasize the "team" concept without completely sacrificing individual performance.


>I agree that emphasizing team competition would
>be good for the health of the sport at the
>collegiate level.

One suggestion given to me
>by a Big 10 coach a few years ago was to have a
>round robin of triple or quadruple duals through
>out the season (would only require 3-4 meets per
>team per season). The dual head-to-head scores
>would then count, say one-half, toward a school's
>score at the conference meet.

This would
>encourage diverse team strength withouth forcing
>any scholarships restrictions on anyone.

[Guest]

Re: improving team competition

>Seems like this would require a couple of
>changes...

#1 A de-emphasis of relays and
>invitationals (only the strongest would survive).
>Getting 2 or 3 schools to travel to another to
>compete would likely require weekend meets (in
>the Big 10, it's unrealistic to think Penn State
>to travel to Minnesota or Iowa for a mid-week
>meet, etc...)

This is a good thing. I hate spending all day at a meet where no winner is determined.

#2 Restructure quialifying for
>NCAA's. As more more and more dual/tri/quad meets
>are contested, athletes might not have to
>necessary competition to achieve the current
>qualifiers.

I have no problem with this

#3 Figure out a way to emphasize
>the "team" concept without completely
>sacrificing individual performance.

I agree.


>I agree
>that emphasizing team competition would
>be good
>for the health of the sport at the
>collegiate
>level.

One suggestion given to me
>by a Big
>10 coach a few years ago was to have a
>round
>robin of triple or quadruple duals through
>out
>the season (would only require 3-4 meets
>per
>team per season). The dual head-to-head
>scores
>would then count, say one-half, toward a
>school's
>score at the conference meet.

This
>would
>encourage diverse team strength withouth
>forcing
>any scholarships restrictions on
>anyone.