How the DI college cross country championship works

Countless hours of training and three months of fall invitationals build up to the coveted Division I men's and women's cross country championships. It's one of the most intriguing of all DI championships because of the timeline. It's among the shortest championships in college sports. 

So when does the championship usually begin, and how are the participants selected? All of the answers are provided below and are universal for both the men's and women's championships.

GLOSSARY: Get to know the basic and advanced cross country terms 

When do the cross country championships begin?

The DI men's and women's college cross country championships usually begin around mid to late November, which marks the end of the cross country regular season.

The regular season begins in mid to late August or early September and lasts into the month of October. Conference championships commence the postseason, followed by the regionals and national championships. 

Unlike other college sports championships that include several weeks of games and matches, the cross country title is decided on one day of the year and features one 10k race for the men and one 6k race for the women.

How do teams get into the cross country championships?

The regionals are a crucial event within the championships selection process. A team's advancement to the national championship is dependent on their performance at the regional championships. Once the regionals have concluded, the top two teams in each regional — there are nine in total — automatically qualify for the championships, which equates to 18 automatic qualifiers. In other words, it's the safest route to qualification. The NCAA DI Cross Country Subcommittee will then choose 14 at-large teams to fill out the 32-team field. 

At-large team selections are based firstly on their performance at regionals, making the third- and fourth-place teams the most likely candidates.

Regular and postseason (up until the championships) results combine to create a detailed resume of a team's performance throughout the season, and that resume is also looked over by the subcommittee to determine at-large championship selections. The amount of regular season points and specifically the wins against teams that have already qualified or been selected to the national championships really matter here.

Individual selections are a different story. From the regional, the first four finishers who do not belong to an automatic qualifier or an at-large team automatically advance to the championships. All four finishers have to finish in the top 25 within their region. Altogether, 36 individuals automatically qualify and two are chosen at-large, making 38 the grand total. The two at-large selections are the highest placing individuals at a regional that were not automatic qualifiers.

See the  for the full list of qualifying procedures.

Which schools have won the cross country championships?

The NCAA DI men's college cross country championships began in 1938 when Indiana took home the trophy over Notre Dame. Arkansas won its first title in 1984 and has since been crowned 11 times, the most by any DI men's cross country program.

HISTORY: The fastest finishes in NCAA DI cross country championships history

Further down the road came the NCAA DI women's cross country championship. In 1981, Virginia won the first DI women's cross country title over Oregon, and since, Villanova has secured the most with nine. 

For the complete ;list of men's and women's programs that've won the championship, click or tap the links below.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Men's complete history since 1938 | Women's complete history since 1981