We support international athletes. We oppose unfair competition. Today, many NCAA programs recruit athletes who are 25–29 years old, developed in elite foreign training systems, to compete against 17–19-year-old American high-school graduates. This removes scholarships and roster spots from American youth and turns the NCAA into a development pipeline for foreign pros. This is not anti-immigrant. This is pro-fairness, pro-youth, and pro-integrity. FACTS (Verified, 2025 NCAA XC data) Source: Track & Field News — “Clock Starts Ticking on XC Age Definition”: https://trackandfieldnews.com/clock-starts-ticking-on-xc-age-definition/ Most recent NCAA DI XC Championships: Men: 29 of top 40 (72.5%) were foreign-born Women: 25 of top 40 (62.5%) were foreign-born
In 2015? Only 30% men / 32.5% women At the 2025 Regional Championships: Men: 60% of top-10 were foreign Women: 62.2% of top-10 were foreign
At least 10 athletes over age 25 finished top-10 regionally
A 29-year-old regional champion competed as a collegiate sophomore WHAT WE ARE ASKING THE NCAA TO DO 1. Set an age-aligned eligibility rule Start the 5-year clock at age 20 or first enrollment, ensuring all athletes compete at typical college ages. 2. Limit excessive gap years Allow 1 free post-HS year; additional years only for documented military/medical reasons. 3. Require roster transparency Publish athlete birth year + pre-NCAA elite experience. 4. Tighten national-team exemptions So the NCAA cannot be used as a late-20s development circuit. WHY THIS MATTERS American teenagers lose scholarships. Competition becomes age-imbalanced. The NCAA feeds other nations’ pro pipelines instead of our own. This is a youth opportunity issue and affects fairness nationwide.