The 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships concluded with Oklahoma State securing the men’s team title. Four runners finished in the top 12. The North Carolina State Wolfpack secured their fourth team title in five years on the women’s side, while Alabama’s Doris Lemngole claimed the women’s individual crown for the second year in a row. These victories are impressive for the respective universities’ athletic achievements. But through a broader lens, foreigners win these accolades more than homegrown talent, which has placed the NCAA recruiting subjective to public scrutiny.

The makeup of the victorious teams and leading contenders has ignited discussion from Theodore Wold, who previously served as Deputy Assistant to President Donald Trump. In a recent X post, Wold highlighted the demographic composition of the Oklahoma State team.

“Of Oklahoma State’s four top finishers: two are from Kenya, one is from Morocco, and one is from Ethiopia.” He further asserted that “of the top ten finishers overall, only three are Americans, and over half are from Africa.”

“Colleges are paying recruitment agencies thousands of dollars to recruit top-end talent from overseas. Many of these recruits are older than the average American college recruit and already seasoned veterans on an international circuit.” Wold’s remarks allude to an ongoing public disagreement among college coaches. He remarked that “prior to the championships, BYU’s head coach Ed Eyestone raised his voice to criticize coaches who recruit over-developed foreign runners over Americans.”

“Shut up and coach your team.” was the response from Oklahoma State’s head coach Dave Smith, according to Wold. President Donald Trump’s former staff wrapped up by presenting the matter as a question of national opportunity, stating, “So, what we have here are foreigners taking up scholarships and NIL money that should be going to Americans, dissipating the drive, energy, and ambition of our young people — and a cascade effect on the business side of the sport that leads to companies profiting off the replacement of Americans.”

The landscape of NCAA cross country has experienced a significant rise in the number of international participants. An analysis reveals that the proportion of men achieving All-America recognition (top 40) as international athletes surged from 30% in 2015 to 72.5% in 2025. This change is driven by multiple factors, notably the 2023 NCAA’s decision to do away with standardized SAT and ACT test requirements for eligibility. Some coaches argue that this move has simplified the qualification process for international athletes.

Moreover, the rise of specialized recruiting services, including Germany’s Scholarbook Premier and Kenya’s Townhall Premier Talents, has simplified the connection between U.S. colleges and international talent.

The reality of the growing number of outside recruits in the NCAA

To simplify this further for better understanding, the NCAA started out by incentivizing athletic performances by virtue of their success rates through revenue sharing deals and NIL deals. This led to a dogfight between universities to recruit the top talent possible, within or across the country’s borders. It also didn’t help that institutions had to seek out foreign athletes due to the declining interest in the U.S. The discussion and debates deepened further when the numbers limelighted the alarming trend of foreign athletes dominating the NCAA landscape.

The NCAA now faces an identity crisis, wherein some factions are debating the governing athletics body of trying to be somewhat of a sub-pro league in the country, rather than sticking to the body’s original job description. The BYU head coach Ed Eyestone expressed his worries, noting that the recruitment of seasoned international athletes “doesn’t help the U.S. developmental effort” and detracts from young American talent by occupying scholarships, roster spots, and the spotlight. His remarks highlight a growing concern that the opportunities for American distance runners are diminishing. The reaction from prominent coaches was immediate and straightforward.

“I believe if someone doesn’t like a rule or doesn’t like a situation in the NCAA, don’t b—- about it. Go change it. Get involved. Get involved in the sport. Get involved in leadership. And make change the way change is supposed to be made. Otherwise, shut up and coach your team,” said Oklahoma State head coach Dave Smith during a pre-championship press conference in response to Eyestone’s comments.

The head coach of Iowa State, Jeremy Sudbury, agreed, stating that coaches are developing their teams in accordance with NCAA regulations. This discussion stressed a significant ideological rift within the coaching community, split into two factions regarding roster construction strategies.