Home > The Scene

ESPN to cover NCAA Cross Country Championships

The rescheduled 2020 championships will be broadcast live on March 15

Charlotte Prouse

Finally, those who wish to watch the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships will no longer have to deal with unreliable online streams. On Monday, March 15, the race will be broadcast live on ESPN, and will continue to be broadcast on the network until 2023. The announcement was made in a joint statement by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and ESPN on Monday.

Justyn Knight
Photo: Michael Scott/Syracuse Athletics.

RELATED: Greatest Canadian moments in NCAA cross-country history

This will be the first time that the championships have been covered on live television since 2009, with the rescheduled 2020 championships available on ESPNU and the ESPN App on race day, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. The women’s 6K race will kick off at 12:50 p.m., and the men’s race 10K race will follow at 1:40 p.m. at the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Okla.

Abbie Day, chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Track and Field and Cross Country Committee, has said she is excited that fans across the country will have an opportunity to watch the races on live television.

“To showcase the achievements of these student-athletes in front of a national television audience is an incredible opportunity and the committee is thrilled to continue our partnership with ESPN and the USTFCCCA in 2021 and for many years to come,” she said.

On the women’s side, the University of Arkansas will be looking to defend their championship title in March, while on the men’s side, Brigham Young University will be aiming for a repeat gold-medal performance. The championships will be broadcast without interruption, and the awards ceremony after the race will be streamed live on ESPN3 and on the ESPN App.

RELATED: Canadians who qualified for the 2019 NCAA XC Championships

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

Top 10 shoes our testers are loving this April

We tested tons of great shoes this year, but only the very best make the list