In anticipation of the 2025 realignment and expansion to 8 classes, the North Carolina Track & Cross Country Coaches Association (NCTCCCA) has spent a number of hours preparing proposals for the conduct of the regional and state championship finals in all three seasons. The majority of our discussion, internally and with the NCHSAA task force, has centered on outdoor track. Our initial proposals were given positive feedback from the task force subcommittee on running sports, and we made minor tweaks to our final proposal based on that feedback.
Our primary focus throughout has been to maintain the standard of 16 qualifiers per event to the outdoor state meet, and to choose qualifiers in a way that would allow all the best athletes the chance to score for their team in the state championship. This part of our plan was also received positively. At no point in this process, from July to November, were we given any indication that our proposals should contain cuts in state qualifiers. Nor did we expect that, since bracketed sports state finalists will double, and the bylaw amendment was specifically proposed as a path to increased championship opportunities.
At a follow-up November 20th meeting with the running sports subcommittee, we were asked to change our proposal, and only take eight qualifiers per event to the state meet. The rationale given by the committee did not relate in any way to track, the specifics of our proposal, or how the championships are run. We were told that increasing the number of classes should not increase the number of postseason participants, and that to be equitable to other sports, track has to reduce numbers as well.
After the meeting, the membership of the NCTCCCA was informed about the request to reduce the number of state outdoor championship participants. Our membership is unanimous that reducing the number of outdoor track state qualifiers per event below the current 16 seriously damages the competitive integrity of the championship as a team competition, and is counter to all the work we have put in alongside the NCHSAA to advance the sport over the last three decades. In reaffirming our request, we want to emphasize these points:
● Postseason access - most bracketed sports are reducing playoff participants per class by eliminating a round. This is reasonable given the smaller number of schools in each class to fill playoff spots. In keeping with this, we recommeded reducing postseason entries in cross country and track by moving from 4 regions to 3, which should still keep travel distances reasonable for less centrally-located schools. However, at the championship level these bracketed sports will be
doubling the number of opportunities with twice as many state champions, state finalists, and regional finalists. This is the appropriate comparison for state finals qualifiers in non-bracketed sports, and it does not justify championship cuts.
● Track and swimming are the only sports that determine state champions solely via points scored by individual qualifiers. Cross country and golf advance full teams from regionals to state; tennis and wrestling have dual team playoffs and championships. Track teams cannot advance as a "team," and cutting the number of qualifiers in half could leave even the best teams with only 5-8 qualifiers for the state meet. It is equivalent to playing 3-on-3 basketball in the state championship, just because there are now more state championship games.
● Inter-Sport Equity: Each sport should have the championship appropriate to itself, and there is nothing equitable about limiting participation in one sport based on the competitive rules or constraints existing in another. If one sport asks to reduce championship qualifiers based on other goals, while a second prioritizes preserving opportunities, both should be respected to the extent possible. It is almost impossible in this discussion to compare one Olympic sport to a traditional team sport. It is important, however, to be aware of the fact that track is not only the largest sport in participation for girls and second largest for boys, it also has the largest lineups of any sport. A varsity track lineup has 46 entries across 18 events. Teams rarely qualify half that number to the regional, or even reach a dozen entries at the state meet. To further cut into the opportunity for athletes to compete with their team at the state meet would be a travesty.
● Financial Considerations - Allowing 16 participants per event doubles the number of athletes, families, and supporters in attendance. This translates directly to higher revenue from ticket sales and merchandise, benefiting all stakeholders. Conversely, there are few expenses that are reduced by cutting the number of entries per event.
● Meet Logistics - All the longest races in a track meet are already run as single section races; cutting to 8 runners does not reduce the time they take. In field events, warmup time for events is the same regardless of number of entrants, and every qualifier is a finalist. It would be difficult if not impossible to run 4 classes at one site in a day, and even three would be a dubious test of endurance for athletes, fans, and officials.
With regard to logistics, the authors of the current NCHSAA bylaws anticipated concerns and explicitly said they should not be an obstacle to championship opportunities:
"...we should not allow venues for state championships to stand in the way of bringing about greater equity. The NCHSAA staff will certainly find a way to overcome the challenges of finding championship venues." Authors' Q&A, March, 2023.
The NCTCCCA is willing and able to assist in identifying and preparing multiple appropriate championship venues for 2026 and beyond. This is in keeping with our long history of working to improve the championships , and providing the vast majority of the work in organizing and conducting the championship meets every year. We look forward to continuing and expanding that work, in conjunction with the NCHSAA, to provide the opportunity for an inclusive and comprehensive state championship.
Rodney King
Executive Director, on behalf of the NCTCCCA Board of Directors
