Indiana State is scheduled to host the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational on Friday, Oct. 17, at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind. According to an Oct. 15 report, the meet will bring a wide array of national talent to the venue.
The Friday proceedings are scheduled to begin with the women's blue division 6k at 10 a.m., followed by the men's blue division 8k at 10:40 a.m. The women's white division 6k is scheduled for 11:20 a.m., and the men's white division 8k will take place at noon. Gates for teams are scheduled to open at 8 a.m., and there is a $5 admission fee collected at the gates. The meet will be broadcast by RunnerSpace, while PT Timing will provide live results.
The field of competitors includes several teams from Utah, such as Utah Tech, Utah State, and Utah Valley. Other participants joining the host Sycamores include Arizona, Auburn, Ball State, Bellarmine, Boston College, Butler, BYU, California Baptist, Central Michigan, Clemson, Colorado State, Cornell, Dayton, Duke, Eastern Michigan, Evansville, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Iona, IU Indy, Kansas, Kentucky, Liberty, Lipscomb, Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Mississippi State, Montana State, Murray State, NC State, North Carolina, North Dakota, Notre Dame, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn, Penn State, Pitt, Portland, Purdue, Purdue Fort Wayne, Quinnipiac, Saint Louis, SMU, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois, Southern Indiana, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Syracuse, Toledo, UConn, UMass Lowell, UT Martin, Valparaiso, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Western Michigan, Wichita State, and Wyoming.
This event serves as a precursor to the 2026 season highlight, as Indiana State is scheduled to host the NCAA Cross Country National Championships for the 14th time. The national championships will return to the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, which previously hosted the meet in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2016.
Following the invitational, the Indiana State cross country teams will focus on the MVC Championships, which are scheduled for Oct. 30 in Des Moines, Iowa.
