NAIA
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the signing of three separate multi-year hosting contracts for its men’s and women’s Cross Country National Championships. Visit Tallahassee/Leon County, Columbia College (Mo.) and the Cascade Collegiate Conference have each agreed to separate deals which secure a host site for the association through the 2030 season.
Visit Tallahassee/Leon County will host the championships in both 2022 and 2025 at the Apalachee Regional Park Course in Tallahassee Florida.
“Visit Tallahassee is honored to partner with the NAIA to continue their tradition of providing exceptional championship experiences for their student athletes, coaches, and spectators,” said Kerri L. Post, Executive Director of Visit Tallahassee. “Hosting these championships in Tallahassee plays a major role in our communities continued commitment to the sport of cross country and we look forward to welcoming everyone to Tallahassee and the nationally renowned cross country course at Apalachee Regional Park,”
Columbia College, in partnership with the Columbia Sports Commission and the City of Columbia, signed an agreement to host the championships in 2024, 2027 and 2030 in Columbia, Mo. The races will be held at Gans Creek Cross Country Course.
“It is truly a special opportunity to host this Championship on our home course and it will be an experience our student-athletes will never forget,” said James Arnold, director of Athletics at Columbia College. “We are thrilled to welcome teams from around the country to Columbia and facilitate a first-class event for everyone involved.”
The Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) will extend its current agreement, which includes the 2021 and 2023 championships, in 2026 and 2029. The races will be held at Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course in Vancouver, Washington.
“The Pacific Northwest has an amazing tradition for running and we are thrilled to continue our partnership with the NAIA in hosting the Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country National Championships,” stated CCC Commissioner Robert Cashell. “The 2029 races will mark our 10th time hosting at the beautiful and unique Historic Fort Vancouver site with the outstanding folks at the National Park and Visit Vancouver fully embracing the event and participants.”
The extension for the Cascade and new host agreements are a welcome announcement for the NAIA heading into the 2021 championships.
“These three agreements display a commitment from several hosts to provide our student-athletes a quality championship experience,” said NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr. “We are thrilled to have all three of these hosts in the mix for years to come.”