Column - Big 12 move should resurrect men’s distance programs

West Virginia University's move to the Big 12 athletic conference spells certain changes for the sports programs.

Besides the expected higher revenue from a larger football conference, WVU has a new quota for varsity sports teams to meet.

The new requirements provide the perfect opportunity to resurrect a resource the University has half-fulfilled for years.

Men's distance running has the potential (and almost guarantee) for All-Americans at an extremely low cost.

With Sean Cleary, the women's distance coach, among the top coaches in the nation and the women's program already on the national scene, the men's program would require no new coaches or resources.

And, the proposed team shows every sign of success.

Sean consistently develops All-Americans with the women's team, and the runners on the men's team at the time it was cut went on to make U.S. National teams, Olympic Track and Marathon Trials, and run sub-4:00 in the mile – a gold-standard time for that event.

Fortunately, the Big 12 varsity team requirements may lead to WVU reinstating men's distance running to some extent.

Section 1.3.4 of the bylaws states member schools must have six men's teams of the following seven sports: football, basketball, baseball, cross-country, outdoor track, indoor track and golf.

With the resources this school has inexplicably maintained, it can quickly and easily establish men's cross country, indoor track and outdoor track teams at or above the top teams in the Big 12 Conference.

Should WVU forego one of the running teams, pairing cross country and outdoor track makes the most sense with such a strong distance coach and program already established at the school. Though, WVU has strong reasons to reinstate all three running programs and attract the All-American and National-class athletes it is capable of hosting.

The new conference will let WVU take advantage of a prestigious distance program that never deserved to be eliminated.

In fact, the origins of men's cross country and track cuts never had anything to do with the quality of the programs.

In 2003, WVU cut five sports teams: men's cross country, track, indoor track, tennis and coed rifle. Budget and Title IX concerns motivated these cuts, though it seems Title IX had far more of an influence.

Title IX threatens public funding to demand universities have men's and women's sports opportunities proportional to their enrollment of each sex.

This was intended to increase athletic participation for women, but the arbitrary quota has resulted in the elimination of hundreds of flourishing low-budget, low-revenue men's teams. It's cheaper to cut men's teams to shift the balance than to add women's teams.

WVU's 2003 cuts eliminated 54 male athletes and two female athletes. A cut like this increases the female-to-male athlete ratio on paper without adding any new women's athletic opportunities.

You cannot blame the University for making the most fiscally responsible decision, but Title IX clearly results in underutilized men's sporting potential.

The law equates removing a man's athletic position with adding a women's spot, as if the former at all helps women hoping to compete in college athletics.

WVU may have to risk some financial loss in adding women's sports positions to match the men's, but it should bite the bullet and fully invest in men's distance running.

The combined opportunities of cross country, outdoor track and indoor track allow proper, full development that Big 12-caliber runners need.

Cleary, whose expertise is sought from even professional runners, is so talented most schools would consider it crazy to use him for only one team.

Besides, fostering more women's teams – if that's what this investment will take – may earn more than expected in the Big 12, which is heavy on women's sports. If not, the other sports will certainly bring more revenue to cover it.

And the men's running program costs (in the tens of thousands) are never a concern compared to the prestigious results so confidently expected of it.

WVU needs to invest in the massive potential that has been waiting in Morgantown for nine years.