Washington State Athletics Announces Significant Cuts To Track & Field Program

It's long been the fear among college sports fans that among ongoing financial changes to the national landscape, olympic sports programs at universities will be the ones to suffer. That happened at Washington State on Monday with the announcement that the Cougars will significantly scale back the track and field program.

In a press release distributed Monday, WSU announced that the program will shift to a "distance-focused approach."

WSU is cutting all field events, such as jumps and throws, and cutting some sprints and hurdles for future seasons.

"This change gives the WSU Track & Field program the best opportunity to remain competitive at the conference and national levels in distance events in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field," the press release noted.

WSU will honor the scholarships of all current student-athletes impacted by the change, should they choose to remain at the school.

The Cougs recently sent six student-athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships this spring. Rising sophomore Evans Kurui finished fifth in the 10,000-meter final to clinch First-Team All-America honors. Kurui was also the West Coast Conference Men's Co-Runner of the Year and the WCC Freshman of the Year in Cross Country this past fall.

Four Washington State alumni competed in track and field the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024, all of which competed in sprints, hurdles, or jumps.