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Men's track & field · college recruiting

Where the men's track & field spots turn over this season

We read the rosters of 614 college men's track & field programmes from the schools' own sites - D1, D2, D3, NAIA and junior colleges. Here's what they show, position by position.

179 of 614 programmes have posted their 2026-27 roster so far. The counts below come from those; the rest still show last season, whose seniors have already left.

614

programmes

7,092

players on 2026-27 rosters so far

1,555

in their final year

79%

of underclassmen returned

See the programmes at your position · 3 days free

By position

Final year = seniors and grad students at four-year colleges, sophomores at junior colleges. Some come back for another season; most move on.

Distance

133 programmes

420 / 1,577

in their final year

Sprints

131 programmes

273 / 1,296

in their final year

Throws

115 programmes

187 / 671

in their final year

Jumps

114 programmes

110 / 540

in their final year

Middle distance

84 programmes

83 / 382

in their final year

Hurdles

90 programmes

60 / 250

in their final year

Pole vault

66 programmes

28 / 173

in their final year

Multi-events

54 programmes

38 / 158

in their final year

By division

D1

NCAA Division I

136

programmes · median roster 38

7.3% of players from outside the US and Canada

D2

NCAA Division II

171

programmes · median roster 40

5% of players from outside the US and Canada

D3

NCAA Division III

230

programmes · median roster 37

1.3% of players from outside the US and Canada

NAIA

NAIA

64

programmes · median roster 40

8.9% of players from outside the US and Canada

JUCO

Junior college (NJCAA)

13

programmes · median roster 14

14.9% of players from outside the US and Canada

Where players come from

5% international, 0% Canada, 95% US (players with a listed hometown).

  • 1PA1,722
  • 2NY1,710
  • 3IL1,287
  • 4TX1,221
  • 5NJ1,209
  • 6CA1,039
  • 7MA905
  • 8MN816

Find your spot

Calldup matches you with men's track & field programmes in your divisions and regions, shows how many players at your position are in their final year at each one, and gives you the coaches' published contacts with an email drafted for you.

  • ✓ Programmes ranked by turnover at your position
  • ✓ Coach contacts exactly as each school publishes them
  • ✓ Contact dates and eligibility for every division
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What coaches look for, by position

Sprints

  • Best times in the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m (and 60 m indoors), fully automatic (FAT) and with the wind reading for the 100 m and 200 m
  • Progression from season to season
  • Consistency: several marks close to the best, not one outlier
  • Racing in rounds and championships (heats, semi-finals, finals)
  • Start, acceleration and holding top speed to the line
  • Relay running, including baton exchanges

Hurdles

  • Best times in the 110 m hurdles and 400 m hurdles (and the 60 m hurdles indoors), with the hurdle height used and the wind reading for the short hurdles
  • Flat speed in the 100 m, 200 m or 400 m
  • Rhythm between hurdles, lead-leg and trail-leg mechanics
  • Stride pattern and ability to alternate lead legs in the 400 m hurdles
  • Consistency and progression across seasons

Middle distance

  • Best times in the 800 m and 1500 m / 1600 m / mile
  • Range: times at 400 m and at 3000 m / 3200 m, and cross country results
  • Race tactics: positioning, pace judgement and finishing speed
  • Progression across seasons and consistency within a season
  • Championship racing in rounds

Distance

  • Best times at 3000 m / 3200 m / two miles and 5000 m, plus the 1500 m / 1600 m / mile
  • Cross country results, with course distance and the strength of the field
  • Steeplechase barrier and water-jump technique (steeplechasers)
  • Training background and progression year to year
  • Durability: racing consistently across cross country, indoor and outdoor seasons
  • Race tactics and finishing speed

Jumps

  • Best marks in the high jump, long jump and triple jump, with the wind reading for the long and triple jump
  • Consistency across a series: how many attempts land near the best
  • Approach speed and accuracy on the board
  • Take-off mechanics and, in the high jump, clearance technique
  • Sprint speed for horizontal jumpers
  • Progression across seasons

Pole vault

  • Best height cleared and consistency of clearances across meets
  • Approach speed and pole carry
  • Plant and take-off, and the use of the pole
  • Pole length and stiffness the athlete uses, and grip height
  • Progression across seasons

Throws

  • Best marks in the shot put, discus, javelin and hammer (and the weight throw indoors where contested), with the implement weight
  • Consistency across a series
  • Technique: glide or rotation in the shot, rotation in the discus and hammer, approach and delivery in the javelin
  • Speed, power and athleticism
  • Range across more than one throw

Multi-events

  • Total points in the decathlon (outdoor) and heptathlon (indoor), with the scoring tables used
  • Marks in each individual event, and which events are strongest and weakest
  • Speed, hurdling and jumping base
  • Ability to compete across two days
  • Progression in points season to season

Sources

Counts from each programme's latest varsity roster on the schools' own sites. Not rankings. Latest rosters as read on 2026-10-15. A programme with players in their final year isn't a promise of a spot - coaches decide.