This article is for you if you’re a runner who wants to train at an American university while still participating in your favourite sport. In this post, we highlight the national track teams with the most prolific sporting histories of all time. The number of titles achieved and consistency are also important factors to consider.
College track and field is a discipline steeped in history. The NCAA Track and Field Championships in 1921 were the organization’s first national championships. College track is one of the most popular sports in the world, with 949 men’s outdoor programs and 1,017 women’s outdoor programs funded by four- and two-year universities. Several of these colleges often operate as indoor track and field and cross country colleges, but the former is used less frequently than the latter. From March to June, there are almost weekly meets in the college track and field outdoor season. Many college track athletes have gone on to participate in the Olympics over the years, including Oregon Duck Steve Prefontaine and USC’s Allyson Felix.
Below you will find the best college track teams in the nation. Hope you find the best-suited team of your choice. All the best!
Table of Contents
Stanford University
Stanford Cardinals have won the National title eight times since the NCAA founded the Track and Field (outdoors) competition in 1921. They did, however, leave the championship empty-handed on at least four occasions, finishing in second place. On a brighter note, Stanford is well-known for the high quality of its meetings, especially the Stanford Invitational. Olympic runners use it to increase their performances, including the fact that it is part of the NCAA. As a result, Stanford is one of the best colleges to attend if you want to become a better athlete.
Founded In: 1891
Location: Stanford, California
Ranking: 1
Contact: 650-723-4591
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University of Pennsylvania- Penn
The University of Pennsylvania’s track and field team is perhaps the most historically significant in the nation. They celebrate the Penn Relays despite the fact that they only have a few National championships, nearly all of which are in Cross Country. The festival is also known as the Penn Relays Carnival, and it is the United States’ oldest track and field competition. It takes place once a year, and runners travel from all over the world to compete.
Founded In: 1873
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Ranking: 2
Contact: 215-898-6151
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University of Southern California
What more can we tell for a university that has won more than 28 national championships in both indoor and outdoor sports? Coach Cromwell was one of the main components of the University of Southern California’s winning formula. He made it possible for the team to win nine titles in a row, close to coach Mortensen’s seven titles in a row. Southern California has consistently been one of the strongest colleges in outdoor competitions.
Founded In: 1900
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Ranking: 3
Contact: 213-740-2311
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Louisiana State University
Since the NCAA was created, the Tigers and Lady Tigers have a long history of victories. They have witnessed both good and bad days. Nonetheless, we can’t argue that LSU has one of the better track and field programs in the nation. For eg, the university has more than 14 National Titles in women’s outdoor, with eleven of them coming in a row. In comparison, the men’s team is fiercely aggressive. While only winning four titles, it has come close to winning the title many times.
Founded In: 1897
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Ranking: 4
Contact: 225-578-8001
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University of California, Los Angeles- UCLA
The Bruins’ house is one of North America’s best public universities. UCLA is not only a strong research institution, but it is also the university with the most NCAA team championships (118). The school competes in the PAC-12 Conference’s Division I. This conference, which includes Stanford, Oregon, and the University of Southern California, is one of the most competitive in the world. UCLA’s track and field team has won more than 12 national titles.
Founded In: N/A
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Ranking: 5
Contact: 310-825-8699
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University of Oregon
Oregon’s track and field program is among the finest in the world, as demonstrated by the fact that it has already been nicknamed “track town.” While other colleges have a long history, the University of Oregon has just recently arrived, and it seems that it is here to stay. For starters, they’ve won seven indoor titles, two outdoor titles, and four cross-country titles since 2007. Not just that, but the university served as the backdrop for the 2016 Olympic Team Trials for the United States of America in track and field.
Founded In: 1895
Location: Eugene, OR
Ranking: 6
Contact: 541-346-4481
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University of Arkansas
The Arkansas Razorbacks are the mascots of the University of Arkansas, which is headquartered in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is where this public university competes. They are ranked in the top ten NCAA Division I Team Championships, with a record of 46, due to their high degree of competition. Track and field are one of its excel programs. Coach McDonnell led the program to 40 national titles, including 19 in indoor track, 10 in outdoor track, and 11 in cross country, more than any other coach in college athletics history.
Founded In: 1894
Location: Fayetteville, AR
Ranking: 7
Contact: 479-575-6533
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University of Florida
The University of Florida is another member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). It is one of the least consistently active teams on this list, with the bulk of its accomplishments coming in the past few decades. Despite this, they have emerged as one of the most successful track teams in the NCAA during this period. The program has been excellent for the last eight years. The men’s team has won two outdoor championships and four runner-up positions, as well as two indoor championships and two runner-ups.
Founded In: 1923
Location: Gainesville, FL
Ranking: 8
Contact: 352-375-4683
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Texas A&M University
The nickname “Aggie” refers to Texas A&M University athletes. It is the university’s fourth appearance in the prestigious SEC conference. Coach Henry, on the other hand, has made the track and field program popular on a national level. He transferred to Texas after leaving LSU to coach both the women’s and men’s track teams. They won the NCAA outdoor championships in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
Founded In: 1894
Location: College Station, TX
Ranking: 9
Contact: 979-845-3211
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University of Georgia
The Georgia Bulldogs were one of the few teams in recent years to face and beat Florida and Arkansas universities. Becoming a member of the Southeastern Conference means facing tough competition, and winning isn’t always easy. As a result, the track team is among the strongest in the United States. Both the women’s and men’s teams competed at a high level in the most recent tournaments, winning two national titles.
Founded In: 1980
Location: Athens, GA
Ranking: 10
Contact: 706-542-3000
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