Published: August 28, 2007 11:29 pm         

Nationl exposure: Cross Country Championships will be televised live on College Sports TV

TERRE HAUTE — The 2007 NCAA Cross Country Championships will be the fourth straight and fifth overall at LaVern Gibson Championship Course, but the Nov. 19 event will be “historic” this year because the men’s and women’s races will be broadcast on live TV.

The event has been broadcast in the past but not until approximately one month after the event. In negotiations that have been in the works for years, CBS Sports has worked with the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and the NCAA to fund the live broadcast on College Sports TV (CSTV).

Indiana State track and field and cross country coordinator John McNichols and women’s cross country and track coach John Gartland were thrilled with the step for the sport and the city of Terre Haute.

“It’s important for Terre Haute, but also this is big for our sport,” McNichols said. “It’s been a delayed broadcast [in the past few years] and I think it just means a lot more when people that are fans around the country can tune in live.

“Hopefully a lot of business in Terre Haute will have it on during the day. It’s a great way to present our city.”

Gartland, who is now the president of the cross country coaches part of the USATFCCCA, credited CEO of the organization Sam Seemes for his hard work to get the deal with CSTV.

“Seemes did a lot of the work, did a lot of negotiation with TV people,” Gartland said. “We’re overjoyed with this. It’s something the cross country coaches have wanted for a while.”

Seemes was proud of the deal.

“In addition to providing unparalleled exposure for cross country, live television will introduce one of the NCAA’s greatest team sports to the general public,” Seemes said in the release.

John McDonnell, 11-time national champion cross country coach at Arkansas, said this is “excellent” for the sport, when reached Tuesday at his home in Fayeteville, Ark.

“I talked with [Seemes] about that three years ago,” said McDonnell, the all-time leader of coaches in any NCAA sport with 42 national titles in track and cross country combined. “I thought that’s what we need because it’s interesting when they do it for the World Championships. The NCAA is a terrific race next to the world championships.”

“Anymore, with computers, if it’s not live, who’s going to watch it?” McDonnell asked. “With the technology today, you can watch it on computers.”

McDonnell said the move will be great for high school athletes around the nation.

“That’s what every high school kid around the country strives for,” he said of the NCAA Championships.

McNichols agreed, knowing that many high school athletes in Terre Haute and around the Wabash Valley have been unable to attend in person because the meet is ran on a Monday afternoon.

“So many kids can’t attend. It’s sure easier for kids to watch live in schools and so many of collegiate kids around the country that aren’t able to make the trip can watch it,” McNichols said. “So far those that love the sport, I think it’s going to be a positive.”

The men’s race will be at noon Nov. 19 with the women’s race to follow shortly after. In the past, event directors would have a break in between the men and women’s races.

“It’s going to adjust the starting time of second race,” Gartland said. “TV doesn’t want a big gap. They want to go right away.”

NCAA assistant director of championships Mark Bockelman was proud of the step for the student-athletes.

“The 2007 Division I championships will be historic because of the live coverage,” Bockelman said in a USTFCCCA release. “The NCAA is committed to creating ways to make our championships exceptional for our student-athletes and fans. Adding live television coverage is an exciting step in reaching that goal and in promoting collegiate cross country.”

ISU director of athletics Ron Prettyman said the Indiana State and Terre Haute community will be excited about getting to work to put on this year’s event.

“The athletics department and the hundreds of volunteers are looking forward to working together again to ensure that this will be the best cross country championship yet,” Prettyman said in a press release.