2024 NCAA DI Men’s Indoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 7

NEW ORLEANS – Let’s crown a champion!

Here is the Pre-Championships Edition of the 2024 NCAA DI Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index, which was released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday. Only marks from athletes who will be competing at the NCAA DI Indoor Championships this weekend are used in this objective calculation.

National TFRI is presented by AthleticNET.

NCAA Division I — Men's Indoor Track & Field

Stop us if you heard this before: Arkansas is favored to win a national title. The Razorbacks, who have a gender-high 15 entries, are looking to become the first program to win back-to-back titles since SEC rival Florida in 2018 and 2019. Arkansas has multiple athletes entered in both the heptathlon (four) and 5000 meters (three), and feature two national leaders in Romaine Beckford (high jump) and Wayne Pinnock (long jump).

Texas Tech has the second most entries among men’s programs with 14 and is seeking its first indoor title in program history. The Red Raiders, who do have an outdoor title to their name from 2019, could very well win this meet 60 meters at a time. Texas Tech will have five athletes in the open 60 meters – including the top-2 athletes in national leader Terrence Jones and Don’dre Swint – and two others in the 60-meter hurdles – including national leader Caleb Dean.

Northern Arizona sits third leading up to the NCAA Championships and if it finishes in that position – or higher – it would be a high-water mark for the program. Six of the Lumberjacks’ ten entries come in the 3000 meters and 5000 meters. Nico Young accounts for two of those, as the collegiate record holder in the 5000 will double in the 3000 in Boston.

Five-time national champion Florida is ranked fourth. The Gators, who last won a national title in 2019, have the third most entries among men’s programs with 11. Florida has two athletes in both the 200 meters and long jump: Robert Gregory and Wanda McCoy in the former; Malcolm Clemons and Caleb Foster in the latter.

Washington ships up to Boston billed fifth. The Huskies, with their ten entries, are looking to land on the podium for the second year in a row. Washington could see big points from Luke Houser and Joe Waskom in the mile, as well as from its distance medley relay. Houser is the national leader in the mile at 3:51.73 and the DMR posted another all-time mark at 9:18.81.

Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 7: No. 6 Southern California, No. 7 Texas, No. 8 Nebraska, No. 9 Alabama and No. 10 Houston.

Get ready for the 2024 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships, which start on Thursday and run through Saturday at the TRACK at New Balance in Boston.