Bad D1 Schools to Transfer to

Are you ok with the school just having xc and not track? Why don't you transfer to another d3 or d2/naia if you are just unhappy with the school - doesn't seem to be a need to go d1 unless you have good middle distance times?

I would prefer XC and track. I want to go D1 because I want to be at a bigger school that isn’t completely irrelevant.

Sorry but no D1 will take you with your current times let alone give you a scholarship. You can try academically transferring to a good D3 school and try and run there or run on the club team in a bigger school

When I was applying to schools I did have contact with a few D1 programs so I believe it’s possible. I know athletic scholarships are out of the question

Considering your time would you make you about a minute slower than the scoring five in any halfway decent D3 conference (UAA, WIAC, etc.), I'd suggest moving down a division, not up. Maybe some high schools will let you back in, "21 Jump Street"-style?

Not true.
Do a little research. pick some more-major conferences, look up their conference XC results and find the bottom 2-3 schools in each conference. They probably have guys in their top 7 running your times.

What are your grades like? Some schools are Boston College and Miami (Fl). Maybe Houston, U San Francisco, Pepperdine, San Jose State, LSU or Missouri will take you. Basically just look at the teams that finish towards the bottom of conference or big invitationals. I could list like 50 more but they're pretty irrelevant academically except locally. I'm not sure that you'd enjoy running for a school like this. The team culture and coaching may not be what you expect.

Now its time for you to do some looking and then email the coaches to see if they'll let a transfer walk on. You may need to run a meet unattached or even a road race to give a coach confidence in your fitness if you haven't competed since xc.

Some d1 schools have guys running 30min 8k so we know this is not true that he can’t run for a d1. I would suggest to the OP to just transfer to a school of any division that’s a better fit. Take a closer look at the score before you make the leap.

my opinion, based on experience…

d1 - some of these places can be meat grinders, and you may not get much individual attention from coaches even if you can run for these teams, so it may not be the best idea. Could be frustrated and battling injuries a lot if the training is not adjusted to your level.

D2/d3/naia - there could be some really good options here. Serious programs where you’ll develop as a runner in the best way possible and the coach will actually care a lot about you and your performance and you’ll enjoy your running more.

really though it’s about you and what is a good fit for you and you gotta answer that by going to the schools asking questions and figuring out what’s best for you. Good luck man.

Duke has 6000 undergrads. Uw-Lacrosse has 9000. Division doesn't determine size. You aren't fast. Transfer to a large D2 school.

Cold will do that to you. How anyone prefers a cold climate to a warm one I will never know. And I'm saying that as someone who grew up in a cold climate and currently live in one.

Exactly. I would suggest Notre Dame but he’s too slow and the weather is miserable (south bend is also a sh!thole). Currently it’s 40 and rainy in late April

Seasonal Affective Disorder or whatever. I definitely think its easier to train on humid southern days (in the evening/dawn) than it is mid day in northern winters. That doesn't mean op shouldn't look at d2 and d3 schools in cali and the south. While a lot are junky, there are academically reputable ones that will let a 27 min xc guy walk on and it won't be so cut throat training wise trying to quickly force a big improvement, which could lead to injury - which is prob what a crappy coach at a bottom of the conference d1 will do.

OP, definitely vet your coach if you go d1. Have a conversation about his training philosophy .

I think Vanderbilt is the obvious answer assuming you can get in on your own. Good school, horrible distance team.

Miami is a decent option as well

Maybe a satellite school, like U of Wisconsin-Milwaukee or Eastern Illinois University.

But YOU are irrelevant and will be more irrelevant in Division 1 and such a team is absolutely irrelevant in xc and distance. What you're saying is you want people to recognize the name of the school, mistakenly think you're good or important because you're associated with it and gain some extrinsic satisfaction from that while, in reality, you are an uncompetitive runner on an uncompetitive team.

Then you are transferring for the wrong reasons.

theres proably a reason these D1s are bad and it isnt because they have a good coach. Find a new d3 or d2 with a coach thatll work to improve you. NAIA has few good teams but some of the top coachs there are elite so that is also an option but typically more expensive than a d2

You have no credentials and you requirements are arbitrary. Go to a state school and save money.