2023 NCAA DI Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Week 5

NEW ORLEANS – Welcome to the postseason!

Here is the newest edition of the NCAA DI Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings for the 2023 season, as released on Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). 

Regional Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning teams’ strength with current season results (if applicable) in determining a rank-order of squad potential. Only USTFCCCA member programs are eligible to receive a ranking. Teams with provisional status within the region may be ranked.

Remember that Regional Championships Friday is set for November 10. That’s the last stop before athletes and teams #RunPanorama at #NCAAXC23 on Saturday, November 18 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Great Lakes Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Wisconsin, No. 2 Butler

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Michigan, No. 5 Michigan State

Note(s): Talk about changes! Wisconsin jumped back into the driver’s seat after a dominant win at the Big Ten Championships. Butler soared two spots into the second AQ spot thanks to six-point win over Villanova at the BIG EAST Championships. Both of those moves forced Notre Dame and Michigan to fall two spots to No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Villanova, No. 2 Princeton

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Georgetown, No. 4 Navy, No. 5 La Salle

Note(s): Nothing changed at the top, as Villanova and Princeton remained No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The Wildcats finished runner-up at the BIG EAST Championships ahead of Georgetown, while Princeton captured the team title at the Ivy League Championships.

Midwest Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Oklahoma State, No. 2 Iowa State

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Loyola Chicago, No. 4 Tulsa, No. 5 Drake

Note: Oklahoma State and Iowa State held their spots at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, following their efforts at the Big 12 Championships. The Cowboys won the team title with 25 points, while the Cyclones ended up fourth behind OSU, BYU and Texas. Both Loyola Chicago and Tulsa took advantage of strong results and leapfrogged Drake since Week 4.

Mountain Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Northern Arizona, No. 2 BYU

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 New Mexico, No. 4 Colorado, No. 5 Air Force

Note: Nothing changed at the top, as NAU and BYU held steady at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. New Mexico leapfrogged Colorado into the No. 3 spot after its first Mountain West title since 2014, while Air Force found its way back into the top-5 following a runner-up effort to the Lobos.

Northeast Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Syracuse, No. 2 Harvard

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Iona, No. 4 Stony Brook, No. 5 Providence

Note: The only change was that Providence jumped four spots from No. 9 to No. 5. The Friars finished a game fourth at the BIG EAST Championships.

South Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Tennessee

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Florida State, No. 4 Middle Tennessee, No. 5 Auburn

Note(s): What happened at the SEC Championships shook up the South Region. Alabama edged Tennessee by two points in Columbia, South Carolina, for the runner-up spot behind champion Arkansas. Auburn finished a strong fifth behind that duo and Texas A&M. Middle Tennessee made quick work of the Conference USA Championships and jumped six spots from No. 10 to No. 4.

South Central Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 Arkansas, No. 2 Texas

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Tulane, No. 4 Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Note: Water is wet and Arkansas is back at No. 1 in the South Central Region. The Razorbacks ran roughshod at the SEC Championships on their way to the team title, scoring just 38 points as their entire scoring lineup finished in the top-15. Texas was a clear third at the Big 12 Championships, while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won the team title at the Southland Conference Championships by just one point over Incarnate Word.

Southeast Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Furman

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Virginia, No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 5 Eastern Kentucky

Note: Conference champions dot the top-2 spots as ACC champion North Carolina and SoCon champion Furman headline the Southeast Region. The Tar Heels captured their first ACC title since 1985, while the Paladins continued their dominance of the SoCon.

West Region

Projected AQs: No. 1 California Baptist, No. 2 Stanford

Also in the Hunt: No. 3 Washington, No. 4 Oregon, No. 5 Boise State

Note: Conference champions can be found at the top of the rankings with California Baptist and Stanford in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively. The Lancers made it look easy at the WAC Championships, while the Cardinal showed it can still be a force and topped the Pac-12 Championships. Washington and Oregon both fared well at the Pac-12 Championships, but Boise State was third in the Mountain West.