The NCAA DI men’s and women’s track and field and cross country oversight committee voted this week to eliminate altitude and track-size conversions for NCAA Championships’ qualifying standards in both indoor and outdoor track and field.
According to The Stride Report, previously, student-athletes’ performances from facilities at higher altitudes would be subject to sea-level conversions when determining which athletes would compete at the national championships. Similarly, times recorded at non-200 Meter banked indoor tracks would be converted.
In eliminating these conversions, the NCAA noted that there is “no true science being applied” and “nowhere else in any other level of the sport are altitude conversions being used.”
The oversight committee said, “In discussions about conversions, the committee expressed concerns that the current system has shortcomings, can at times be used in ways that create unintended advantages in the qualification process, and may ultimately have a negative impact on the sport. After discussion and review of feedback and proposals they have received, they voted to eliminate both altitude conversions for indoor and outdoor track and field, along with track size conversions for indoor track and field effective for the 2026-27 academic year.”
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Altitude conversions were typically applied to any facility above 3,000 feet, which includes several high-ranking teams such as BYU, University of Colorado, Colorado State and New Mexico. However, the committee found that altitude effects every athlete differently at different elevations, yet a standard conversion was used for all locations. Similar conversions are not used for heat or humidity.
The committee also noted that every track is different and as more facilities are renovated, access to the standard 200 Meter banked indoor track is increasing. The previously used conversion did not discriminate between track sizes, rather it applied to all performances.
