Conference Championships On Tap This Weekend

By Adam Schneider of DyeStat

The top teams in the country, Colorado and Boise State, ran hard at the Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational, but neither team pushed hard during the weekend of NCAA Division 1 Pre-Nationals. Third-ranked New Mexico and fourth-ranked Arkansas won their races at Pre-Nationals.

This weekend New Mexico will try to defend its Mountain West title against second-ranked Boise State in San Diego. Colorado will battle a very tough Pac-12 championship field in Palo Alto. Three of the nation's top six teams, and four of the top nine, will race on Stanford’s home course. Five of the top 20 teams in the country will race in the Big Ten Championships in Nebraska. The only solid favorite this weekend would seem to be Arkansas at the SEC Championships.

Big conference meets this weekend:

Oct. 26 Iowa State and Oklahoma State at Big 12 at Ames, IA

Oct. 26 Notre Dame, North Carolina State, Syracuse, and Georgia Tech at ACC at Boston, MA

Oct. 26 Arkansas, Mississippi, and Georgia at SEC at Auburn, AL

Oct. 26 Boise State, New Mexico, Utah State, Colorado State, and Air Force at Mountain West at San Diego, CA

Oct. 26 Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, Washington, and UCLA at Pac-12 at Palo Alto, CA

Oct. 27 BYU and Portland at WCC at Provo, UT

Oct. 28 Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Penn State, Michigan State and Minnesota at Big Ten at  Lincoln, NE

Top 20 (Previous ranking)

1. Colorado (1) at Pac-12

2. Boise State (2) at Mountain West

3. New Mexico (3) at Mountain West

4. Arkansas (8) at SEC

5. Oregon (4) at Pac-12

6. Stanford (5) at Pac-12

7. Villanova (6) at Big East

8. Michigan (10) at Big Ten

9. Washington (20) at Pac-12

10. Notre Dame (11) at ACC

11. Wisconsin (9) at Big Ten

12. BYU (7) at WCC

13. Indiana (14) at Big Ten

14. North Carolina State (12) at ACC

15. Penn State (13) at Big Ten

16. Iowa State (16) at Big 12

17. Furman (17) at Southern

18. Michigan State (15) at Big Ten

19. Portland (19) at WCC

20. Columbia (18) at Ivy

Watch List - Minnesota, Southern Utah, Yale, Syracuse, Princeton, Mississippi, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Utah State, Providence