Minnesota Crookston Adds Track & Field, Expands NCAA Division II Program
A perennial threat in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference each cross country season, the University of Minnesota Crookston program under head coach Steven Krouse will be taking a big step going into the 2026-27 academic year.
The Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles announced today that its NCAA Division II men’s and women’s cross country program will be expanding to include university-sponsored indoor and outdoor track and field, tripling the number of competitive varsity seasons on the calendar for Krouse and his squads.
“We are very excited to add men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field to our sport offerings at the University of Minnesota Crookston,” said Director of Athletics, Stephanie Helgeson.
“We have seen tremendous growth and success in our cross country program in the last seven years, and we believe we can see the same type of trajectory in men’s and women’s track and field. It also allows us to offer the most competitive environment we can for our cross country and track and field student-athletes.”
For the Golden Eagles, this exciting development means more opportunities to compete in the Crookston bib for its rostered athletes, better ability to appeal to recruits, and the chance to earn points at championships in both the indoor and outdoor track seasons.
“I am excited for our athletes to compete on the track as a team. Until now, they’ve only been able to run unattached, as individuals,” said head coach Steven Krouse. “Now, our runners will have the opportunity to run at the NSIC conference and NCAA national championship meets.”
When it comes to building out his men’s and women’s rosters in the short-term, Krouse looks to maintain an immediate focus on the middle-distance and distance events in 2026, but sees the sprints and field events as important pieces of the UMN Crookston program beginning in 2027. To spark and sustain this roster growth, the program’s expansion also comes with boosted scholarship availability for student-athletes and the addition of a full-time assistant coach.
What Krouse and the Golden Eagles have built with XC-only limitations is impressive, but now that the guard rails are off, we can’t wait to see the program evolve with a snappier, deeper roster and more meaningful dates on the calendar through the winter and spring seasons.
Minnesota Crookston will swap out the cross country pins and hit the rubber with official track and field competition beginning during the 2026-27 indoor season; the outdoor season will kick off in March of 2027. Already a member of the NSIC for XC, the Golden Eagles will compete in the same conference for all four additional seasons (women’s and men’s indoor and outdoor) and be immediately eligible for NCAA D-II national championship berths.
Congratulations to the University of Minnesota Crookston. Today marks a milestone accomplishment made possible by sustained commitment by its athletic department’s leaders to creating a remarkable destination for student-athletes.
For athletes interested in programs like Minnesota Crookston, this is exactly the type of opportunity where timing matters. Expanding programs often recruit aggressively across multiple event groups.