Discussion: US Intercollegiate Age Restriction?

I'm a grad school student and was kicking around some ideas for getting some representation from my university at the next intercollegiate A meet down the road when I stumbled upon the following in the USOF rules:

5.3.2.1. Varsity class competitors must:

....b) Be less than 28 years old as of December 31 of the current year...

If I'm reading this correctly, that would mean if I'm 31, or if other prospective athletes from the school are older than 28, none of us would be able to compete and represent our university in the intercollegiate A-meets?

Just want to know I'm reading into that correctly because it will make a big difference in who I'm able to recruit and whether I am able to count myself on our school's team or not. Of course I'd be bummed if age is a restricition, but at the same time I'd like to see our school represented by a team whether or not I'm one of the runners and it seems like getting a school team started could be a great way to help the sport expand in my area. If I can't run I can at least start up a team is the mindset.

By the way, does anyone know when & where the next intercollegiates will be?

Rules are rules, and they say 28+ can't be on intercollegiate teams, apparently. You can still compete at A-meets (and be nationally ranked if you're a USOF member), just not on an official IC team.

As for next year's event, it apparently hasn't been bid yet.

Thanks for the link to the bids, never saw that before, very helpful!

The age restriction also exists for the World University Championships, so thats probably why it was written into the bylaws for the intercollegiates.

Not here too!!!
In Ottawa right now we are having a bit of a problem with students older than 27 who object to the fact that they are no longer eligible to buy those very sweet deal students' transit passes. Some are talking of court action against the city's age discrimination. Do they have a point? Is a student a student no matter what the age?

Hey Vector, you're not alone. That rule has also squelched the intercollegiate dreams of two top UC Berkeley grad students. So if you do get a team of 'super senior' grad students, we'll be happy to take you on in an unofficial intercollegiate smackdown ;-)

We just need to find an agreeable A-meet, and a suitable prize on the line.

Other colleges are also welcome to take the challenge. Canadians too. UBC, are you listening? There's got to be some folks in Boston....

Rules can be changed -- as they were in 2005 for the US Interscholastic Championships. Specifically, there are no restrictions on participant age; just grade level.

For better or worse, I think the intercollegiate rules should be congruent with the rules for WUOC. Creating our own age limits for something that is a feeder to an international event is bound to be counterproductive.

Thanks for the thoughts. I can see how the US rules would want to match the world rules... but of course that begs the deeper question why the world rules are as such?

NCAA has had some athletes much older than those of us at the in-our-prime 30 y/o phase on their college basketball and football teams. Heck, why not allow the prof's to represent their universities too!? There I go thinking through the keyboard again...

blegg - haha! yeah, that would be cool. Although somehow I'd guess my novice skills aren't quite at the level to train up a team to take on such skilled athletes..... yet. Now you've got me thinking. To be continued...