TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The NCAA announced that Indiana State University will host the 2026 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Nationals at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.
In two years, the prestigious events will return to Terre Haute, or “Cross Country Town USA”, for the 14th time and first since 2019. ISU Director of Athletics Nathan Christensen says this is an amazing opportunity.
“For Indiana State Athletics, it’s a great chance, for us to be able to host a Division I championship, is pretty special,” Christensen said. “For us to be able to have our student athletes, but also our student body be able to experience that, having our local people within our community be able to experience that, it’s pretty unique.”
The course is no stranger to big events, but the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Karen Dyer says that this one will have an economic impact between $3-3.4 million with around 5,000 visitors.
“This is the cherry on top of the cupcake,” Dyer said. “This is the one that brings national attention to our community from across the nation, across the world and we’re so fortunate. It brings recognition to our community, but also to the high-caliber sporting events that we have at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.”
Christensen says the event allows ISU to not only showcase their athletes, but also their brand as a university.
“Indiana State has a strong brand,” Christensen said. “There’s only one Sycamore, and I think for us, cross country and track and field have a rich history. If you look at all of our programs, they probably have the most history in terms of championships and it’s a testament to having the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course for us to be able to do that here and host Division I championships.”
The event is scheduled for November 21 2026.
