The NCAA's Division I cross county programs will descend on their respective regional championships this Friday, November 14. They will contend for a starting box at the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships, with the top two teams from each region automatically scoring a bid. There are nine regions and 18 team bids up for grabs.

The next 14 teams will be selected via at-large bids. There are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on, but we've identified a few that you'll want to watch closely as it pertains to women's programs.

• Subscribe Today To Watch FloTrack Live And On-Demand
• FloTrack College XC Rankings Presented by HOKA
• Re-Shuffling The FloTrack Rankings
• Division II National Championship Qualifiers

1. Many Roads Run Through The Mountain Region

The mountain region features BYU (#3), Northern Arizona (#6), New Mexico (#11),  Colorado (#16) and Utah (#18) - five teams ranked inside the FloTrack College XC Rankings presented by HOKA.

BYU took the team win over NAU in 2024, scoring 52 points to NAU's 65. These two teams look fairly different in 2025. BYU has looked like one of the best team's in the nation all year, and their depth is unquestioned. We can all but bookmark them in as one of our two teams to earn an automatic bid out of the Mountain Region.

On paper, NAU is ranked relatively well, but we have serious concerns about this program as things stand. We haven't seen this team at full force since the Gans Creek Classic in late September. There, the squad scored a second place finish, beating other Mountain Region teams such as Colorado and Utah.

But, that was also the last time that we saw Agnes McTighe race. This week, she posted a video on her instagram page of her running with the team, so we fully expect her to be back on the start line for the Lumberjacks this weekend. That will be a much needed boost, after the team placed 18th at Nuttycombe last month.

New Mexico is also benefitting from the boost of having Pamela Kosgei back in their starting line-up. She missed the first half of the season after competing at the World Outdoor Championships in September. The Lobos finished ninth at Nuttycombe without Kosgei on the start line. With her in the race, the squad easily finishes in fifth.

We also mentioned Utah and Colorado - those two teams will be vying for every point. 

2. Are The Ducks Legit?

Oregon jumped up to number two in the FloTrack College XC Rankings after a dominant performance at the Big Ten Championships. The Ducks scored 18-points to knock off #13 Penn State, #14 Northwestern, #20 Washington, #26 Michigan State and #27 Wisconsin handily.

To beat five ranked teams is one thing, to win with only 18 points is another. With six in the top nine, Oregon made a statement and they vaulted up the boards as a result.

Now the ducks will get another test in Stanford at the West Region Championship. Stanford has recently plummeted from their top ten ranking due to the absence of Amy Bunnage. If the Ducks can handle Stanford with ease, they'll cement their status as title contenders.

3. A Test Of Fate In The Southeast

The Southeast features #1 NC State, #19 Virginia, #21 South Carolina, #22 North Carolina, Duke #28 and #31 Wake Forest.

We'd feel comfortable booking NC State's ticket to nationals right now, which leaves Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest to compete for a final transfer spot. Chances are, one of these teams is going to be left out of the big dance when all is said and the at-large bids are handed out.

Wake Forest appears to be the team most susceptible given their #31 rank, but can they rally at Panorama Farms this week?

Wake Forest finished in a disappointing ninth at the ACC Championships with just three runners in the top 50. But earlier this year, Wake Forest finished tenth at the Gans Creek Classic, ahead of ranked Duke and Michigan State. There, we saw the emergence of Angelina Perez as one of the bright spots of the 2025 season.

They have the opportunity to shock the nation on Friday.

Other Region Storylines To Watch

South

Alabama versus Florida. Two sleeping giants will clash in North Alabama this weekend. Alabama is ranked ninth, while Florida is ranked fourth.

South Central

With only one ranked team in the region (LSU - #23), an unranked team will book a ticket to nationals. The question is who?

Northeast

Boston College is the only ranked team in the northeast #30 - can another team emerge and surprise us?

Great Lakes

Notre Dame (#5) will look to hold off their regional rivals, while Wisconsin (#27) and Michigan state (#26) will battle for the final transfer spot.

Mid-Atlantic

West Virginia recently moved up to 8th in the rankings. Can they hold off Penn State (#13) and Georgetown (#12).

Midwest

Oklahoma State and Iowa State have ascended into the top ten but they'll need to hold ff Northwestern (#14), which has been one of the season's most exciting teams.

Join the Cross Country Conversation on Social

• Follow us on Twitter @FloTrack.
• Follow us on Instagram @flotrack.
• Follow us on TikTok @flotracktv
• Watch us on YouTube.
• Like us on Facebook.