Now, the NCAA has enacted roster limits for all varsity sports with zero restrictions on scholarships. These roster limits left the team shifting from 81 student-athletes in 2024 to 49 in 2025. Women’s cross country head coach Lisa Breznau said she is still committed to growing her teams and the sport no matter the changes. 

"I think for both our programs, it just means sort of buckling down on our cultural philosophies of who we are, and why we build the program the way we do," Breznau said. "Across the NCAA landscape, in cross country, you're seeing a lot of different formulas for success, but I know (Men’s head coach Aaron Simoneau) and I are still committed to a Michigan-based Midwest concept; to continue and start athletes here, on day one, and develop them throughout their career."

After months of uncertainty, Breznau said her athletes are adapting to the new age of college sports.

"We're just evolving like any other program right now," Breznau said. "I think for a while now, universities and the NCAA have been changing, and athletics has been changing, and our staff, our teams are used to change. I don't think our teams are really noticing much difference. I think they're ready to get to work, ready to compete, ready to continue building our team."

Breznau has been a part of the coaching staff since 2010, and this will be her first Big Ten Championship in East Lansing as a head coach. She said she’s been waiting a long time for the conference championship to come back to MSU.

"We're just thrilled to be able to host such a prestigious meet, especially with the new Big Ten," Breznau said. "Being as competitive as the conference is, it's one of the top distance conferences in the country, so we're incredibly excited to host it. I think both (teams) have a chance to compete very well. I think our men in particular are at a new crossroads of building success, and we're super intrigued to see how they do at home."

Head coach of the men’s team, Aaron Simoneau, ran for MSU from 2007 to 2012 and led his team as a captain his junior and senior year. Simoneau said he can’t wait to compete in front of Spartan fans. 

"We only get to host once every 12 or so years, so it's cool to be able to run on campus, on our home course, in front of a lot of Michigan State fans and fans of the sport from around the state," Simoneau said. 

Both men’s and women’s teams have had successful seasons on the course. The No. 13-ranked men are led by Riley Hough, who helped the Spartans to top-ten wins in back-to-back meets.

For the women, Sarah Forsyth and Madison Osterberg have taken the reins. Most recently, the pair took first and second place at the Eastern Michigan Classic. No. 24 in the country, four Spartans placed in the top ten in the team's final meet before the conference championship. 

"I feel like the success we've had so far this year has been a culmination of years of work," Simoneau said. "We challenge the guys after each season to look for a little more and figure out how they can just be a little bit better, and I think the guys the past few years have taken that incremental approach to improving. We're kind of reaping the benefits of that consistency and that growth this fall."

The Big Ten Championship race will be held the morning of Halloween, Oct. 31, starting with the Men's 8K Race at 10:35 a.m., followed by the Women's 6k Race at 11:35 a.m. Closing Ceremonies are slated for 12:30 p.m.. The races will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.