One premier invitational in collegiate cross country, the Nuttycombe Invitational, has a strong correlation to the eventual winners of the DI men's and women's cross country championships. Eight of the last 16 DI cross-country champions (excluding the pandemic-altered 2020 season) have won "The Nutty."
This year, the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational returns on Friday, Oct. 23, 2023, at Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course where two races per gender will take place. At 12 p.m. ET, the women's "B" race will take place followed by the men's "B" race at 12:40 p.m. ET. The women's "A" race will start promptly at 1:20 p.m. ET and the men's "A" race will begin at 2 p.m. ET.
The 2022 DI women’s champion, NC State, is the most recent program to achieve the feat, winning the invitational hosted by Wisconsin at Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course. Here's a look at every cross country program — men's and women's — to win both the Nuttycombe Invitational and NCAA DI cross country title in the same year.
Men's Nuttycombe and NCAA champions
| YEAR of wins | School |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Northern Arizona |
| 2017 | Northern Arizona |
| 2016 | Northern Arizona |
| 2015* | Syracuse |
| 2011* | Wisconsin |
Women's Nuttycombe and NCAA champions
| YEAR of wins | School |
|---|---|
| 2022 | NC State |
| 2019 | Arkansas |
| 2017 | New Mexico |
| 2014* | Michigan State |
*The Nuttycombe was known as the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational until 2016