Competitive balance in women's collegiate cross country running

摘要

Women started competing in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) cross country championships in 1981 and participation in Division 1 women's cross country has increased by 174%. Using data covering 34 years of Division 1 championships we find some evidence that competitive balance in women's races improved with increased participation although results are sensitive to how competitive balance is measured and how participation is counted. Violations of social choice preferences may explain the lack of robustness.