This Minnesota university is bringing back men's and women's golf

ST. CLOUD, Minnesota — St. Cloud State University is reviving men's and women's golf and men's cross country in its athletics department for the 2026-27 season.

The return of the three programs increases SCSU's overall offering to 20 sports, with eight men's and 12 women's teams.

SCSU will hire a new head coach to lead both golf programs, as well as an assistant coach for the track & field/cross country program to support its men's and women's distance runners.

"We are excited to be bringing these programs back to SCSU along with some roster enhancements that will provide additional opportunities for our students," athletic director Holly Schreiner said in April. "We are extremely appreciative of the university's support and commitment to providing a great experience for all St. Cloud State student-athletes."

More: St. Cloud State University to cut golf programs in 2020

Golf, cross country backgrounds

St. Cloud previously sponsored men's golf for 84 seasons, from 1931-32 to 2019-20 (no competition from 1941-46). Women's golf was sponsored from 1975 to 2020.

The men's golf team has won 11 conference championships, including the 2013 and 2014 Northern Sun Intercollegiate titles. It competed in 13 consecutive NCAA regionals from 2002-14 and advanced to the NCAA Championships twice (2004, 2006). The women's team competed in three NCAA regionals from 2002-04 and advanced to the NCAA Championships in 2004, finishing eighth.

Men's cross country was sponsored from 1964-2015. The team won 11 conference titles and earned national runner-up finishes at the 1967 NAIA and 1983 NCAA Division II finals.

A history of success

Individually, SCSU had 11 runners achieve All-American status a total of 22 times across NAIA and NCAA competition. Van Nelson (1965, 1966, 1967) and Kurt Threinen (1982) earned the highest individual finishes at third overall. Eight Huskies won 14 individual conference championships, with Nick Hirsch capturing the most recent title in 2004.

St. Cloud State will be the 11th school in the NSIC to sponsor men's golf and the 14th to sponsor women's golf. SCSU will be the 15th school in the NSIC to sponsor men's cross country.