PULLMAN — Washington State is downsizing its track and field program in a serious way.

The Cougars are eliminating field events (jumps and throws) entirely and limiting sprints and hurdles in the future, according to a Monday release, wiping out entire sections of the program, effective immediately. The move impacts 30 athletes, 15 men and 15 women, whose events will no longer be supported at WSU.

Those athletes will have their scholarships honored should they choose to remain at WSU, according to the release, which indicated that “transition support and services” will be provided to athletes looking to continue their careers at other schools.

In the announcement, WSU framed the decision as a “distance-focused approach.”

“This change gives the WSU track & field program the best opportunity to remain competitive at the conference and national levels in distance events in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field,” the release reads.

The move appears to be the first of its kind at the Pac-12/West Coast Conference level. In March, the University of Missouri-St. Louis announced it was eliminating the track and field program in its entirety, while programs around the country are bracing for changes, many of them rooted in recent developments around NIL, the transfer portal and the recent House vs. NCAA settlement approval, which paves the way for universities to begin directly compensating athletes.

The Cougars’ distance program enjoyed success this season, including from sophomore Evans Kurui, who recorded the fastest 10,000-meter run in the country this season and finished fifth at nationals in the event.

WSU’s director of cross country/track and field is Wayne Phipps, who has held his job for the past 11 seasons after working the same role at nearby Idaho from 2000-2014.

This story will be updated.