ASICS professional athlete and Minnesota graduate Obsa Ali, the 2018 NCAA Division 1 champion in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to share his thoughts and emotions regarding the Sept. 10 decision by Golden Gophers Athletic Director Mark Coyle to cut the men's indoor and outdoor track and field programs at the end of the 2020-21 school year. Ali expresses that he doesn't believe the decision is a direct result of Title IX compliance or budget shortfall connected to the Coronavirus pandemic, especially in the aftermath of a new outdoor track and facility recently being built on campus and improvements made to the school's indoor fieldhouse. He is critical of school president Joan Gabel as well as Coyle for promoting a platform of inclusivity, diversity and tolerance on campus, only to change course and decide to eliminate the program with the second-highest amount of minority student-athletes. Ali, who came to Minnesota from Ethiopia, reveals the strong presence of East Africans in Minneapolis and how the decision to cut the men's track and field program will impact future recruiting for the cross country team under coach Steve Plasencia. He shares the positive influence Plasencia, a Minnesota graduate, has had on his young life and athletic career, and how the Golden Gophers' success has also been demonstrated by their performance in the classroom and presence in the community, highlighted by 16 Academic All-Americans during the past indoor season, the highest total in Division 1. Ali examines the ongoing petition to restore the men's track and field program that has more than 20,000 signatures and how he hopes the additional support of other prominent alumni such as Hassan Mead, Harun Abda and Ben Blankenship, among others, will force the administration to change course in the future. He also reflects on the raw emotional climate in Minneapolis since May in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd, along with how running has remained a sanctuary for him when he needs an outlet. Ali also analyzes his future prospects in the steeplechase and his aspirations to represent the U.S. in international competition.