Arkansas National Relay Championships

Wasn't the SEC Relays last year also held at the same time as Penn/Drake? I seem to recall Texas A&M and Oregon women's 4x100 teams running near similar times at two different meets, and wondering "what if they had gone head-to-head at Penn..."

Although the article states the field events will get their chance on Friday with a full meet this marketing ploy and format is not good for the sport of Track AND FIELD.

No television time (all 300+ viewers) seeing great jumpers and throwers. Just Relays. This is not marketing. This is lazy.

usnspecialist wrote:

Pulled this article from the front page. Interesting idea for a meet, but why the hell would you put it the same weekend as Drake and Penn? That makes absolutely no sense at all.

https://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/category-features/3308-arkansas-to-debut-national-relay-championships

An Arkansas assistant was turned down for the Drake Relays director job and he's organizing this on the same weekend to pull teams away from Drake as payback.

Embarrassing, especially given the history of the Hogs at Penn...consiglio, Gary and Matt Taylor, moncriefe, Roddy, Falcon, Donovan, Omara, O'Shaughnassey, Reina, Craig, Bruton, Hood, etc, etc, etc...

The explanation I heard a few years ago is that the SEC presidents decided that they didn't want their teams competing while they were in finals, which typically fell during the weekend of Penn and Drake. The exception to the rule was that if it was a conference game, which is why they created the SEC relays to get around it. Maybe having it be a 'national championship' also let's them compete.

I'm personally not a fan. I think Penn and Drake are fantastic events and I'd like to see teams continue go to those. Hasn't Saturday of Penn Relays been on national TV for the last decade or so? How is televising things on the SEC network an improvement?

Arkansas head coaching working his butt off...to destroy track and field. Trying to kill Drake and Penn absolutely hurts our sport in so many ways.

Arkansas skipping Penn? John McDonnell must be turning in his grave

Penn relays is a hs and USA vs world meet. College teams would be better served with this format - televised 2 hr window- if the best teams showed and go head to head.

Penn is a hs meet wrote:

Penn relays is a hs and USA vs world meet. College teams would be better served with this format - televised 2 hr window- if the best teams showed and go head to head.

THIS

John's alive. Not sure about the timing of the meet at Arkansas. They could conduct their meet on a weekend that doesn't conflict with Penn and Drake.

Arkansas going to Drake was bad enough, but starting their own meet is just crazy. Just glad 'ol John's not alive to see this.

Total douche bag move. Get out of your bubble in Fayetteville, step back for just 30 seconds and think about what is best for this sport.

The exodus from the historic relay meets started years ago.

It is COLD, you can't run fast, you have to warm up on walk ways, you have to stand in a paddock for A LONG TIME in the cold before getting on to the track.

Even with Penn paying big teams to come, they still don't want to go anymore.

Before the internet winning Penn Relays was a way to get the attention of HS kids/coaches.

Now you don't need Penn or Drake in order to recruit.

Sad, yes, but true.

Just the way it is.....times change.

Good new is, smaller schools now have a chance to make Championship of America sections and hype it.

.............................. wrote:

The exodus from the historic relay meets started years ago.

It is COLD, you can't run fast, you have to warm up on walk ways, you have to stand in a paddock for A LONG TIME in the cold before getting on to the track.

Even with Penn paying big teams to come, they still don't want to go anymore.

Before the internet winning Penn Relays was a way to get the attention of HS kids/coaches.

Now you don't need Penn or Drake in order to recruit.

Sad, yes, but true.

Just the way it is.....times change.

Good new is, smaller schools now have a chance to make Championship of America sections and hype it.

I agree with all of the above but i also see this as Penn (not sure about Drake) going back to its roots. For many may years Penn was a meet for colleges in the northeast when Arkansas started showing up in the 80's it all changed. None of the schools listed as taking part in the Arkansas meet are from the NE so this looks like Penn will be simply going back to its roots - great battles between Villanova and Georgetown and then you add in schools like Penn State and it will still be a great weekend

Big Timers are killing the sport- as if there was something flawed with winning a wheel or watch at Drake/Penn. Retahds at the wheel: worst kept secret in the sport is that it's coaches who are guilty of destroying track and field. It's not the athletes, not the fans= it's coaches and administrators.

Arkansas and Penn wrote:

John's alive.

That's what I was wondering when I saw "John McDonnell must be turning in his grave"

This is stupid. All this does is dilute competition across all 3 meets. Almost any other weekend this would probably be fine. Why?