Some post NCAA Boston meet observations

I'm curious if the athletes also found the venue to be that good. I'm sure many had already competed there at some point... we know the track is fast, which I'm sure they appreciate.

Let's hope they bring it back here in the future. Makes too much sense - it's easily the nicest indoor track facility in the country, Boston is the de facto capital of indoor track with a big local fan base, and we get very few NCAA sports championships in the Northeast. Plus previous/future sites like Texas A&M, Arkansas, Birmingham and Virginia Beach are all far from major airports and sited in the middle of nowhere with absolutely nothing to do within walking distance.

The event program listed all of the past locations of indoor nationals. It appears that the NCAA occasionally parks the event at one location (presumably a good one that everyone likes) for several years. Hope that’s the case with Boston.

I have been attending NCAA indoor meets since it was held in Indianapolis and agree that this was one of the best host sites.

2025: Virginia Beach

2026: Arkansas

Those sites were probably picked a couple years ago before New Balance was even open. They only got it this time because Texas A&M, who was originally awarded the bid, had to relocate their track to accommodate Big Football. Hopefully 2027 will be back in Boston.

As an aside, I think it’s ridiculous that teams that regularly vie for the championship get to host this meet at home.

Hey Birmingham has a big airport and it’s a 30 min flight from Atlanta and the crossplex is an awesome facility. You’re right that there’s nothing to do within walking distance tho.

just had to defend my city but the other ones you listed all suck (I’ve never been).

Definitely an underrated aspect. Makes it feel like an even playing field. Only Ramsden was local right? And she was the heavy favorite regardless.

Didn't intend to imply the cities themselves are the middle of nowhere, just that the tracks are in crappy locations. Virginia Beach and Birmingham both look like your typical youth sports factories built to maximize profit - nice tracks, but in a warehouse-like building with few windows and cheap aluminum bleachers, built on a cheap plot of land out on the county highway.

I think the Virginia Beach sportsplex is nice. Yes, it's not downtown, but I thought warming up there was fine. It's also far south enough that you'll never deal with inclement weather in early march.

Boston should NEVER host again after the debacle with the weight throw.

The had to move the weight throw to Thursday (making it a 3 day championship) because it's throws facility was not tall enough to accommodate 20+ meter throws. Weights were bouncing off the roof.

The weight was moved to the sprint straight, thus they will NEVER be able to host a 2 day meet.

It was actually the running warm up area they moved it to, not the middle track sprint straight. They could have moved the throws to one of the morning time slots, when it's just the multi-events going on.

My only complaint about the most recent championships is that apparently, people did not know there was a difference between the general admission tickets and the section tickets. People would wander in/out of sections and taking seats that were assigned to others. Some people requested to see my ticket when I asked people to move as they didn't believe I had an assigned seat. Others didn't realize that GA tickets were on the other side from the finish line as they thought they could sit anywhere.

Also, the meet was technically "hosted" by Boston College and UMass-Lowell. I think Harvard should have put in a bid to host given how close the NCAA site is to their athlete facilities.

It made sense for BC and Umass-Lowell to be the hosts, as it's their "home" track. They host their home meets there and BC's practices are there (as are some local D3 schools - suffolk, lasalle, umass boston).

Let's be honest. No one really cares about the weight throw. Not even some throwers. Some hammer guys and gals won't even do it as it messes up their technique. So what's wrong with holding that they night before - that way they actually get more attention.

I thought Boston was amazing. I was super impressed by the The TRAACK which is literally like on top of restaurants/bars. Like the first floor is your normal office ground level and above that is the track and New Balance offices I believe. Tons of hotels.

I'm biased as I have friends in the area and there are a ton of cheap non-stop flights from BWI but this was the first track event my son and wife have ever attended. Partially to see friends, but they also could go to the amazing museum in Boston, etc.

But the NCAA needs to stop having the men's and women's meets separate for indoors. Have it at the same time. Separating it is insane. And if you are going to separate it, then you need to sell different tickets for men's meet, women's meet, etc.

I'm not a fan of one site for every single year. In the NFL, if you build a new stadium, you get a super bowl. Track should be like the NFL - a regular rotation of top notch cities that rotate hosting it - and Boston has set a high bar - but with an occasional meet somewhere else to grow the sport and reward people for building new facilities.

We have determined Citius Mag is a sellout

There are plans to build a new indoor facility in Indianapolis (where the NCAA and USATF have their offices). That may become the "go-to" site for indoor nationals. The NCAA has had success with a permanent home for the College World Series (baseball) in Omaha, and they have been experimenting with this idea for other sports.

Already built it.

wbiw.com

Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center unveils new indoor track - WBIW

Terri Box

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center is excited to announce the completion of the new indoor track inside the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall...

Link:www.wbiw.com/2024/01/22/indiana-state-...

indianastatefair.com

Indoor Track and Field - Indiana State Fair

The new Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion is a multi-use building. First and foremost, it is a best-in-class livestock facility, as well as, a modern, flexible space that will host a variety of livestock, consumer and s...

Link:www.indianastatefair.com/p/indoor-trac...

What a f##ked up thing to say. There are just as many people who don't care about a bunch of scrawny 125# guys running in circles all day, either. The weight throwers are certainly more "athletic" than any distance runners. If you can even pick up a 35# weight, Rojo, and that's a big if, go ahead and try to rotate slowly with the weight and see if it doesn't throw YOU out of the circle. Then try to imagine rotating at the speeds they do while maintaining control within a 7-foot circle and releasing it to land within a 35 degree sector.

JFC, do you even care at all about track and field or just about the money you make from this site?

When I watched those guys throw, I realized that they were throwing an object that is equivalent in weight to my 2-yr old toddler (and yes, he is a solid kid) to distances approaching/over 80-ft. Made me appreciate the throwers' strength and agility even more.