Mt. Sac OUT as host of 2020 Olympic Track and Field Trials as USATF Reopens Bidding Because of Lawsuit

Congratulations to Drake Stadium in Des Moines, the lead candidate to assume the 2020 OTs. Drake is the most storied T&F venue in the Western Hemisphere.

I'm assuming Mt. Sac can still bid and settle the lawsuit by then.

Eugene (stadium not started yet) and Sacramento were the two other finalists.

Leave it to California to sh!t the bed.

Southern Californian wrote:

Leave it to California to sh!t the bed.

The trial date in the remaining Mt. Sac lawsuit is not until January 2019. If anyone lawyers want to comment do so here or email me

1) Anyway for Mt. Sac to speed this up? The taxpayer group seems unlikely to settle.

2) Could the preservationist group in Eugene just file a lawsuit and delay things as well?

These are time sensitive issues. Would be best if they could be sped up in the legal system.

the environmentlist lawyers are pumped now ready to block eugene, sacramento, des moines, austin, ...

Update: Initial title of thread was more accurate and we've changed it to reflect that Mt. Sac looks to be out as 2020 host. We assumed they would be in rebidding and possibly try and settle lawsuit.

But they're statement makes it sound like USATF told them they won't be hosting the Trials although Mt. Sac president told Ken Stone they are ready to execute their plans to host 2020 if USATF settles lawsuit.

https://timesofsandiego.com/sports/2018/05/01/mt-sac-loses-2020-olympic-trials-amid-usatf-worries-on-walnut-lawsuit/

http://www.mtsac.edu/newsroom/news/posts/2020-olympic-trials-track-and-field-statement.html

My main thought is why make this announcement now?

These lawsuits have been going on for months. Did the USATF have a date in mind i.e. "if one or both of them are still active on May 1, we decide to reopen the bidding"? Or was there a sudden development that we're not privy to? As usual, I just wish USATF was a bit more transparent, though at least in this case they said it was because of the litigation and resulting planning delays.

If USATF is worried about the delays, I'd be very surprised if they elected to go back to Eugene given construction at Hayward Field hasn't even started yet.

My guess would be Sacramento is the leader considering they were the other finalist for the '20 Trials, but I don't know anyone who's thrilled about going to Sacramento for 10 days next June...

But other than that, who is there?

If Mt. SAC can convince USATF they can get everything done on time, they would be a good solution -- but the fact that USATF felt the need to reopen the bidding suggests that isn't the case.

Drake is hosting USAs in 2018 and 2019. The Trials is the big one, but do they want it? They weren't a finalist for the '20 Trials initially (though that doesn't necessarily mean they didn't bid).

Indianapolis hasn't hosted USAs since '07 and the Trials since '88. Austin? Penn would be cool but I don't think they'd be able to host with the configuration of the stadium.

Hmm.

Hopefully, somewhere in Oregon discussions are beginning to see how Hayward 2 could be "fast-tracked."

That would be quite a feat and pretty cool. Debut and test run Hayward 2, a year out from World's.

Now, I'm sure no one will want that to happen.

Anyone else what to show up in Eugene with a crowbar and some hammers and help tear down the old one for some keepsakes?

Heck, I helped build the West Stands, and I'm okay to see it go.

MEAT is MURDER wrote:

the environmentlist lawyers are pumped now ready to block eugene, sacramento, des moines, austin, ...

It sounds like the group suing to block Mt. Sac aren't environmentalists, but a bunch of anti-tax crusading nimbys. Much wealthier and more obnoxious than environmentalists, in my opinion.

Just an added thought...

Is there anywhere in Portland that could be fitted to host the Trials?

One would think, Uncle Phil and Co., have the motivation to keep it close and well attended.

Going to be in Indy

Trials Twenty Twenty wrote:

Going to be in Indy

They weren't a finalist. Most likely scenario is Sacramento if it's not Eugene.

Wonder why Drake didn't make it as a finalist.

The FBI Investigation of USATF, Track Town USA, University of Oregon, and IAAF has frozen what miniscule hope we ever had of rational, consistent management of our sport.

not a finalist wrote:

Trials Twenty Twenty wrote:

Going to be in Indy

They weren't a finalist. Most likely scenario is Sacramento if it's not Eugene.

Wonder why Drake didn't make it as a finalist.

The Bid System is rife with repeated corruption year after year. The USATF Execs and Board are professionals but they not wealthy individuals. They are swayed by the offer of free airline seats, free hotel rooms, and free food. I.E. they are not of sufficient means that free perks doesn't matter to them. Thus, they choose the best perks for themselves and sentence athletes and coaches to weeks in boring, out-of-the way towns for Nats and OTs each year. It sucks.

If they did, it would have made sense to communicate that to Mt SAC so they could decide whether or not to try and rush a settlement. Mt SAC was blindsided by this. The people in the current lawsuit say they are willing to settle and are surprised by this action.

Yes, and the Board seems to basically hate TrackTown, so there's that.

Yeah I guess... Sac State was supposed to host USAs this year and backed out. Their bid was not nearly as strong as Mt SAC or TrackTown (I watched the bid presentations). I wasn't even sure if they would re-bid, but I guess they have stated they will. Blah.

I cannot imagine the board is fired up about Sac State, surely they must have something weird up their sleeve...

To my knowledge, the only bidders were TrackTown, Mt SAC and Sac State. But perhaps other parties expressed an interest. Its hard for me to imagine Drake suddenly getting fired up about the Trials if they weren't a year ago.

The facility in Indy is no longer suitable to host any sort of track meet, it has been converted to a soccer stadium.

Austin seems within the realm of possibility, but I've not seen them have any interest in hosting this sort of meet in recent times, and you need an LOC that reallllly wants to do it.

Penn's facility is unsuitable, I can't imagine they would ever be considered.

Icahn Stadium in New York seems somewhat possible, but I don't know why they would want to now if they didn't a year ago. Stadium is nice but logistics are a nightmare and the city is so expensive, it would drive away a lot of potential ticket buyers. The Diamond League meet did not sell well unless Bolt was running, there does not seem to be a strong local fan base for elite track and field.

Remember that a lot has changed in the past year. The USOC owns the Olympic Trials, and the public perception of Olympic Sports is going downhill fast with all of the sex abuse scandals. USATF has also made decisions, both in deposing Lananna and with the SafeSport volunteer requirements that would make meet directors less likely to want to work with them.

That's why this is bizarre. This is absolutely horrible timing to pull a stunt like this.

With only 2 years to the 2020 OT the board has to play it safe and sign with someone who already has the toilets installed, fresh water piped in, etc. UTA, SacSt, Drake, who else?

Vetting Out the Riff Raff wrote:

With only 2 years to the 2020 OT the board has to play it safe and sign with someone who already has the toilets installed, fresh water piped in, etc. UTA, SacSt, Drake, who else?

Bring it to Bloomington Indiana. Bloomington has hosted the US Junior Olympic Trials several times, has a great town full of fantastic local restaurants and has a wide variety of running trails and scenery for fans during down time.

Scott Reid update:

https://www.ocregister.com/2018/05/01/mt-sac-loses-2020-olympic-track-and-field-trials/

Mt. Sac says stadium will be ready by 2020 (the lawsuit apparently isn't stopping construction. It really is more on how it will be paid for). Mt. Sac officials were totally blindsided by decision by USATF and neither Max Siegel not the Board delivered the news to them.

Vetting Out the Riff Raff wrote:

With only 2 years to the 2020 OT the board has to play it safe and sign with someone who already has the toilets installed, fresh water piped in, etc. UTA, SacSt, Drake, who else?

Everything is on schedule with Mt SAC's construction. Despite the legal wrangling, there was only a small delay with the injunction, they are not behind schedule. The Board awarded the bid last summer knowing the stadium was not in place yet, and everything has moved forward as planned since then.