New Balance and NSAF parting ways? Anybody have the inside scoop?

Holy crap that’s strange

All New Balance branding is gone on the outdoor natties page on NSAFs site. They really got fucked by rona and now this.

New Balance also released a statement that they are gonna do their own nationals from now on- at the armory on the same dates. NSAF responded saying that they are the only ones that can do it.

its gonna be a shitshow next year.

This is not unusual in a world where high school track & field no longer exists.

kipchogefan123 wrote:

All New Balance branding is gone on the outdoor natties page on NSAFs site. They really got fucked by rona and now this.

New Balance also released a statement that they are gonna do their own nationals from now on- at the armory on the same dates. NSAF responded saying that they are the only ones that can do it.

its gonna be a shitshow next year.

Sure NB figured they can run it and save a bundle of money

Why do you think it will be a $hit show? The Armory people put on some pretty solid meets every year sure this will be no different

Just like Nike and NXN. NB will own high school track nats both indoors and outdoors (probably hosting indoors at their own facility starting in 2022). I'm guessing that NSAF wanted too much money and wouldn't move the championships from North Carolina A&T (a pain to travel to) to another venue.

new balance can do something that is more inclusive than the NSAF. I have a feeling they will eventually win out. There are many states that are not part of NSAF for indoor track. SO they could get in, USATF stuff would be eligible, etc. Perhaps there was an issue with outdoor nationals this summer where NB wanted to be able to include time trials verified by video or USATF events they would put on in lieu of the cancelled high school schedule.

Will be interesting to see where this goes. Maybe an age group model, where some younger college kids might even be included...an 18 and under kind of thing.

You know little about the situation

Portland Hobby Jogger wrote:

Just like Nike and NXN. NB will own high school track nats both indoors and outdoors (probably hosting indoors at their own facility starting in 2022). I'm guessing that NSAF wanted too much money and wouldn't move the championships from North Carolina A&T (a pain to travel to) to another venue.

Speaking of that new venue, I'm psyched to see it (link below). It looks absolutely incredible, although I'm a little confused about why it's being built in Boston. I know NB is based there, but there's already multiple national/world-class indoor tracks there,.

high school xc coach wrote:

new balance can do something that is more inclusive than the NSAF. I have a feeling they will eventually win out. There are many states that are not part of NSAF for indoor track. SO they could get in, USATF stuff would be eligible, etc. Perhaps there was an issue with outdoor nationals this summer where NB wanted to be able to include time trials verified by video or USATF events they would put on in lieu of the cancelled high school schedule.

Will be interesting to see where this goes. Maybe an age group model, where some younger college kids might even be included...an 18 and under kind of thing.

Colorado doesn't even have an official indoor high school season and I've taken kids to New Balance Indoor Nationals. They will take outdoor marks from the year before including marks from USATF meets and pole vault marks from the National Pole Vault Summit. Their policies were very liberal as far as where they would accept marks from.

I can tell you the whole story if you want but doubt many want to hear it.

Suffice it to say that NSAF exists off the registration fees at their meets (basically two meets). By the way, those fees have made them into a $600k per annum "non-profit" that basically pays 3 people to travel around the globe and watch track and field. Good on them.

But, without an Indoor or Outdoor meet due to Covid-19, how does NSAF survive? That is why they were so insistent on having an outdoor meet in July despite the fact that no kids have been able to train. They also refunded 0 dollars from the indoor meet they cancelled days before it was supposed to happen. I get it. They love track and field. They also need money.

So, riddle me this: if NSAF insisted on having a meet in July with New Balance as the sponsor and it goes terribly, what happens? Or their is public backlash at inducing kids to travel to a sporting event, who gets blamed? Or the meet becomes a hotspot in the pandemic, whose brand gets targeted on social media? Tell me who is liable?

NSAF loves to say that they "own" the meet but the reality is that as long as New Balance's name is on it, they are the deepest pockets.

There is a lot of history I'm glossing over. The partnership is 10 years old and there were some good things but ask adidas, Nike, and New Balance why they pulled their sponsorship. I would bet an all-American medal in the swedish relay that it was because NSAF is tough to deal with.

The reason for the track being built here is part of the larger NB plan.

NB bought a lot of the surrounding land on Guest St with the purpose of building the 'health and wellness' part of Boston and attempting to connect Cambridge to Brighton.

Since acquiring the land, NB got the Celtics to build their new training HQ, the Bruins build their training HQ (practices are open to the public), worked to get a luxury high-rise building with a pool and bar on the roof, and now the track. The track isn't only a track, either. It will host multiple sports and other events. It seats around 5,000. Several other restaurants and caffes have also opened. They even got the MBTA to build an entirely new commuter rail stop right at their own massive new HQ in two years. This has to be some kind of record. There is/was also plans to break ground on a new hotel but I'm not sure that changes with our current situation.

Prior to building all of the infrastructure, Guest St was really just WGBH Boston , the NB original HQ (they now lease that space to multiple other companies), some warehouses, and a Stop & Shop.

One other note -- NB current has their logo all over the Reggie Lewis track center. That facilitiy and location leave a lot to be desired. However, there are some decent local and regional meets held there each year. NB also does a couple of larger invitationals. I'd guess this will all move to the new location once things are finished.

TLDR - this is all part of a larger plan.

New Balance Indoor Nationals was hosted at the Reggie Lewis for a couple years, by the way. That was still in the days that NSIC ran the Indoor meet at the Armory. It was a great facility but NYC is a little more accessible than Boston.

kid from PA wrote:

Portland Hobby Jogger wrote:

Just like Nike and NXN. NB will own high school track nats both indoors and outdoors (probably hosting indoors at their own facility starting in 2022). I'm guessing that NSAF wanted too much money and wouldn't move the championships from North Carolina A&T (a pain to travel to) to another venue.

Speaking of that new venue, I'm psyched to see it (link below). It looks absolutely incredible, although I'm a little confused about why it's being built in Boston. I know NB is based there, but there's already multiple national/world-class indoor tracks there,.

https://thetrackatnewbalance.com/

Indoor at the Armory, outdoor at the New Balance Track and Field Complex at ESPN Wide World of Sports. That's a much better family friendly outdoor location.

It isn’t hard to get to N.C. A&T. Greensboro has an airport. Charlotte is less than 90 minutes away. RDU is about an hour away.

You ever run a 5k/2 mile/1 mile in June in Orlando?

decipi wrote:

You ever run a 5k/2 mile/1 mile in June in Orlando?

Yes I have. 2016 AAU Club Nationals 3000 and 1500. Also ran in Greensboro in 2018, which was surprisingly more humid and there was no Disney's Blizzard Beach afterwards to cool off. I'll take Orlando any day over North Carolina A&T.

I love it in boston, Running my high school league meets at reggie is nice

Disney FTW wrote:

kid from PA wrote:

Speaking of that new venue, I'm psyched to see it (link below). It looks absolutely incredible, although I'm a little confused about why it's being built in Boston. I know NB is based there, but there's already multiple national/world-class indoor tracks there,.

https://thetrackatnewbalance.com/

Indoor at the Armory, outdoor at the New Balance Track and Field Complex at ESPN Wide World of Sports. That's a much better family friendly outdoor location.

Love running my Hs league meets at the reggie lol

I'm so impressed at how NSAF, New Balance, and Nike keep high school track and cross in focus on a few select championships slotted exactly to coincide with the 4 seasons.

That takes a lot if work to coordinate teams from all 50 states each with their own needs and unique issues.

Here in Southern California we can run all year long. We have 350 days per year of outdoor competition weather. We don't focus hardly as much putting every resource imaginable on single epic meets like NBN and NXN. That's amazing. True dedication!