Five coaches sat before the assembled members of the media a day before the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships began, tucked away in the cool basement of Matthew Knight Arena at the University of Oregon.
The coaches speaking at the press conference were Chris Bucknam of Arkansas (men), Lance Harter of Arkansas (women), Robert Johnson of Oregon, Mike Holloway of Florida and Pat Henry of Texas A&M.
“I was so impressed in Austin with the Oregon men and women, they have adapted to the heat so well — little did I realize they had been training in the heat all this time,” Harter joked, referencing the hot and humid temperatures expected to persist throughout the four-day meet.
During the press conference the coaches joked with one another, though they also addressed many of the issues surrounding their sport and the Championship. The biggest question heading into the meet was the new schedule format, where the men and women’s events would be split apart.
Several concerns arise from this change. The schedule becomes much more dense, which makes it tougher on athletes who are competing in several events. In an effort to speed things up the long jump will be split between two pits, but not broken down by seeding. This means two jumpers who are competing for first place may not even be jumping alongside each other — a big concern for Johnson. The new format will also split apart the genders, which goes against many of the team’s philosophies of being one cohesive unit that relies on support and camaraderie.
“Back when I was in high school, back in the ancient days, this is what we did,” Holloway said. “It all comes down to a mindset — if we want to walk around and make it a negative for (the athletes), it will be.”
There are positives as well. The tighter schedule means it will be easier for television to pick up the coverage, creating a digestible package for the casual fan that doesn’t want to sit through six hours of events.
“If we are on television for the amount of hours that they say we are going to be on, then I think its educating the general public a little bit more about our sport,” Henry said. “Right now if you aren’t on TV you don’t exist.”
The idea of growing the sport of track and field kept coming up, with all of the coaches agreeing on the importance of finding some way to fill the stands and generate interest. Television provides one way of accomplishing this, while a focus on the team side of the sport could also be improved.
“(Fans) don’t know my individuals as much as they know we are the Razorbacks,” Bucknam said. “One of the best crowds of the year is the Texas, Arkansas duel meet.”
Track and field has always been a sport that is skewed toward the individual, though in the past duel meets were much more common. They create a scenario where it becomes ‘us versus them’, as opposed to simply watching athletes chase a faster time or better mark. It’s harder to root for an athlete achieving a personal record than it is to cheer against a rival.
While expanding the team aspect of the sport may be something to look into, the concern comes up when you look at a dominant athlete who is stuck on a bad team. The current system allows for that person to advance on their own merit, without being held back by sub-par teammates.
Another issue that seems to be a constant problem is the idea of Hayward Field being the host of the Championships for eight years in a row.
“I was a proponent of it being here,” Henry said, “but I wasn’t a proponent of it being here for the remainder of my life.”
Eugene has a track culture that allows for a positive meet experience for the athletes, filling the stands and providing knowledgeable fans. The problem is that without giving other schools a chance to host, it creates an endless loop where only Oregon will ever get to host.
“Hayward Field speaks for itself, and everyone of my athletes knows the mystique of University of Oregon’s fan base,” Harter said. “But what message do we send to all these Athletic Directors across the United States? We could build this phenomenal facility for what; you will never host the National Championship until Pat dies.”
The NCAA Outdoor Championships will begin Wednesday at 11 a.m., with the heptathlon 100 hurdles scheduled to kick things off.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur