Check out the track and how it's coming along.
Construction on the Oregon State track has moved along at a brisk pace because this winter has been uncharacteristically dry.
Here’s a look at a picture from last week on the construction from atop Reser Stadium. It looks better on the front of my blog since it shows up better, than next to the text here.
Thanks to track coach Kelly Sullivan for sending this out.
A lot of the underground work has been complete. Preparation is underway for the light poles and other stuff.
18 comments
shane says:
Jan 8, 2012
i can only imagine the underground work needed to keep that dry…that entire field was basically a swamp if you had a decent rain
dunerat says:
Jan 8, 2012
This the biggest waste of money the dept. has spent since BobbyD has been there. The track program died before because there was and is no Fan base for track. The Football needs this money save the athletic Dept. Its just like U of O dropping wrestling. A lost cause. Except it could bring down the whole program.
DuckingBeaver says:
Jan 8, 2012
The track program should help attract some better (faster) athletes to the football program. A lot of football players also participate in track as well….
D-eL says:
Jan 8, 2012
Amen! A long over due decision.
OSU4Life says:
Jan 8, 2012
Dunerat, OSU dropped their track program because of Title IX not because of fan interest! Nikegon added basball and because of Title IX, the had to drop one mens program (wrestling) to add another. They were jealous that OSU won back to back National Championships, so they added baseball after 22 years of not having a team. Do you research your facts before you post? Or, do you just blabber on? I only ask because what you posted above is not accurate or true,
OSU adding Men’s and Women’s track and field will only benefit OSU athletics in a positive way. OSU was the only team in the Pac-10 not to have a track and field program, they have a very rich history in the sport as well! Have you ever heard of Dick Fosbury? Look him up, you will find a deeper appreciation for his contributions to the sport, for bringing exposure to Oregon State!
Also, have you ever noticed that the Colleges that have both football and track usually recruit better athletes to their programs? It is a true advantage for both sports! It will be a great benefit for Corvallis as well! OSU will be able to host numberous track and field competitions once the track facility is completed. This will do the opposite of bringing down the athletic program, it will only uplift and help benefit the entire athletic program! OSU will be able to recruit better football recruits to their football program once they add a mens track team, wait and see!
OSU4Life says:
Jan 8, 2012
I apologize for the spelling errors, smartphones aren’t the easiest to type with.
dunerat says:
Jan 8, 2012
Name 1 player on the track team that contributed to the Duck Football team this year. That has a Track Scholarship. They have some football players that run track in the off season. But how many scholarship track athletes played football.
OSU4Life says:
Jan 8, 2012
Here are two native Oregonians, Thomas Tyner from Aloha and Oshay Dunmore from Newport are both going to UO because UO has a mens track program! They are also outstanding football players! Would they have chosen OSU if they had a mens track program? Maybe so?
1) LaMichael James, 2) Kenjon Barner, 3) DeAnthony Thomas all will participate or have participated in track at Nikegon.
During the offseason for football, it is track season. During this time, it allows players a chance to help improve their quickness and speed. This is why OSU’s Keynan Parker, James Rodgers, Markus Wheaton, Rashaad Reynolds, Jordan Bishop, and Obum Gwatcham all participated in track.
Also, 60% of Rivals.com “Top 100″ recruits participate in Track & Field, and 55% of NFL players drafted since 1990 participated in Track & Field!
dunerat says:
Jan 8, 2012
The players that came to Oregon, came there because of the football program not track. Besides the Duck track program is world class. OSU’s won’t be, never was. Yes they had a few great athletes that made a contribution to the sport. With all the great wrestlers that OSU has had, how many lineman did that program attract.
dunerat says:
Jan 8, 2012
Oregon new Baseball has become bigger to ESPN(East Coast Sports Network) and TV than Wrestling. Bottom Line.
OSU4Life says:
Jan 8, 2012
Huh? I’ve never seen duck baseball on ESPN. Do you mean football?
AChukar says:
Jan 8, 2012
How many times has Oregon’s baseball team been on ESPN??
Tom says:
Jan 9, 2012
Rat… Find me one Division 1 lineman who also participates in Division 1 wrestling. Having trouble? That’s because no one does that in college. If someone does, it’s an extreme, extreme rarity.
One more thing… you cannot have a scholarship in one sport and participate in a another higher revenue-earning sport. That is called “stashing players.” If an athlete at a school participates in both football and track, that athlete must have 1 of 85 football scholarships.
As the other poster mentioned, do a little research.
Jack says:
Jan 9, 2012
dunerat,
You should probably keep from writing anything further on this subject. You’ve shown a great disrespect for history and for OSU by just being totally wrong on this subject. If you don’t know anything (and by your posts, I can see you’re just brown-holing this one) about a subject, let others contribute before you ask some questions which might lead to you expanding your mind.
And it was not because of Title IX that OSU dropped a storied track program. It was all Lynn Snyder and his love for soccer. The revenue wasn’t there for another sport, so he cut track to make the additions happen. That’s not all he did as one of the worst AD’s to ever hold that position. But it was one of the most egregious insults to ever happen to OSU. Even Linfield laughed this idea out of town when he tried it there.
wcjr says:
Jan 9, 2012
Once again Jack, Berny loves ya!!
dunerat says:
Jan 9, 2012
As far as the 2 Oregon HS recruits go, track isn’t why they are going to Oregon. The current Oregon players came to Oregon to play Football. Track is something that is available in the offseason for them
Players at OSU are competing in track right now anyway, they don’t need the University to create a money pit for them. There is Club track anywhere. When OSU dropped Track there was very little outcry about it. I wasn’t demeaning previous Track Athletes, you guys brought that up. I was pointing out that Track will not survive at OSU, except in somebodies mind. I won’t stoop to personal attacks with names and bullit points, that you may think is funny. We all know Small Minds amuse easily. Also a Co-Worker of mine is an Official that works all the big Track events at U of O. With all the success at Oregon, He said even at Oregon its just a money Pit. They don’t make enough to cover the sport and its very expensive.
dunerat says:
Jan 9, 2012
Tom, so your saying if we build a track at OSU and attract world class athletes, they can’t play Football? Unless he takes a Football players scholarship? I don’t see where that would help.
Jack says:
Jan 10, 2012
dunerat,
Your confusion is amusing. When an athlete goes to a school and competes on schalarship in two sports, NCAA bylaws stipulate that the sport which garners more revenue must provide the ship.
According to you, that would mean a T&F athlete who also competes in ANY other sport would receive their ship from the other sport.
And the city of Eugene would like to differ on your friend’s take on T&F in this town. National and international events draw millions in revenue for the city and the region. None of that would occur without Nikegon’s dedication to that sport and a dedication to provide the full experience deserved from a legitimate NCAA athletic department, which OSU has not done since it dropped T&F. In fact, we’ve really been the butt of many jokes for that decision.
You are understandably not a fan of T&F. It takes a more complex mind to understand all the nuances of the sport, let alone to understand how large the running community actually is in the US, let alone the world. I know when I’m sipping my coffee in the morning and 30-40 people are playing football or baseball down the street that running is just a silly thing that nobody does anymore.
So I will join you against all the respect that OSU is garnering for recommitting to a sport which too many silly people just love for all the wrong reasons. The ridiculous amount of magazines and blogs dedicated to the sport can all go suck eggs. We don’t need them or the international community to fawn all over OSU for a… what did you call it?… oh… a money pit. And we certainly don’t need any player for any other sport to come to school here if they really want to compete in T&F as well. They can come to play football and just pay their own way to T&F events. That’s not too much to ask.
I agree with you that OSU athletics needs to remain the butt of all those jokes about an NCAA school without T&F. We need to ignore all those highly respected alums as well as the people in the larger sports community, and we need to show that we can remain committed to a half-arsed plan for mediocre sports at OSU.