The latest on track construction.
Bad, dismal wet weather has been part of Corvallis for the last week, but construction continues on the new Oregon State track.
Coach Kelly Sullivan sent out another updated photo.
Many of you on the blog debated the last time I had a track post about the importance of a track and a men’s team. However, I’ve learned that it’s good PR if you have one in the area.
And there are a few football players — WRs, RBs, DBs — who can make use of the opportunity to compete and work on speed in the winter and spring.
There are also a few recruits you can entice with the opportunity to run track and play football. Will there be a lot of them? No, but some.
Many fans have the belief that it’s not one of the major sports — football, men’s hoops — then any money and time spent on anything else is a waste and don’t like OSU’s plan for a broad athletic program with success in as many sports as possible.
Baseball has been a source of pride for the university for many years. Gymnastics is the most consistently good program. Even softball had a long recent run of success, and both soccer teams are on the way up.
My point is there are various athletes trying to be the best they can be. On this blog and in the GT, they just happen to have Oregon State on their chest. So here’s a track update.
6 comments
OS_Beaver says:
Jan 24, 2012
It’s worth it. The Pac-12 TV money and PacNets will pay for it. It needs to be part of an overall plan to enhance the Oregon State brand and success across the board. Football is the main economic engine and then basketball and baseball so it is essential we succeed in all 3.
3 easy steps to boost OSU Athletics into a consistent winner and have solid gains in support:
1) Promote the Spring Game on some level and make it an actual game not a scrimmage
2) Open Truax Sports Center for Gamedays ($5 to support Reser Expansion)
3) Allow Tinker and Nike to enhance the brand and give us more uni combos so we are an attractive destination for top recruits
Those 3 steps coupled with the brand new Basketball Practice Facility with have it so our 3 major sports are all able to thrive. Then things like Track and Field add to that sharper image. Reser Expansion would then soon get within reach and we will be positioned for success for more than a decade to come.
Tinker explains his design philosophy at TEDx Portland:
http://beaverbyte.com
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Jan 24, 2012
Technically, baseball is a minor sport in college since it loses money. Only football and men’s basketball have the potential to make money.
OS_Beaver says:
Jan 24, 2012
I agree but with 2 National Championships OSU has alot of support for baseball and it ends up giving us 3 more months to highlight Oregon St. as a top program. If we can be consistently good in all 3 sports then OSU can be a winner all year long.
dunerat says:
Jan 24, 2012
OS_Beaver has a good 3 step program I can agree with, except the Track part. Can’t do do much more for Baseball. Have a lot of work to do in Football & BB. Can’t afford Track right now cost is too high for the benefit, maybe at a later time, like never. Lots of work to be done yet on branding and promo. Oh, thats right branding and promo doesn’t exist yet.Let Hatfield Tinker with it.
Jack says:
Jan 24, 2012
Why is anyone myopic on this subject, let alone openly exhibiting lack of brain functions? We are an absolute joke without a T&F program. The benefits are too numerous to list here. The negatives are that a couple really, really, really ignorant people don’t want to hear about those benefits.
And T&F fans and alums are paying for it through our own donations.
Ask another school in this area what their football program… or even their athletic department would look like without their T&F alums.
mike says:
Jan 25, 2012
I think it’s a great time for OS to have track. It can attract athletes, corporate sponsorship (think swoosh or a competitor looking to poke holes in the swoosh), and broadens the fan base. All seem like good ideas for a vibrant athletic department.
But, the focus has to remain on football and making it a top notch program. I am sincerely grateful for the Builder Bob portion of our AD, I am equally as po’d at his allowing the football program to slip these past two years, and not hire or contract with some top flight marketing people-that is inexcusable in this day and age. We don’t have to be sleazy, or put frigging feathers on our football players, but brand is important. To let so many opportunities pass him by needs to be corrected.