Texas A&M awarded 2011 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships
Nov 02, 2009 | Track and Field
Nov. 2, 2009
Indianaoplis, Indiana - The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee has selected Texas A&M as host of the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships and awarded the 2012 meet to Boise State.
The Aggies hosted the 2009 version of the meet this past March in its new facility after playing host to the Big 12 Indoor Championships in February, becoming the first university in the state of Texas to host the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.
"We always enjoy being able to host a NCAA Championship event on our campus," Texas A&M Athletic Director Bill Byrne said. "Over the last several years we've been host to national championship events in soccer, tennis, swimming and diving, and indoor track and field. I'm looking forward to having two national championships in Aggieland in 2011 with indoor track and field, and the women's golf championship.
"By hosting these championships on campus we are able to gain national exposure for Texas A&M University while also giving our student-athletes an opportunity to experience competing in front of a home crowd in a championship atmosphere. The success we enjoyed in hosting the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships was evident from the ticket sell-out we achieved in addition to the performance of the Aggies in the meet."
Prior to winning a pair of NCAA team titles at the outdoor championships this past June, the Aggies recorded a pair of highlights indoors. The women produced a best-ever NCAA second-place effort, just five points behind team champion Tennessee. The men finished ninth, third-best ever in the program's history.
"When we hosted the NCAA meet last year, this school had never hosted the NCAA Indoors before since we didn't have the facility to do so," noted Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry. "We were very pleased with the outcome of last year's meet and with the professional manner our athletic staff, meet officials and university conducted the championships. The NCAA said afterward it was a good meet and they were pleased with us. However, it says something when they decide to come back and let us host again.
"As the head coach at Texas A&M I'm very pleased to have the meet here at home. I think we have a very, very good facility. It allows for great performances and it's the kind of venue that is representative of what a national championship host site should be like."
Texas A&M will host the NCAA Indoor meet a second time in 2011 and its second Big 12 Indoor Championships in 2012 at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium at McFerrin Athletic Center. Boise State becomes a first time host of the NCAA Indoor meet in 2012 at its Jackson Track at the Idaho Center.
"The committee was fortunate to receive several attractive bids for the Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships," said Holly Sheilley, chair of the NCAA Track and Field Committee. "We are dedicated to enhancing the student-athlete experience and bringing the event to areas that elevate the championship.
"We are confident that Texas A&M will build upon the great job they did hosting in 2009 and make it an even better championship in 2011. We are also excited to take the championship somewhere new, with Boise State as a host in 2012. Both have good reputations as premier track venues and the ability to draw good crowds, which makes them not only ideal selections to host the NCAA Indoor Championships, but will help to continue to foster the sport's growth."
The 2010 version of the NCAA Indoor Championships will be held in Fayetteville, Arkansas, at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas on March 12-13.
