The confusion continues, rebidding of the 2020 U.S. Trials is quite complicated

Hayward Field, is Hayward Field the new home for 2020 Trials?, photo by PhotoRun.net

WALNUT (USA): Despite an early hint that it might still be interested in hosting the 2020 Olympic Trials for track and field, Mt. San Antonio College will not reapply for the meet. Bids are due Friday, with the announcement of the new Trials host expected around June 8, USATF said in its Request for Proposals.

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Sacramento State, are they the new host for 2020? photo by Mike Deering for The Shoe Addicts

RunBlogRun notes: The above note, from EME News, took their theme from an article from the Times of San Diego, by Ken Stone. The rebidding of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials by the board of USA Track & Field has sent shivers of concern among faciities managers across the U.S. A close look at just the fine research done by the Times of San Diego, shows the amount of largesse that Mt.SAC provided for USA Track & Field. Who else can provide that kind of support ? With Sacramento reportedly asking for upfront money from USA Track & Field for a potential hosting of 2018, and the reported losses by Tracktown USA on the 2016 Olympic Trials, will USA Track & Field be covering the more than likely short falls for potential hosts for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials? Has the board of directors from USATF even considered that savvy bidders might ask USATF to provide much more support than they did when Mt.SAC made their most recent bid. Who besides Sacramento will bid? Will it be Des Moines? Will Eugene even have a track? And most importantly, what if, after looking at the new bids, the original bid of Mt.SAC is still better, how does the Board of Directors, as part of their fiduciary responsiblity, deal with such a situation?

This rebidding will be fascinating. As some have said, truth is stranger than fiction. Stay tuned.

Drake University, are we going to Des Moines in 2020? photo by PhotoRun.net

May 1, 2018: USATF takes 2020 Trials from Mt.SAC: https://timesofsandiego.com/sports/2018/05/01/mt-sac-loses-2020-olympic-trials-despite-hopes-for-settling-last-lawsuit/

May 12, 2018: USATF warned Mt.SAC six months prior to removing Trials: https://timesofsandiego.com/sports/2018/05/01/mt-sac-loses-2020-olympic-trials-despite-hopes-for-settling-last-lawsuit/

May 14, 2018: Mt.SAC is out of rebidding for 2020 Trials: https://www.si.com/olympics/2018/05/24/2020-us-olympic-track-and-field-trials-mt-san-antonio-college

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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