A new schedule format was approved for the 2015 and 2016 Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships during a Feb. 10 teleconference by the Division 1 Championships/Sports Management Cabinet. 

 

The new schedule of the championships, which was endorsed unanimously by the cabinet, will allow one gender to compete on days one and three of the championships and the other gender to compete on days two and four. 

 

The championships will be held June 10-13. The new format allows the first two days of the meet to focus on semifinal events, plus a few finals such as the 10k and field events, leaving the last two days of competition reserved for finals, one day for women and one day for men. The only gender overlap will occur in the multi-events with the decathlon and heptathlon taking place on Wednesday and Thursday. 

 

According to NCAA.com, “the Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Committee made the recommendation because it believes the schedule will improve the overall championships experience and could result in improved media coverage of the championships by allowing each gender to have more defined stories to be told during the championships.”

 

The concept received support at the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association convention last December, where the USTFCCCA Track and Field Executive Committee unanimously voted in favor of the schedule change, which was officially approved by the NCAA D1 Championships/Sports Management Cabinet Feb. 10. 

 

The NCAA.com release also noted that ESPN, which televises the championship, can potentially include an additional hour of coverage on its network. 

 

“Through collaborative efforts we now have a unique opportunity to enhance the championship experience for the student-athletes and fans as we continue to move the sport of track and field forward,” chair of the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Committee Gina Sperry said, according to NCAA.com.