Major-Meet Bidding and the Midwest

The last few years have been very nice to track fans in this part of the country. Indiana State has hosted the NCAA Div. I cross-country championships (2002, 2004-06), and the USATF outdoor championships were and will be in Indianapolis (2006-07). We may be in for some more.

Des Moines annually hosts the fabulous Drake Relays, and with a recent stadium upgrade they're now ready to host bigger things. They are one of six finalists for the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the next three years. Des Moines brought out the heavy hitters, with Iowa governor and presidential hoepful Tom Vilsack making the final presentation. Besides the fact that I could drive there in a day, Des Moines makes sense because the city has already shown it loves track and will work hard to make people welcome.

A slightly bigger event is also up for bid soon -- the 2016 Olympic Games. The decision is still far off (October 2009) but the race is on to decide the city the USOC will put forward. The early favorite is San Francisco...but remember, there's a Mayor Daly involved.

Tags: Olympics, NCAA Championships