Forgive me in that I know nothing regarding true facts about the logistics of this decision. All I know is the "they stretched every dollar to make it happen." Secondly, don't give me the "you should've just given them the money to make it happen." But IMO you only build Walter FH once in a generation or maybe longer. You don't, don't, don't, don't build a 4 lane half butt practice track with tight corners. You've got runners at your university, the area has no such facility, you've got ONE chance to get it right---100% in my uneducated opinion you wait it out until you can do it right. By hunch is that football pushed it not giving a lick about if the track was 1 lane, 4 lanes, or regulation and they short armed it. Too bad for every one else other than those who need turf. I just registered my son for an indoor event at Marshall where I believe they cut the indoor track event off at the first 800 athletes (I think) and there was a rush to register because it sells out very quickly annually I was told.

While we're at it, has anyone played the back nine at the OU golf course?

have you any ideas where those nine holes would go?

[/QUOTE]
The regulation indoor track is irrelevant. Maybe if we had both men's and women's indoor track then they should've considered the investment. [/QUOTE]I don't contribute much on this board anymore, but common on man. If you're a runner, yes we do have M & W Cross Country Teams that run as a club all Winter at Indoor events---then just like you feel the runners having a place to train is irrelevant, a runner thinks a place to practice baseball when it's out of season is just as irrelevant. Runners actually have a winter indoor season and running on that track with such sharp curves is not easy.
In regards to maybe the runners should've contributed more money, how much did the softball, lacrosse, baseball, etc... (non-revenue sports) contribute?
Common on, my uneducated premise was.... if you're a little short of doing it correct and you've waited this long, then just wait until you can get it 100% right as you only do it once. I'd rather wait 5-8 more years and do it right, realizing I'm going to have it for 50 years, then do it next year and short arm a significant portion of venue. Hence, we're going to Marshall, Kent State, Marietta College for events. And if you're a serious distance runner and looking for a college, no men's track and now no indoor facility is yet another ding (reason to go elsewhere).

The regulation indoor track is irrelevant. Maybe if we had both men's and women's indoor track then they should've considered the investment. [/QUOTE]I don't contribute much on this board anymore, but common on man. If you're a runner, yes we do have M & W Cross Country Teams that run as a club all Winter at Indoor events---then just like you feel the runners having a place to train is irrelevant, a runner thinks a place to practice baseball when it's out of season is just as irrelevant. Runners actually have a winter indoor season and running on that track with such sharp curves is not easy.
In regards to maybe the runners should've contributed more money, how much did the softball, lacrosse, baseball, etc... (non-revenue sports) contribute?
Common on, my uneducated premise was.... if you're a little short of doing it correct and you've waited this long, then just wait until you can get it 100% right as you only do it once. I'd rather wait 5-8 more years and do it right, realizing I'm going to have it for 50 years, then do it next year and short arm a significant portion of venue. Hence, we're going to Marshall, Kent State, Marietta College for events. And if you're a serious distance runner and looking for a college, no men's track and now no indoor facility is yet another ding (reason to go elsewhere).

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So I'm gathering Mr.spongeBob, you are not a runner. That much is clear. A couple quick points as I waste my time here:

1. "The Regulation Indoor Track is irrevelant?"
So let's build a basketball practice gym that has a court that's 90x40 in size and a 19 foot 3 point line. Oh ya, a regulation 3 point line is 19'9" and the court is 94x50, but who cares, they can still practice on it, right? Let's build a practice baseball field with 60 feet from the pitchers mound to home plate and 84 feet between bases as we don't have enough money for a bigger field. Oh ya, regulation is 60'6 (plate to mound) and 90' between each base. Let's build a Field Hockey practice field 275 feet in length, regulation is 299' and 10 inches, but they don't generate revenue so whose measuring?
2. "We Don't Have a Men's Track Team"
Yes, but we do have a Women's track team don't we? And we do have a club Men's Indoor Track Team I believe and our hockey team is club and they have a regulation arena with stands don't they? Marshall doesn't have men's track, they have a regulation indoor facility. WVU I don't believe has a men's track team, ditto for them.
3. "No such thing as indoor Cross Country."
Yes, but there's not such thing as indoor football either.
4. "Yes, but they can still practice"
My understanding, and this is 10th person so it could be way off, is that they could've got a more normal 6 lane track installed but football refused to shorten the endzone by a few feet to make that possible. You should've asked football, "yes, but you could at least practice." No dice, winning culture want things done right.
5. "They got it 110% right."
Read above. I wish you were scoring my daughter in gymnastics--10.0 on all events?
6. It's better than nothing.
True
7. I can't do the Quote feature right.
True :)



[/QUOTE]Uhhh both teams still use the facility, its not like they decided to ditch the track all together.

If I'm reading your entire post correctly (which is not easy to decipher btw) you would've delayed the construction of Walter another 5-8 years just to include a regulation size indoor track. That makes absolute no sense. We don't even have a men's track team and there's no such thing as indoor cross country. I get it that the men could utilize the indoor facility in the winter months but they don't need the regulation track for practice and they already use it how it is. They got it 110% right.

In my opinion the IPF is serving its purpose and some. Its helped with recruiting in all sports, every team except for maybe wrestling and swimming uses it (maybe they use it too?) and it was a massive upgrade to what our athletes had to use before. I would love to see some of these people come to a baseball practice in the freaking indoor tennis "tent" next to the golf course and then tell me how we were supposed to compete with Kent state.

The regulation indoor track is irrelevant. Maybe if we had both men's and women's indoor track then they should've considered the investment.

and I nice ability to communicate with us fans

Several years ago, I suggested to Schaus during the coaches caravan stop in Cbus that it would be great to bring women's hoops coach Bolden the following year, since he does such a good job recruiting Central Ohio. His response: "Great idea!" Still have yet to see Bolden at the Columbus caravan stop...