Top college track and field traditions?

[BillVol]

There are several rankings of the colleges with the most "tradition" out there.

I wonder which 20 college track and field programs have the best tradition? Men only, since women started only relatively recently. Besides, the TSU Tigerbelles are an easy #1 anyhow! ;-)

I'm not an expert in track and field in any way, which is why I try to soak up info from "our favorite magazine," but I'm guessing the list of top traditions in track starts with Southern Cal. After that, how would the list go?

The football lists are put together considering several factors: total wins, national titles, bowl wins, AP rankings, All-Americans, facilities, fan interest, great coaches, etc., etc........

Track could use a similar formula. National titles, NCAA individual titles, great coaches, facilities, fan interest, dual meet record, etc.

What would a top 20 look like?

[BillVol]

Damn. Edit...

First sentence should have read: "There are several rankings of the colleges with
the most FOOTBALL "tradition" out there."

Re: Top college track and field traditions?

USC
UCLA
Villanova
Oregon
Kansas
Arkansas
Stanford
UTEP
Illinois
Wazzu
LSU
Ohio State
Tennessee
Penn State
Florida
Brigham Young
San Jose State
TCU
SMU
Houston


Outside of the first entry, none are in any particular order.

[CoachKoby]

Re: Top college track and field traditions?

Great list. If the question were what "cities" had the most track tradition, then Eugene and Gainesville would be 1 and 2 on the list.

[BillVol]

Gainesville?

Coach, why Gainesville so high?

[CoachKoby]

Re: Gainesville?

The history of the Florida Track Club that dates back to the late 60's.

[BillVol]

Florida Track Club

What is that organization like now? Is it like it was when Frank Shorter was there? I've heard that Gainesville is not the ideal place to train for distance running, so I'm guessing that the FTC is not like it used to be.

As for Gainesville so high on the list, what about Los Angeles, Austin, Philly, Lawrence -- even Knoxville? Shouldn't they all be higher?

[CoachKoby]

Re: Florida Track Club

The FTC had a membership around 200-300 in the early 70's but with the coverage of the elite athletes, that's all many people heard about. Even I thought that the FTC was really small. It wasn't. Think the emphasis with the FTC today is on general fitness as opposed to the elite performer/performances. There are still many world-clas runners in town though. See many of the top Russian women in town. Dennis Mitchell lives in Gainesville and has his stable of runners he coaches on the track. Don't see that many of the elite folks these days as it is getting to be very hot here. Those cities you mentioned are great running cities (let's not forget Chicago and the Chicago Track Club) but why I thought about Eugene and Gainesville is there was (or at least seemed to be) a bigger concentration of elite athletes in these towns.

[BillCarr]

Re: Florida Track Club

uh, Boston anyone ?

great history (Bill Rodgers)
good club system, not just one
great local USATF organization
the one & only Boston Marathon
three, count 'em three banked indoor tracks within the city limits
we even have some decent meets occasionally

[197hjsteve]

Re: Florida Track Club

has anyone ever heard of the New York Athletic Club ? Loved those old winged jerseys.

Also the New York Pioneer Club.

The whites ran for NYAC, the blacks for the Pioneers. Nothing to cheer about on that score.

[BillVol]

Boulder, too

Lots of good athletes train there.

Re: Florida Track Club

Doesn't Jearl Miles, Mark Everett, Mykotok, and and Dan Middleman live there too not to mention Bernard Williams and John Capel just to name a few?

[BillVol]

Re: Florida Track Club

Jearl's husband is the new women's coach at Tennessee, so she has relocated. ;-)

Re: Top college track and field traditions?

What about San Jose? THE South Bay still has stanford to hold up tradition.

Re: Top college track and field traditions?

Stanford is mid-Peninsula, not South Bay