With the construction of the new athletic village our 160 dedicated and successful track and field student-athletes will be left without a facility to even practice as soon as next fall.  Many athletes will be left with no viable alternative site in the twin-cites where they can practice.  With limited scholarship dollars, most of our track and field athletes are paying their own way here at the University, and proudly representing the University on the track and in the classroom.  Is this the way we deserve to be treated?

At this point no one will tell us for how long we will go without a home.  We chose to come to Minnesota with no idea this could happen and now are being told we are such a low priority that nothing may be done during our time here as Gophers.  Why wouldn't a new track be built before the athletic village forces us from our home? 

Please choose a site on the Minneapolis campus and make a facility for track and field a priority before our time here as Gophers is wasted being shuttled to inadequate high school facilities.  We should have pride as a Big Ten and NCAA Division One program, and what the adminstration is doing falls far short of that. 

If a site is chosen in St. Paul, our experience as student-athletes will be negatively impacted in a dramatic way.  This will be the case for decades to come for the hundreds and hundreds more track athletes in the future who will represent the program.   With incredibly full schedules already, a huge mix of event groups and class schedules and other demands, the logistics of 160 athletes transporting back and fourth to practice in St. Paul every day will be a nightmare and costly for the University over time. Again, the need for the athlete village stems from the demands on student-athletes.  Why isolate and alienate 160 of the most successful student athletes and keep them from such a gift to the University?

Mr. Teague referenced the distance other tracks are from their athletic building in the Big Ten. One in particular he referenced multiple times was Iowa.  Iowa's track is one mile from their athletic building and is contained within campus, an easily bikable distance.  The proposed St. Paul sites are 4 miles from the athletic building and NOT easily bikable as we would need to travel on major metro roadways and the distance is just too great, even for track athletes, on a daily basis. 

The point of the village is to keep athletes close to the resources it will provide. Mr Teague has stated this in public speeches.  Why move 160 athletes 4 miles away when a new track will fit nearby in the lots by Mariucci?  This location is ideal for so many reasons.

Parking rates on campus continue to go down with the Green Line and other public transportation options. There are many parking options near that area that will serve daily parking including the 4th Street Ramp and other suface lots around TCF Bank Stadium.  

If we are able to build in that location we as athletes will stay near the new athletic village and get full and equal access to the resources it will provide.

Please keep us on campus and save Gopher track and field!

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