After nine years without an outdoor meet venue, Ithaca College’s new eight-lane, 400-meter outdoor track and field facility will significantly expand athletic and campus opportunities. The college and community should support the use, programming and overall long-term upkeep of the new track.
Ithaca’s old outdoor track was removed in the renovations of Butterfield Stadium in 2023, leaving the team without an outdoor practice space. In recent seasons, athletes practiced either inside or at Cornell University’s outdoor track.
The addition of a true home facility — more than the previous track in Butterfield Stadium — improves training specificity, reduces travel fatigue and actually allows for Ithaca to hold home meets. Having a dedicated space for varsity use and practice can lead to bettering athlete performance and retention.
In past years, Ithaca’s track and field teams were forced to travel for any and all outdoor competitions, meaning that their peers rarely got the chance to watch them compete. With the addition of the new facility, students can attend weekend meets right on campus, creating an event that strengthens not only student connection but also overall school pride.
Beyond campus morale, hosting meets carries measurable economic value for both the college and the city of Ithaca. Invitational and championship meets attract visiting teams, coaches and families, who book hotels, dine locally and shop in the area.
For IC, these events bring visibility to the school and position athletes as a competitive force to prospective students. The ability to hold meets brings attention to IC from visiting teams, families and allows teams and families to gain regional recognition.
Prospective student-athletes increasingly expect modern facilities. Having an eight-lane track aligns IC to be able to compete with peer DIII programs when recruiting both regionally and nationally.
The addition of the new Egan Family Track & Field Complex is crucial for the continuous development of our track and field program.
