The renovation and expansion of Drake Stadium is already paying off. The stadium underwent 15 million dollars worth of upgrades in 2005 and after the state high school meet is complete this weekend officials will get set to host the NCAA Championships in June.
Associate athletic director Mark Kostek was the director of the Drake Relays when plans for the stadium were unveiled and says it has worked out exactly as they had hoped. Kostek says they had a lot of good fortune with the community and the leadership of the university to put together quality bids.
The stadium hosted the NCAA Midwest Regional in 2007 and Kostek says they have been able to attract national events without taking away from the school’s marquee event, the Drake Relays. Kostek says they wanted to protect the integrity of the relays while utilizing the championships to enhance the relays.
The stadium was expanded to include all field events and Kostek says its is one of if not the top track and field venues in the country. He says the closest facility that has the same type of amenities of Drake is in Eugene, Oregon. Drake Stadium will host the U.S. National Championships in 2010.