NEW ORLEANS – In meetings this week in Indianapolis, the NCAA Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet discussed and provided feedback on the outdoor track & field championships format approved by the NCAA Division I Track & Field Sport Committee and the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Dubbed the “24/8 Plan”, the cabinet reviewed research and comments from the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Committee on the plan and decided to send back to the sport committee for further evaluation before acting.

As a result, the 2011 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be conducted in the same general format that was used for the first time in 2010. Preliminary rounds will be held May 26-28 at sites to be determined and final rounds will be held on June 8-11 in Des Moines, Iowa. In the coming weeks, the NCAA national office will be distributing bid information to institutions. The NCAA sport committee expects an expedited bid process to identify the two hosts for the 2011 preliminary rounds.