One of the newest facilities on the University of Arkansas campus is the Randal Tyson Track Center, which was dedicated on February 12, 2000. The new facility was the vision of UA head coach John McDonnell and Athletic Director Frank Broyles and continues the tradition of building some of the finest facilities in the nation at Arkansas.

            In its first year of operation, the $8 million facility hosted the Tyson Invitational, a meet on the Golden Spike Tour, the 2000 Southeastern Conference Championships and the 2000 NCAA Indoor Championships. In 2001 and 2002, the Randal Tyson Track Center once again served as the host for the Golden Spike Tour’s Tyson Invitational and the NCAA Indoor Championships.

During the 2003 season, three events were held at the state-of-the-art facility: the SEC West Challenge, the Tyson Invitational and the NCAA Championships. The 2004 campaign saw four exciting events take place at the Randal Tyson Track Center, including the Arkansas, Razorback and Tyson Invitational meets and the national championships.

The schedule was full in 2005 as the Arkansas, Razorback and Tyson Invitationals and the SEC and NCAA Championships were all held at the Tyson Track Center. The Razorbacks are slated to host the NCAA Championships through the year 2008 and again in 2010.

A new 36x20 custom video scoreboard system by Daktronics was installed in time for the 2005 NCAA Championships. It features a 23x13 video display screen with instant replay, electronic timing and scoring capabilities.

            The track itself is a 200-meter, 60-degree banked track that has 55-meter straightways running the entire length of the facility. It also includes men’s and women’s jumping runways and pits. The surface of the track is red and gray Mondo and was repainted in 2003.

            With all of the big name events that are held in the facility, the Tyson Track Center was built to handle the demands for the many media outlets. The press box is two-tiered offering 50 seats and has an announcer’s booth. There are four elevated camera positions located around the track. A media room is also available in the north concourse.