By Katie Green, Manager of Athletic Communications and Media

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships will find a new home in South Dakota as Dakota State (S.D.) will become the new host for 2019 and 2020 at the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, S.D.

In the 53-year history of the sport, South Dakota will become the second city west of Missouri to host the Indoor Track & Field Championships. This is the sixth NAIA championship that has been hosted in South Dakota. Previous championships include outdoor track & field (1959-1967), DII men’s basketball (2018), men’s wrestling (1964), and men’s (1974) and women’s golf (1995).

“The NAIA looks forward to a partnership with Dakota State University to host the 2019 and 2020 Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Championships,” said Jim Carr, NAIA President & CEO. “I am confident that the Dakota State staff will continue to improve the championship experience for our student-athletes.”

The Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex (SJAC) is located on the campus of South Dakota State University and is one-of-five 300 meter indoor track facilities in intercollegiate sports. The complex was newly finished in 2014 and fits an eight-lane, 300-meter track and 100 yards of turf. The SJAC has an overall indoor footprint of 149,384 square feet and a training surface of 129,600 square feet. For more information on the facilities CLICK HERE

"Dakota State University has recently launched a Master Athletics Plan, indicative of the growing importance an impact of athlete’s activities in the life of our university," said DSU President José-Marie Griffiths.  "Our hosting of the NAIA National Indoor Track and Field Championships in 2019 and 2020 at the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings is an excellent opportunity to show our support to our entire NAIA community, while also emphasizing DSU's enthusiasm for our Trojan scholar-athletes and their competitions. We are delighted that DSU will be involved at this level, and we are looking forward to an excellent event."

Currently, 153 institutions sponsor men’s indoor track & field and 162 institutions sponsor women’s indoor track & field. In order to advance to the championship, individuals must meet or exceed the qualifying standard.

The first men’s indoor track & field meet was held in Kansas City, Mo., in 1966 and it was won by Southern-Baton Rouge (La.). The first women’s indoor track & field meet was held in Kansas City, Mo., in 1981 and was won by former member Jackson State (Miss.).

Wayland Baptist (Texas) captured its most recent titles on the men’s and women’s side in 2018.

"We are extremely excited to partner with the NAIA to bring the 2019 and 2020 National Indoor Track and Field Championships to the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex,” said DSU Athletic Director Jeff Dittman.  "We look forward to working with South Dakota State University and the Brookings Chamber of Commerce to host this event.  There is no better indoor facility in the country than the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex and their staff, along with the Brookings Chamber of Commerce, will help us provide an outstanding experience for the 1,150 student-athletes who will qualify to participate in the National Indoor Track and Field Championships."

Quick Facts:

Host: Dakota State University (S.D.)

Event: NAIA Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships

Dates: February 28 – March 2, 2019 | March 4-7, 2020

Facility: Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex

City: Brookings, South Dakota

Duration: 2 years

About Dakota State University: Dakota State University is a state university located in Madison, S.D. DSU offers 32 undergraduate and nine graduate technology-centric degrees in a variety of majors. Total enrollment for Fall 2017 was 3,307 students; 1,096 are on-campus students. Strategic partnerships with governmental entities and corporations have bolstered DSU’s position as a technologically forward-thinking institution. Both online and on-campus programs have been recognized for their quality, affordability, and graduates’ job placement records, which are 100 percent for several majors. The DSU athletic department is an NAIA Five Star Champions of Character program. We have 325 athletes competing in 12 sports. Throughout its history, DSU has won 56 conference championships and 864 students have been named all-conference athletes. In addition, 120 athletes have been cited as NAIA Scholar-Athletes; in the 2016-17 school year, seven sports earned the title of NAIA All-Scholar teams. Information regarding Dakota State University and its programs may be found at http://www.dsu.edu. 

Source: National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics