NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 2016: Dates, TV Schedule and Location
The 2016 NCAA men's and women's outdoor track and field championships are set to kick off Wednesday in Eugene, Oregon.
Eugene seems to be a hub for college athletic championships, as the city hosted the women's golf championships two weeks ago and the men's golf championships a week later.
This will be the fourth straight time Oregon's campus hosts the track and field finals, which seems to be working out well for the Ducks. The men's team is the two-time defending champion, while the women took the title in 2015.
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Here is a look at the dates and television schedule for the event.
| Day 1 (men's and women's) | Wednesday, June 8 | Eugene, Oregon | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Day 2 (men's and women's) | Thursday, June 9 | Eugene, Oregon | 7:30 to 8 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Day 2, Cont. (men's and women's) | Thursday, June 9 | Eugene, Oregon | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Day 3 (men's and women's) | Friday, June 10 | Eugene, Oregon | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Day 4 (men's and women's) | Saturday, June 11 | Eugene, Oregon | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN |
A detailed list of the start time for each event can be found at NCAA.com.
Oregon will be among the favorites again this season for the men and women. The Ducks are currently ranked fourth in the nation on the men's side, while the women come in at No. 3 nationally.
A major component of the men's squad's chances of repeating as champions is the status of Edward Cheserek.
Cheserek, a junior, is one of the nation's most decorated stars. Per the team's website, he is a 13-time NCAA champion and a 14-time All-American. He was the national champion last year at both 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters.
But Cheserek has not run much in the past month, and the Oregonian's Ken Goe reported that Cheserek may be suffering from a calf strain.
If Cheserek is not at full strength, perennial powers like Florida, LSU and Texas A&M are capable of ending Oregon's recent dominance in the sport.
On the men's side, Florida finished as the national runner-up in each of the past two seasons and won the championship in 2013. As the third-ranked team coming into this competition, the Gators look primed to return to the top of the college track pedestal.
Texas A&M is the top-ranked men's team, and the school won three straight championships from 2009 to 2011. LSU has finished as the runner-up four times in the past 10 seasons, so the Tigers are due to break through at some point as well.
Kentucky is the top-ranked school on the women's side heading into the competition. The Wildcats finished second to Oregon in 2015, so they will be looking to avenge last season's disappointment. Arkansas is the No. 3 team in the nation, but the Razorbacks lack pedigree historically at the finals.
The women's field seems to be wide-open, but the men's side could experience some turnover. If Cheserek is not in top form, the Ducks will struggle to retain the championship.
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