Penn wants Philly to be a global track destination. Bringing more pros to town is part of it.
After decades of being known for just the Penn Relays, officials had been seeking a pro event to bring to Franklin Field. Grand Slam Track fits the bill.
It’s easy to see why Michael Johnson wanted to bring his new Grand Slam Track circuit to Franklin Field: the stadium’s history, the big-city stage, and the big crowds that flock to the Penn Relays every year.
But Penn had to say yes, too, and that wasn’t a given. This will be the highest-profile sports event on 33rd Street since Usain Bolt ran at the Relays in 2010, when 54,310 fans filled every square inch of the stands.
A lot of people held their breath that day, and not just to navigate Franklin Field’s narrow concourses. Penn officials did too, having to assemble a bigger security and logistics operation than usual. It was all worth doing once, but some people admitted behind the scenes they’d rather not have to go through it all every year.
Of course, this doesn’t mean Grand Slam Track expects to draw a crowd that big at the event from May 30-June 1. It’s also worth noting that in 2010, the Relays didn’t get official confirmation that Bolt was coming until less than two weeks before the meet. This time, there’s much more time to prepare.
Times have also changed within Penn’s athletic department. There’s a much greater desire now to bring in events like this, and in particular to make the school and the city a year-round track destination. Relays officials have launched a series of late-spring and summer amateur events in recent years, and now are adding a pro event to the mix.
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“We really were looking for a professional opportunity to host something big time at Penn,” Penn Relays director and longtime Quakers track coach Steve Dolan said. “So it was really fortunate that this opportunity came about, because this is perfect for what we’re trying to accomplish at Penn: making this a major destination not just on the East Coast, but in the country and the world for track and field.”
Dolan first pitched Johnson on the idea of Franklin Field as a host when they ran into each other at a pancake house in Eugene, Ore., when Hayward Field hosted the U.S. Olympic trials in June.
“I was telling him that we think we can do a great job here because of our history,” Dolan said.
Johnson didn’t need much convincing.
“We’re certainly looking forward to a great partnership with you,” Johnson said.
Penn’s ambition has been shown through renovations of areas around Franklin Field, from Shoemaker Green in front of the Palestra to Penn Park across the SEPTA tracks. Another big piece will come to fruition this weekend, when Penn christens the $69.3 million Ott Center, finally giving the school an indoor track facility.
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The facility has been built along the strip of athletic facilities that runs parallel to the Schuylkill Expressway, just past the South Street Bridge. Penn has already booked 43 events for the Ott Center from December through March, including a wide range of meets for local high schools.
But for as deeply rooted as high school sports are in the region, a pro track event will put the city on the global map to a far greater degree.
“The biggest athletic event every year on Penn’s campus is the 100,000 people that come over three days to the Penn Relays, so this isn’t really new for us,” Dolan said. “We just wanted to expand that footprint. … This is our opportunity at the professional level to support a great event, and I love that professionals are going to have a first-class experience both in their potential compensation and putting on a good show.”
(The compensation part is no small item either: Grand Slam athletes will be paid a base salary along with prize money, which is unusual in track.)
The Grand Slam event will take place outside the academic year, which means fewer people will be on campus, but that can lead to other challenges. Penn athletic director Alanna Shanahan said her department had backing from “the campus partners that really need to be in your corner” to organize the weekend.
“I think they understand that we’re an entrepreneurial lot, and we want to grow our brand, we want to utilize our first-class facilities,” she said. “People are in a position to try to get to yes, and we feel that pretty regularly when we’re looking to take on more. So I’m excited — I’m not nervous, thankfully.”