The University of Portland Will Have an On-Campus Track for the First Time at the End of 2019

By Adam Kopet

The University of Portland is building a new track that will open near the end of 2019, according to Ken Goe of the Oregonian.

This will be the first time the Pilots will have an on-campus track. Currently the team splits time between a nearby high school facility (Roosevelt OR), a park over five miles away and the Lewis & Clark College facility on the other side of the city.

The new facility is part of a campus expansion project that will also add a rowing dock and boathouse, as well as soccer fields for varsity practice and intramural sports.

The track will sit adjacent to the Willamette River and be capable of hosting college track and field meets.

Portland has done incredibly well without its own track facility. The men's team is coming off its best finish at the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships, where it finished second. The women's team has also experienced recent success on the national stage.

The distance focus of the Portland teams will likely not change any time soon, but the team will be able to expand to include other event areas. That has been difficult before, with the lack of a regular facility.