Ex Wisconsin Coach Fires Shots at Management With Stark Comments About Track & Field Stadium

Everything isn’t good in the grand picture of the University of Wisconsin track and field project. First, the athletics department decided to tear down the iconic Camp Randall Sports Center, widely regarded as The Shell. The authority planned to set up a $285 million project to bring in an indoor practice facility and a new indoor football practice facility to replace the decades-old factory once given the job of producing athletes. Coming with the largest capital project in the program’s history, the entire idea stood flamboyant, though. But with massive promises, the project on the paper couldn’t evade a few simple questions. 

First, the project would take time to be completed. Preferably, it might be wrapped up in 2026. Till then, the athletes will have to practice elsewhere. However, The Shell was closed in 2023 and according to the authorities, it was in a ‘poor’ state. But is there any additional facility for the athletes to practice? The question made a place again and again in Ed Nuttycombe’s voice. And this time, the former UW men’s track and field program coach has a few more concerns for the management. 

The former track and field coach has some genuine questions 

Ed Nuttycombe had been at the helm for 30 seasons. He witnessed the struggle and the development of the track and field athletes in the UW closely. Those visual experiences made him think again when The Shell was absent from the picture. How? Recently, The Cap Times published a report, releasing Nuttycombe’s arguments on the issue. The former track and field coach penned his arguments in a long email and sent it to the local news outlets in Wisconsin.

His mail primarily highlighted the lack of support from the authorities and emphasized that the project would take a massive amount of time to finish. In his mail, the veteran coach mentioned, “Today, this month, and for at least the next two track seasons, there will be no dedicated on-campus indoor track and field training or competitive facility.” Scary facts, though! And the former coach had a few more things to add. 

Notably, from November to March-April, the track and field athletes are bound to practice in the indoor facility. The weather conditions also force them to do so. But in the absence of any additional facility, where would the athletes go? Such an issue has been present in the place for the past several years and the officials fairly know about it. Why is there no solution then?

The former coach smelled something fishy here. In the mail, he wrote, “If the long-term goal is to fade out or possibly cut the University of Wisconsin track and field and cross-country teams in the future, this series of events goes a long way in accomplishing this objective.” But the authority is throwing money on the burner to make it a wholesome project. Should such an allegation come? 

Nuttycombe nipped the question in the bud. In the mail, he wrote about the proposed plan: “What they are calling a track facility is a far cry from it.” According to him, the proposed indoor track has basic faults in the planning. As per the planning, in the football building, the rafters will frame the track.

The former track and field coach sharpened his attack, claiming, “It’s an odd-shaped jogging path up in the sky that is just a little better than nothing.” But the authority claimed it to be a three-lane track. “There’s no place to throw. There’s no place to vault,” the coach said. “But there’s no place to high jump. It’s not a track facility,” he remained firm on his point. And if you think this is the end of questions on the program, you might miss an entire piece. 

The legacy faces an existential crisis 

The Camp Randall Stadium has a long legacy to which the students and alums used to feel attached. A suitable example of this attachment is visual in the flocking of fans in the stadium and the Hall of Fame brick walk. The readers may know about the crowd in the stadium. But what about the Hall of Fame brick walk?

Outside the Camp Randall Stadium, the Hall of Fame brick walk signifies the bricks in the designated area where the fans can sponsor those in anyone’s honor. Previously, the Wisconsin Badgers promoted the memorial bricks as “a special opportunity to become a permanent part of historic Camp Randall Stadium.” But the bricks are near the Camp Randall Sports Center and the authority didn’t post anything concrete on the replacements. 

Such a loose effort from the UW authority irked the fans. Those who had sponsored the bricks felt shattered. Ultimately, they feared that the authorities would ignore their loved ones’ memories. Later, the UW authority came with a note: “We recognize and appreciate the emotions and stories behind the names on the bricks. We realize the importance of the bricks and are in the midst of discussions around how to handle this situation moving forward.” But the fate of the bricks is away from our knowledge. If you have any take on the entire situation, including the track and field, let us know.