Video above: DPS holds groundbreaking for Welcome Stadium project
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — For the first time in 20 years, the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s track and field state tournament will take place at Welcome Stadium.
According to a release from Dayton Public Schools, the track at Jesse Owns Memorial Stadium at The Ohio State University will be removed in May so that it can be replaced. The project will reportedly take several months to complete so the 2024 state tournament will take place at Welcome Stadium in Dayton.
From 1999 to 2003, Welcome Stadium hosted the OHSAA tournament while the track was removed from Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
The tournament will return to Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in 2025-26 to complete its current three-year contract. The stadium has hosted the tournament since 2004 with the exceptions of 2020, when the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2021 when each division was held at a central Ohio high school.
“We are excited and honored to be hosting the 2024 State Track Tournament at Welcome Stadium,” said DPS Interim Superintendent Dr. David Lawrence.
“The district and community have invested a lot into the stadium renovation project, and it is rewarding to now be hosting a state tournament as a result of those efforts. As a former participant in the state track meet and avid fan of track and field, it brings great joy to host the meet in our newly renovated and state-of-the-art facility.”
The track and field state tournament is scheduled for May 31 and June 1, 2024. More information on the tournament will be available at a later date.
