In the winter, Penn State's Multi-Sport Complex is host to some large NCAA invitationals. It's one of the better facilities in the country and the demand to be able to run there is high because of its quality. Penn State also has a top-notch outdoor facility in the Nittany Lion Outdoor Track, yet doesn't get to host as many meets, particularly for the women's team.

Blame it on the weather.

While the Penn State men's outdoor track team will hold half of its regular-season meets at home, the women's team is only officially co-hosting one -- the U.S. Track Coaches Association series meet -- with the men's team. Penn State women's track and field coach Beth Alford-Sullivan cites the unpredictable State College weather as one of the reasons for the relative lack of home meets.

"It's hard sometimes to get meets in up here ... with the weather we have," Alford-Sullivan said. "It's a very good track ... especially in terms of hosting meets."

The past few weeks of weather are a great example of what she's referring to. Two straight weeks that featured 70-degree days followed later by 30-degree weather and snow. Not exactly ideal track weather.

Both the men's and women's teams practice as much as possible at the outdoor track, however, so the facility definitely sees its share of use even when there are no meets to be hosted.

Penn State men's track and field coach Harry Groves helped design the facility and is pleased with the results he's seen.

"We have as good a track as you can get," Groves said. "We have double everything and we can accommodate men's and women's teams at once. We've got the best."

Both coaches have positive outlooks on the track and believe that the opportunity for bigger and better things in the future. The possibility for large seating blocks remains and Alford-Sullivan believes that they can bring some more meets to the track.

"There's always the chance for improvements in the future." Alford-Sullivan said. "We can get some permanent seating in there and I'd like to see us hold the [PIAA] state finals up here. It'd be great for recruiting to have the top runners come in and see the track and the campus."

Weather and seating are some of the main problems with bringing NCAA meets to Penn State, but there are also less obvious reasons. Transporting poles by plane for the pole vault can be physically impossible, as they don't always fit on the plane. The relatively small airport in State College also hinders efforts to fly teams from all over the country in to compete in a national invitational.

The outdoor track may not always get as much praise as the indoor facilities, but for the athletes and coaches who utilize it, it is one of the best around.