NCAA Track Championship Brings Traffic Changes on ESU campus
Adds information about number of athletes, teams, officials and others coming for the event.
Emporia, KS (05/19/2026) — Emporia State University is host to the NCAA Track National Championship Thursday through Saturday, May 21 through 23. The event will bring 851 student-athletics from 108 men's and 107 women's teams to Emporia and ESU with more than 250 coaches and officials along with thousands of fans.
During the three-day event, a piece of Highland Street, which wraps around the north end of the ESU campus will be closed. During the meet, field events are on the field east of the ESU soccer pitch.
The section of Highland Street between the gravel parking lot and the parking areas across from the Art Annex will be closed during the day. This also closes the tunnel under Interstate 35 to 18th Avenue with access to the Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center.
These are the hours of closure:
- May 21: 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
- May 22: 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- May 23: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Those attending the track championships, whether officials, athletes or spectators, will be parking primarily in campus lots north of 15th Avenue, which provides the closest access to Welch Stadium and the Zola Witten Track.
About Emporia State University
Emporia State University offers a range of academic programs through its seven schools: Applied Health Sciences, Business and Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences, Library and Information Management and Library and Archives, Science and Mathematics and Visual and Performing Arts, along with The Teachers College.
ESU stands out for its innovative education practices. It ensures accessible education by offering in-state tuition rates to full-time undergraduate students from all lower-48 United States. Additionally, full-time undergraduates benefit from flat-rate tuition - students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours with at least one credit hour on campus pay a flat rate.
For more information on how to build your future at Emporia State University, please visit www.emporia.edu.
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Designation of parking areas on the Emporia State campus for the NCAA Track National Championship.
Emporia State University
Gwendolynne Larson, ESU director of media relations, (620) 341-5528, glarson1@emporia.eduShare this Story
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