Millrose Games moves to Armory

The Millrose Games will have new digs beginning next year. The annual track and field event, entering its 105th year, will move from Madison Square Garden to the New Balance Track and Field Center at the Armory in Washington Heights.

In addition to the location switch, the day of the meet and its format will also see changes. Normally held on Friday night, the event will be held on Saturday, January 28. The meet will begin at 10:00 a.m., with more events for college and high school athletes, which will lead up to its traditional start time of 5 p.m.

“The Millrose Games deserves the best track possible especially in this performance driven sport with the London Summer Olympics just around the corner,'' Millrose Games president Dr. Norbert Sander said in a statement. ``The Armory is just that exceptional place to compete for professionals, collegiate, and high school stars in the modern track era.”

The Millrose Games move to the Armory was a decision event officials “wrestled” with for some time, Sander said.

Sander attributed the move to several things. “The Armory has become the best place for the games,” he said. “It’s a six-lane banked track and is among the best in the world.”

Although the Garden brings about a certain amount of flair, track is a “performance-driven” sport, Sander said. “Pros get paid for performance,” he said. “They want to come to a place where the setting is deal.

Filling out the Garden has also become an obstacle for the Millrose Games in recent years. The Garden sold 5,000 tickets, according to Sander.

“To have a group of fans –17,000– fill MSG is hard,” Sander said. "The move is logistical more than anything."

The Armory can accomodate up to 8,000 spectators.

The Armory, home of the New Balance Collegiate Invitational and the scholastic indoor national championship, has undergone over $50 million in renovations, including the restoration of its 200-meter banked Mondo track.

ESPN has televised the games live, but there's no broadcast entity set for next season. 

Said Sander: "Everything is on the table."