For a moment, it looked as though one of track and field’s most anticipated events would be tucked away behind a paywall. Fans braced for disappointment, believing they’d need not one, but two separate subscriptions just to witness the nation’s fastest sprinters compete in the 100 meters. A marquee event at any level of athletics. The frustration was palpable and swiftly voiced. Thankfully, now, realizing the mistake, NBC has delivered some good news.
The tension did not stem from poor promotion or a lack of awareness. On the contrary, anticipation for the 2025 USA Track and Field Outdoor and Para National Championships had been growing steadily. With Olympic gold medalists like Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on the start lists, spectators rightly expected accessible coverage of the headlining events. When NBC Sports announced that its primary television window would be confined to the weekend, omitting live TV coverage of the 100m finals on Friday, the backlash was immediate and precise. It also stated that all events outside the weekend broadcast will be streamed on USATF.TV. Now, for non-members, a subscription to the same costs $12.99/per month while $9.99/month for the members. Such an arrangement suggested a prioritization of platform logistics over public access. A miscalculation the governing body could not afford.
What followed was a rare and much-needed course correction. In a late-breaking decision, the USA Track & Field organization announced that both the men’s and women’s 100m finals would stream live and without cost on USATF.TV. In an X post from RoriDunk latest updates about the broadcast read , “BREAKING NEWS The men’s & women’s 100m finals at the US Championship will stream FREE on USATF.TV! – Men’s race: 10:17 PM EST Friday – Women’s race follows A win for the fans!” Slated for 10:17 p.m. Eastern on Friday evening, the men’s final will be followed immediately by the women’s race, restoring the races’ visibility and re-earning the trust of a loyal viewership. The move, though simple in execution, signaled a broader willingness to adjust when the sport’s accessibility is at stake.
If you want to catch this weekend’s men’s 100m finals at the U.S. Championships, you will have to subscribe to https://t.co/0PoRGUAqgC for $12.99.
The first two days of the meet will not be available on Peacock/NBC.
Here is the very simple broadcast schedule. pic.twitter.com/CRm1oTgQhT
— RoriDunk (@FitzDunk) July 30, 2025
The upcoming championship, held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, will still feature its full slate of coverage through NBC Sports, Peacock, and USATF.TV from Thursday through Sunday. However, the free broadcast of Friday night’s sprints now stands as a central narrative. Not merely a schedule change, but a gesture of respect toward those who sustain the sport with their attention and enthusiasm. That decision, more than any headline name or medal count, has shaped the tone of this year’s meet. While the top three finishers in most events will earn a spot on the U.S. team for the World Championships in Tokyo, many fans now feel they’ve already won something meaningful: recognition.
USATF signals commitment to 2028 marathon trials with sharper standards and subtle shifts
There are subtle proclamations buried within the numbers, and USATF appears to be communicating something more than just a set of standards for the 2028 Olympic Trials Marathon. For all the noise surrounding budgetary strains and shifting priorities, the mere publication of qualifying times, 2:16:00 for men, 2:37:00 for women, signals one reassuring truth. That is, the Trials are expected to endure. That conclusion may not be overtly stated, but it is undeniably implied. Amid uncertainty about the race’s financial sustainability, the act of setting benchmarks years in advance serves as quiet confirmation of institutional commitment.
The standards themselves reveal incremental change rather than overhaul. The men’s qualifying time has tightened by two minutes compared to 2024, though data from the previous Trials suggests that most of the field, 139 out of 220, would have still met the revised mark. USATF appears to be striking a balance between exclusivity and accessibility, targeting a field size of roughly 200 per gender. That intent is neither declared nor defended in elaborate terms, but it becomes evident in the numbers and their calculated restraint. The reinstatement of “A” and “B” tiers introduces an unavoidable reality. Only those with the fastest time will receive travel funding. While that shift curtails the more egalitarian tone of 2020, it may also ease the financial burden on potential host cities. As the source dryly puts it, “Clearly USATF doesn’t want to make the prospect of hosting the Trials so financially onerous for a host city that nobody bids.”
Another alteration, modest in appearance but significant in consequence, is the move to chip time as the determinant for qualification. This rectifies a prior oversight and addresses a real disadvantage experienced by some athletes, particularly women. The correction is overdue, yet nonetheless welcome.
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