Tag Archives: Vin Lananna

Vin Lananna reinstated as USATF President and CEO

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Thanks to a reader for the link. Lananna is the former UO coach who, after UO lost the public bidding for the 2019 Championships to Doha, cut a deal with corrupt IAAF President Lamine Diack for 2021. Links to some previous stories on this are here. Ken Goe has the story on his surprise reinstatement to the USATF job in the Oregonian here.

 … Much of the contention centered around Lananna’s position at the time as president of TrackTown USA. TrackTown USA is the local organizing committee in Eugene responsible for helping USATF stage events such as the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials for Track and Field at Hayward Field, the 2014 World Junior Championships at Hayward Field and the 2016 World Indoor Championships at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

…  “Everybody should be part of this, not just the elite athletes,” he said. “They’re essential, but they’re not the only thing. I want everyone sharing in the excitement about what is potentially in front of us.”

Greifinger said Lananna’s activist agenda “is the reason so many of us supported Vin the first time around. He gets things done. He is a force of nature for the good of the sport.

He does get things done – like a promise from Kitzhaber and then Brown to spend $40M in taxpayer money for these games, and an agreement from UO that “Any regular University of Oregon staff time spent working on the event would not be charged to Track Town USA,” according to UO documents.

Duck’s Vin Lananna sings to feds, Tracktown gets $10M for IAAF 2021

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Lananna, who’s on the UO payroll for several hundred large, asked the Governor for $40M in state subsidies. He’s now got $10M. If you think that’s the end of it you haven’t read Gibbon’s Decline and Fall, or Ken Goe’s update in the Oregonian here.

The Oregon DOJ held up Tracktown’s $10M grant from Travel Oregon for a full year by requiring that they provide a budget and a disclaimer that there were no legal issues, despite the FBI investigation. UO and Tracktown told the press that the Feds hadn’t contacted them. Lananna didn’t tell GC Kevin Reed?

The budget and reporting requirements are now hilariously out of date, and Lananna and Reilly’s admission is scrawled out in pen:

What could go wrong? Rumor has it that UO has now appointed an administrator to deal with it all. I wonder who is paying their salary.

The full grant of $10M in state funds is here: https://uomatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/OR212018_FE.pdf.

10/8/2018 – Tracktown / Oregon21 replaces Vin Lananna with Niels De Vos as head of IAAF 2021 championship

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NCAA responds to FBI investigation by re-instating requirement Lananna and his ilk disclose outside income

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But not to the public – just to the university. Brad Schmidt has the story in the Oregonian:

The NCAA approved a new rule Wednesday that decodes the financial influence of shoe companies in collegiate sports, eliminating a glaring shortcoming in disclosure requirements highlighted this spring by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

That change, coupled with other new rules about recruiting and player eligibility, marks the NCAA’s first actions in the wake of last year’s federal investigation alleging bribery and corruption in college basketball. At least eight people have been indicted, including coaches, sports agents and two representatives of Portland-based Adidas North America.

The NCAA touted its actions as swift and necessary, stating that the changes will improve investigations, increase penalties and provide more flexibility for top college athletes evaluating whether to declare for the NBA.

“Today was obviously a very important day for the NCAA and especially for men’s basketball,” Mark Emmert, president of the NCAA, said Wednesday during a conference call with reporters.

Among the most tangible changes toward transparency, the NCAA effective immediately will require athletics department officials, including coaches, to disclosure annually any athletically related outside income above $600.

That’s nearly identical to a long-standing rule the NCAA eliminated in 2016. The school that pushed for the elimination, the University of Texas at Austin, did so in part to “minimize” records that are subject to open records laws, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported in April. …

When I tried to get Lananna’s report back in 2015, UO GC Kevin Reed’s office claimed he was faculty, and refused to release it:

Screen Shot 2015-12-08 at 10.37.28 AM

Eventually Reed caved, as I recall it took the threat of a petition the DA. Diane Dietz had a report about Lananna’s outside income in the RG here. There’s a lot of it. His disclosures, on the other hand, were a bit perfunctory:

https://uomatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Lananna-contract-NCAA-outside-income.pdf

$10M Travel Oregon grant to Tracktown for IAAF 2021 held up over FBI investigation, lack of budget. No supporting letter from UO

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7/27/2018 update:  The RG’s Austin Meek reports today that Travel Oregon is claiming the federal investigations into the awarding of the 2021 IAAF championships to Tracktown will not prevent Travel Oregon from giving them $10M in state funds:

“It is Travel Oregon’s perspective, barring DOJ counsel to the contrary, that language included in future contracts referencing ‘pending investigations’ relates to any investigations in which the successful applicant/awardee is named as the subject or otherwise included as one of the subjects of that investigation,” [Travel Oregon spokesperson Linea Gagliano] said in a written response provided to The Register-Guard.

The Oregon DOJ declined to comment. Meanwhile there’s still no budget for how Tracktown/Oregon21 proposes to spend these state funds.

7/25/2018: Back in early 2016, after some serious log-rolling and arm-twisting, the Oregon Legislature passed a bill to raise the hotel tax and have the Oregon Tourism Commission, a.k.a Travel Oregon, run a grant process to give Vin Lananna’s Tracktown at least part of the $25M in public money that John Kitzhaber and Kate Brown had promised them. For a taste of the politics, here’s Saul Hubbard in the RG:

Cash trail leads to track subsidy

Posted Jan 5, 2016 at 10:01 PM

When Vin Lananna, president of TrackTown USA, and Paul Weinhold, president of the University of Oregon Foundation, first contacted then-Gov. John Kitzhaber in mid-2014 to request a $40 million state subsidy for TrackTown’s bid to hold the 2019 track world championships in Eugene, they were met with coolness and skepticism, newly released emails show.

After Lananna gave an in-person pitch to Kitzhaber on July 7, Kitzhaber economic policy adviser Vince Porter sent a scathing assessment of the request to the governor and his top advisers.

Talks should continue, Porter wrote, but “there are a lot of hurdles to get over before it becomes much more than a pipe dream.”

Nonprofit TrackTown’s request contained “probably as much as $20 million that we would never want to consider subsidizing,” he added. “I don’t think the state should be even considering something larger than $20 million” to help fund the event in Eugene, he wrote.

The subsidy request — which would require three-fifth votes in both chambers of the Legislature — also was met coolly by Salem’s two most powerful legislators, Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek, both Democrats, Porter’s emails indicate.

Yet, only five months later, Kitzhaber publicly pledged to “use all the means at my disposal to deliver the financial support needed for the championships” in a video message he sent — along with then-Secretary of State Kate Brown — with TrackTown’s team to the International Association of Athletics Federations bid meeting in Monaco in late November.

For the first time in that video, Kitzhaber endorsed a specific amount: the full $40 million. Getting the governor to publicly state the $40 million was a priority for TrackTown, Porter’s emails show.

What happened between Kitzhaber’s initial resistance and his endorsement? His campaign coffers were swamped to overflowing with donations from people who want the track world championships held at the UO’s Hayward Field.

The emails show that Kitzhaber’s apparent reversal coincided with almost $400,000 in campaign contributions he received during a 42-day period in September and October 2014 from athletic apparel giant Nike, its co-founder Phil Knight and its CEO Mark Parker, as well as four members of the UO Board of Trustees. …

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Vin Lananna keeps job as UO Associate Athletic Director

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He has, however, resigned as TrackTown President, right in the middle of planning for the 2021 IAAF Championships, and a federal investigation. Ken Goe has the scoop here:

Lananna led the successful bid for the 2021 World Outdoor Championships, which are scheduled to be at Hayward Field. The bid is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, although no charges have been made. Lananna has insisted the bid was above board.

No word on whether of not Lananna will continue working for Tracktown’s “Oregon 21” subsidiary, or how this will affect the $10M Travel Oregon grant, which the Oregon DOJ has still not approved. More on Lananna’s complicated business arrangements from Diane Dietz in the RG, in 2015.

Are feds questioning UO Foundation head Paul Weinhold over IAAF “side deals”?

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2/20/2018: Austin Meek  has the latest on the Lananna and Tracktown in the RG here. No word yet on whether the feds are also interviewing the UO Foundation CEO Paul Weinhold, who also played a key role in the IAAF bidding, as reported by Diane Dietz in the RegisterGuard back in 2014:

The foundation’s financial guarantee to the IAAF set no upper limit on what the foundation would have been liable for if the Eugene event had turned into a money loser. …

Weinhold said the UO Foundation faced minimal risk in agreeing to cover meet losses because TrackTown USA’s budget was thoroughly vetted and reliable; Kitzhaber favored the legislation that would have provided millions in state support; and the foundation had confidential side deals meant to hold the foundation harmless, Weinhold said in the interview. Weinhold declined to disclose any specifics of those side deals.

“We do not believe we had any exposure, and we had agreements in place that eliminated our exposure. That should be enough for you,” he said. …

Side deals?

2/19/2018: Feds question Duck coach & Tracktown head Vin Lananna over 2021 IAAF Championships

Austin Meek in the RG:

USA Track & Field says it has placed Vin Lananna on temporary administrative leave after learning that Lananna and Eugene-based TrackTown USA were contacted “months ago” by federal authorities investigating corruption in the sport. …

No word yet on how the UO administration and the Foundation will handle this.

2/14/2018: Eugene loses three NCAA championship meets over Tracktown’s 2021 IAAF extravaganza

This is getting interesting. I wonder what the truth is. The Oregonian:

By closing its iconic track stadium for all of 2019, Oregon would void a three-year contract with the NCAA to host the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Because the Hayward Field tart-up for the 2021 IAAF meet will take it out of commission. Or because the NCAA doesn’t want to go down with Lananna?

In any case this certainly cuts into the rationale for Governor Kate Brown’s endorsement of $40M in public subsidies for the IAAF.

2/8/2018: USA Track and Field strips Duck coach Vin Lananna of his powers, as millions in public money change hands over 2021 IAAF championships

Before the legislature passed SB 270 and created the UO Board of Trustees, the Oregon Secretary of State’s Audit Division had authority for investigating this sort of sleaze. Now it’s all up to UO’s Internal Auditor Trisha Burnett (whose audits are apparently exempt from public records requests) – and of course the FBI, federal prosecutors, the IRS, the French government, and USA Track and Field.

And the Oregonian’s Jeff Manning, who has a stunning report here:

Vin Lananna’s rapid rise to the pinnacle of U.S. track and field has been stalled by a divisive fight on the sport’s national governing board over his business interests.

Less than a year after being elected president of USA Track & Field, Lananna was quietly stripped of some of his authority. The board specifically cited his leadership of several companies and nonprofits – including Eugene-based TrackTown USA — that routinely bid on contracts to host and organize track meets.

The board passed a two-page resolution in October that, among other things, forces the former University of Oregon track and field coach to recuse himself from any matter that involves his companies or their competitors.

Millions of dollars have changed hands between the governing body and Lananna’s numerous outside interests. Most recently, the association pledged $6 million to Oregon 21, the organizing committee of the 2021 track and field world championships in Eugene.

“Vin has been engaged in complete conflict of interest,” said Steve Miller, the track and field association’s chair. “The outcome of the vote is that he has to recuse himself from the vast majority of what he does as president of USATF. Your effectiveness as leader is greatly diminished when you can’t be in the room.” …

Will Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum follow up on this?

Meanwhile Lananna is still on the UO payroll, at 0.69 FTE:

Yikes! Oregon Senate trims Track Town subsidy

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2/27/2016: Saul Hubbard has more in the RG here:

A last-minute change by the Oregon Senate on Friday to a proposed increase in the state’s lodging tax left Lane County lawmakers fuming.

The change, adopted because of pressure from Portland area Democratic senators, would erode further the size of the tax increase, meaning a smaller pot of new revenue for tourism-­related ventures across the state.

It also could make it more difficult for the tax increase to cover the full $25 million subsidy that will be requested for the 2021 World Track and Field Championships in Eugene.

Under the latest amendments, the state’s lodging tax would increase to 1.8 percent, from 1 percent now, for four years. It would then drop down to a 1.5 percent permanent rate. …

I’m not sure why the legislature is considering even this, given that on Jan 14 Diane Dietz quoted Lananna as saying he can make this work without state subsidies:

Not getting the lodging money would be a big challenge to TrackTown’s goal of bringing 2,000 athletes from 214 countries to Eugene for a nine-day event in August 2021, Lananna said.

But coming up empty-handed in the February session would not stop TrackTown, he said.

“Are we going to go ahead? We’re absolutely going to go ahead. (But) don’t ask me what the next step is. I don’t know.”

And here’s what the Oregonian’s Jeff Manning had on Jan 10:

Track Town is not backing off its contention that it eventually needs $40 million in public funding to stage the event. Backed by the formidable political power trio of Nike, Phil Knight and the University of Oregon, it has plenty of clout in Salem.

“But we don’t have to get there today in this short session,” Lananna said. “We’ve got five years to bring people around.”

…  It’s a lucrative arrangement. Even at part-time, Lananna gets paid $440,000 a year, including some deferred compensation, by the university. Track Town and related entities paid him another $334,300 annually, according to the non-profit’s tax return.

On top of that, Nike pays Lananna $30,000 a year as part of a long-term consulting contract.

… “I heard through the grapevine that you are working on possible plans for an IAAF proposal,” then interim UO President Scott Coltrane wrote in an Aug. 26, 2014, email. “Can you give me an update and briefing via telephone when convenient?”

After talking to Lananna, Coltrane immediately emailed his top lieutenants clearly concerned about whether the UO could fulfill the promises Lananna was making.  “Yikes,” Coltrane wrote in the Aug. 28 email. “Have any of you seen any proposals for what specifically is being proposed for new housing for rehabilitation of residence halls?”

2/23/2016: House passes IAAF subsidy, UO won’t waive fees on public records

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Diane Dietz’s RG reports blow the Track Town / IAAF scandal wide open

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Online at the Register Guard tonight, and in print tomorrow. There’s no way to adequately summarize this, read it all here. Vin Lananna’s take is  ~$800K a year, from 2012 to at least 2021. Lananna also owns a private media company that will be in on the championships. And while Lananna is making bank on this deal, he wants UO to give the IAAF everything at no charge – and cancel classes:

TrackTown USA is asking the UO to cancel all other activities during the championships — including orientations, seminars, camps or classes.

… “Participating teams will be lodged in University of Oregon housing, all of which will be brand new or renovated prior to” the event, according to the bid book. The UO has said it is borrowing money to finance the construction.

TrackTown USA also has plans to use the Knight Law building, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and the Matthew Knight Arena — all, Lananna asks, at minimal charge.

Hayward Field would be upgraded with triple the seating, including a new main grandstand featuring 300 linear feet of flexible suite space for corporate hospitality and event operations, according to the bid. The work will be privately funded, according to the UO. [I thought Hans Bernard was asking the state to pay for this.]

TrackTown USA is asking for the use of various physical spaces at no charge, including classrooms, meeting rooms, lecture halls, lounges, outdoor spaces and the university’s 6,100 parking spaces, according to UO documents.

TrackTown USA will require help from UO employees in catering, housing, IT and network services, the UO Police Department, Enterprise Risk Services, plus employees from academic departments, including athletics, architecture, business, international affairs, journalism, human physiology and the Global Studies Institute.

“Any regular University of Oregon staff time spent working on the event would not be charged to Track Town USA,” according to UO documents.

Dietz has everything, except maybe a quote from Vladimir Putin. If she doesn’t get a Pulitzer there is no justice. But she’s got more. Way more:

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/33843964-75/email-released-by-university-of-oregon-sparked-french-probe.html.csp

An email released by the University of Oregon in October caused French prosecutors to open an investigation into how TrackTown USA won the bid to host the 2021 World Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene.

The email showed a connection between Nike executive Craig Masback and International ­Association of Athletics Federations President Sebastian Coe, who also was on the Nike payroll at the time.

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/33804692-75/lananna-ties-to-nike-phil-knight-have-grown-ever-tighter.html.csp

2007: Craig Masback, CEO of the nonprofit USA Track & Field, announces Eugene will get the 2012 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials, of which Nike is the sponsor. One month later, Masback quits the national track group to take an executive position at Nike.

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/33736651-75/lananna-draws-paychecks-from-multiple-public-and-private-sources.html.csp

Who pays Vin Lananna?

The University of Oregon? TrackTown USA? Phil Knight? Nike Inc.?

The answer appears to be: All of the above.

Since Lananna is a two-thirds-time public employee who also works fulltime as president of a non-profit corporation, the public can know a lot about how much he is paid each year for these two jobs: $769,105.

That’s $434,105 from the UO and $335,000 from TrackTown USA, according to the latest figures.

He also gets $30,000 a year straight from Beaverton-based Nike for “endorsement or consultation” work, according to a disclosure form he filed with the UO.

And, of course, free parking at the Jock Box.

Lord Coe quits Nike, French cops investigating Track Town bid

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11/26/2015: 

The BBC has the latest from the IAAF headquarters – in Monaco, of course. Apparently the IAAF will replace his Nike money by paying Coe a salary, in an effort to reduce the IAAF’s longstanding system of bribes, kickbacks, and side deals:

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The British press is now asking why public money was spent on lobbying the IAAF members to elect Coe. And British MP Damian Colin’s parliamentary hearings will be on Dec 2. Report here:

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