San Jose State Spartans track and field
| San Jose State Spartans track and field | |
|---|---|
| University | San Jose State University |
| Head coach | Charles Ryan |
| Conference | MW |
| Location | San Jose, California |
| Outdoor track | PAL Stadium |
| Nickname | Spartans |
| Colors | Gold, white, and blue |
| NCAA Outdoor National Championships | |
| Men: 1969 | |
The San Jose State Spartans track and field team, also known as "Speed City", is the track and field program that represents San Jose State University. The Spartans compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The team is based in San Jose, California, at the PAL Stadium.
The program is currently coached by Charles Ryan. The track and field program officially encompasses four teams because the NCAA considers men's and women's indoor track and field and outdoor track and field as separate sports.
The team was known as "Speed City" in the 1960s under coach Bud Winter. Spartans Tommie Smith and John Carlos were both part of the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute. The San Jose State track team also led the 1968 Black American Olympic boycott movement to advocate for civil rights. A statue, Victory Salute, was erected to honor the moment in 2005, and a History Park exhibit was created about the team in 2007. The men's team was cut in 1988 but revived in 2018.