Now that we know where and when the 2017 CrossFit Games will be the biggest question we need to answer is "why?"

The biggest thing to consider is that the Games are growing in both scope and cost, and the Alliant Energy Center in Madison likely helps alleviate some of those growing pains. The new venue is not just a soccer stadium or a tennis stadium, it's a 164 acre complex with a large, covered hockey stadium with equally easy access to water and wooded areas.



Carson and the StubHub Center were solid venues, but in practice the athletes were regularly bussed around all of Los Angeles just to get to various other venues (like the beach) for events outside of the main venue. With the Alliant Energy Center, the Games will be able to test more diverse events with greater ease. On top of that, the weather in Madison will be significantly easier on the athletes and the competitors compared to the heat we've dealt with in Carson all these years.

While the actual sporting event will inevitably improve, the fan experience is up in the air. Everything I've heard about Madison says that it's a great college town, with a vibe similar to Portland, Austin, or Seattle. That said I know a lot of the fans who traveled to Carson for the CrossFit Games would stay in the Los Angeles area for weeks as an extended vacation, visiting various tourist spots like Santa Monica, Venice, Disneyland, San Diego, or even going up to NorCal to check out the Bay Area. I don't see that happening in Madison, as it isn't directly connected to any large tourist destinations.

The only other negative I can think of is that it's much easier to fly into LAX than it is to fly into Madison, Wisconsin. With major hubs like Minneapolis and Chicago nearby, getting into Madison won't be particularly difficult but it won't be as simple as flying directly to LAX.

At the end of the day, the Games will draw people from around the world and I have a lot of confidence in CrossFit HQ's ability to use their new venue and host city in a way that improves the competition and the spectator experience.