So the NCAA has apparently made up its mind about where to hold the 2011 Division I championships — and it’s not at Portland’s horse racing track.

Oregon coach Vin Lananna is reported to have envisioned 10,000 people at Portland Meadows watching the entire race unfold from the grandstand. He’s been to Nike Cross Nationals, so he’s seen the layout there.

But those do-gooders at the NCAA couldn’t turn a blind eye to the fact that Portland Meadows is, at its core, a den of vice. Off-track betting. Gambling. Big-time no-no. It’s why the state of Oregon didn’t get to host any NCAA basketball tournament games for about 25 years (thanks to the now-defunct Oregon Sports Lottery, which was actually a really fun game).

This week, we learn that Indiana State will host the 2011 meet.

LaVern Gibson Championship Course is a good one. I’ve been twice. It’s a good meet.

Indiana State wants to become the permanent home of the NCAA meet.

I don’t think that’s a great idea, personally. In the same vein, I don’t think Hayward Field should be the permanent home of the Olympic Trials, or the NCAA Outdoor meet.

In order to keep an event vibrant — or at least prevent it from going stale — I think a healthy bid process is the way to go.

Would the NCAA meet work at Portland Meadows. Honestly, I’m not sure. There are some legitimate reasons why it might not be a very good site, but the fact that people watch TVs there and bet on horse races is not one of them.

I don’t think 10,000 people would have come to watch on a Monday morning, but Lananna may have had some good reasons for believing that.

Now, we’ll never know.