If you've ever hosted a huge party - a graduation celebration, an anniversary, a holiday gathering - then you've experienced the tension, work load and post-event cleanup. (And if you've never hosted a big event, keep it that way.)

Now imagine being host to two medium-sized (let's call them neighborhood gatherings) and three huge, come one, call all parties in a two-month period. And imagine you didn't take time off from your daily commitments to prepare - all five events have to be "fit in" to your normal, everyday life.

Welcome to what Texas A&M faces. It starts this week when Aggieland hosts the Big 12 men's and women's indoor track and field championships starting Friday and Saturday.

That's just the warm up act for A&M's own version of March Madness - the NCAA men's and women's indoor track and field (March 13-14), NCAA women's swimming and diving (March 19-21), NCAA men's swimming and diving (March 26-28). After a "spring break" of about six weeks, A&M hosts the NCAA men's tennis championships (May 14-25).

"We have a great reputation nationally when it comes to handling these events," Texas A&M director of events Steve Miller said. "The NCAA staff knows that when they come here, we're going to handle everything very professionally. Plus, we have the type of facilities that can handle national championship events."

Texas A&M had such a solid reputation with the NCAA that the school was awarded the men's and women's indoor track and field championships in 2005 - before a spade of dirt had been turned on the new state-of-the-art track facility, the McFerrin Athletic Center.

The Big 12 track and field followed by the NCAA swimming and diving and then NCAA men's and women's track and field events mean three consecutive weeks of hosting. Then in May, the tennis championships are one of the longest championship events staged by the NCAA as individual and team competition is scheduled for nearly two weeks of competition.

"The main thing with tennis that you worry about is the one thing you can't control - the weather," Miller said.

The preparation for the NCAA events has been ongoing for the past two years. Texas A&M has hosted swimming and tennis in the past so those events are familiar in terms of what's required.

A&M has never hosted track and field championships. To prepare, A&M officials traveled around the country and attended the Big 12 and the NCAA track and field championships.

Texas A&M's indoor track and field facility came on line last December when the Aggies hosted an exhibition meet. To ramp up and prepare for the Big 12 and NCAA championships, A&M has staged a number of events - one was a 24-team meet held two weeks ago - to make sure that any glitches are corrected. 

Track and field creates a crowded house. A&M needs about 250 people to stage both events (approximately 150 of those are competition officials). For the Big 12 indoor meet, there will be a maximum of 624 student-athletes and 96 coaches. For the NCAA championship, approximately 650 student-athletes and 400 coaches are expected.

Texas A&M will host the NCAA women's soccer championship this December, the third time in the last six years the school has been the site for that event. A&M plans to bid on NCAA indoor track and field in 2011 and 2012, an NCAA men's golf regional. The school also will bid on hosting swimming and diving and tennis when the NCAA starts the bidding process for those championships.

Athletic director Bill Byrne said that hosting so many championship events benefits Texas A&M in terms of national exposure. Plus, having facilities that are deemed worthy of hosting NCAA championship events serves as recruiting tools to help lure world-class athletes in those sports.

"This is all about providing great experiences for the participating student-athletes and exposing fans to our world-class facilities events," Byrne said. "And, it gives us a chance to win."