Hayward Field, now 97 years old, is easily one of track and field’s most recognizable landmarks. Soon, however, the iconic stadium in Eugene, Oregon, will look a lot different.
Following this summer’s inaugural TrackTown Summer Series meet, Hayward Field is expected to undergo a sweeping makeover. Under current plans, the grandstands would be outfitted with modern amenities, including new bathrooms, chair-back seats (on the west side, which overlooks the straightaway leading to the finish line), and a larger media area. The stadium’s permanent seating capacity would increase from 10,500 to 12,500.
Vin Lananna, president of TrackTown USA, says these changes are needed to modernize Hayward Field and to attract more international meets like the IAAF World Championships, which are coming to Eugene in 2021.
“For a long time we have needed to look at what we do here and how we better manage flow in the stadium, the flow of the athletes from warmup areas, the media tribunes, some of the things that bring us into a much more modern era,” Lananna said during a press conference on July 1.
Site plans released by the UO Foundation indicate that the renovation won’t substantially alter the design of Hayward’s 91-year-old East Grandstand, which will retain its wooden bench seating and distinctive sloped roof.
The remodel of the West Grandstand, however, is more adventurous, featuring an edgy, angular design that’s receiving mixed reviews in Eugene. The new grandstand will be about 25 feet higher than the existing grandstand.
“I haven’t met a single person in the old guard track and field community who’s in favor,” said Tom Titus, a University of Oregon biologist and local runner. “It’s just going to be this monstrosity. Its supporters might be around, but I haven’t met them.”
Other local fans say they worry that a larger stadium will feel empty during non-championship meets.
Robert Johnson, head coach for Oregon’s track and field teams, said he understands that concern. “When we have regular annual attendance of 5,600 to our home meets, and now all of a sudden you take 10,500 [seats] and make it 12,500, I can see how it could get cavernous at times,” he said.
The UO track and field teams will have limited access to Hayward Field during the two-year renovation—forcing them to train at other local facilities—but Johnson believes the project will be a net benefit for Oregon’s athletes. “I think it’s going to be fantastic for them once it’s said and done,” he said, citing the new weight room and other training facilities included in the stadium plans. “We just have to weather the headaches in the process.”
The project is scheduled to unfold in two phases: In the fall, construction crews will begin work on the East Grandstand and build a new concourse on the stadium’s south end. The renovation will then pause to allow Hayward Field to host the Pac-12 Championships, the Prefontaine Classic, and the NCAA championships in 2017, before resuming later next summer with reconstruction of the West Grandstand.
At his press conference during the U.S. Olympic Trials, Lananna said he expects skeptics will warm to the new-look Hayward Field once its renovation is complete. “Anyone who walks in here will not worry about the heritage,” he said. “I think it will be enhanced.”
The exact cost of the renovation has not been disclosed, but officials say the project will be funded entirely with private dollars. In January, TrackTown USA withdrew its request for $15 million in state funding amid tepid taxpayer support for the project, Running in the Cold Oregonian. Lananna said at the trials that the fundraising effort is “in good shape,” thanks in part to a $13.5 million pledge from Nike.
Construction on the renovation project is scheduled to begin in September.
