At Long Last, Oregon Track Athletes Will Occupy New Stadium In Eugene

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Oregon head coach Robert Johnson said Thursday he was eagerly anticipating the moment his athletes finally get to see the inside of the new Hayward Field. 

Johnson fielded questions from local reporters in advance of Friday's big reveal, which he called a 'Christmas moment' for the Ducks athletes. 

"It's been deemed this Christmas moment for a little more than a year now, so a lot of work has went into putting this together for our athletes," Johnson said. 

Previous, smaller reveals were conducted for legacy members of the Oregon track team, including Ashton and Brianne Eaton, and later, Otis Davis and Bill Dellinger. 

On Friday, the athletes on campus will get to have a look around and will soon begin working out there as well. The track and cross country program's new workout equipment -- stationary bikes, weight benches, etc. -- have been brought to the open-air concourse so that the athletes can use that space. 

It is more than two years since historic Hayward Field was torn down to make way for the new stadium, which is supposed to play host to the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials and 2022 World Athletics Championships. 

The eye-catching facility has been mostly idle during the pandemic and two weeks ago was clouded by forest fire smoke. 

"I liken it to having a fancy new car sit in your driveway and not having the keys to drive it," Johnson said of the long wait. 

The coach estimated that only 25 percent of the current athletes on the roster have ever run at Hayward Field, which is a statistic that he hopes to soon rectify. 

"I would be remiss if I didn't thank all of our donors that contributed to making Hayward Field what it is today. Phil and Penny (Knight) of course are big contributors to that as well, as well as a whole host of other donors who contributed to the uniqueness and completion of Hayward Field," Johnson said. 

After the athletes' day on Friday, Johnson said he expected the facility to be opened for other groups of stakeholders.