In what is being dubbed “Christmas morning”, the University of Oregon Track and Field team will get their first full look at Hayward Field on Friday, including a reveal of the team spaces and training areas.
In a media call on Thursday, Coach Robert Johnson said having Hayward ready and waiting has been like having a brand-new car in the driveway, but no keys to drive it. He said so far, athletes have only seen the outside. “They’ve been able to see the concourse and nothing else, so this is going to be new to everybody involved because they are going to see the inside of things and probably the things I am most excited about because it is all student-athlete related,” said Johnson.
The new facilities include indoor practice areas, state-of-the-art locker rooms, and the 4,000-square-foot Hayward Hall, a museum highlighting significant pieces of Historic Hayward Field.
This summer, Hayward was revealed to a few Oregon track and field notables whose likenesses are included on the 10-story Hayward Tower, including Ashton Eaton, Raevyn Rogers, and Otis Davis. Johnson says that was part of a film project that will be shown as a collection of stories that will be played in Hayward Hall.
Outside of being seen by the select few, the full scope of the new Hayward has not been revealed. Earlier this year Johnson made it clear that donors and other stakeholders would have to wait until the athletes first had an opportunity to see the finished product.
With the construction and then the unexpected closures from COVID-19, it’s been more than two years since the student athletes have had a home stadium. Johnson said this has meant only a small number of those on his 102-athlete tam, have ever competed at Hayward. "When I look at our roster, there's probably less than 25% that have ever run at Hayward Field", said Johnson. "And with Hayward being such an iconic place and such an awesome place with a great history and tradition, to only have 25% of our student athletes that have competed there, it's unheard of. So we're really excited about this upcoming event."
After their first look at the entirety of Hayward’s facilities, the Ducks will begin fall training this weekend.
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