Delayed Construction Could Put 2019 NCAA D1 Outdoor Championships, Nike Prefontaine Classic and OSAA Oregon State Outdoor Championships at Risk

By Adam Kopet

Ken Goe of The Oregonian reported Tuesday that the planned renovation of Hayward Field has been delayed again.

The original plan was to break ground in July 2016, just after the completion of the Olympic Trials. However, that never happened and the new breaking ground date has been pushed back to the summer of 2018.

When the renovation timeline was first conceived, the plan included a break in the construction schedule to host several track and field meets in May and June during the two-year construction project, allowing the historic venue to host the OSAA Oregon high school championships, the Nike Prefontaine Classic and the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Now with the 2021 IAAF World Outdoor Championships on the horizon in Eugene, there is some urgency to get started on the project. Construction might not be able to afford a pause for the May and June meets in 2019.

Reportedly, Tom Jordan, meet director of the Prefontaine Classic, has already begun looking for an alternative host site for 2019. Already the 2019 meet is likely to have a later date due to a change in the international schedule.