Hayward track is not faster than the University of Texas track. There is far more things to do in Austin as opposed to Eugene. The best part is you can take a flight directly into Austin and tons of hotels and restaurants to choose from. The nightlife is far better in Austin as well. Hayward has a very nice T&F stadium and that's it! However, it should no longer be called Track Town USA.
Current 10-day forecast for Austin: Highs in the mid-90's every day, dewpoints in the 70s every day, chance of meet-delaying thunderstorms most days. No thank you.
Also, I think most athletes and spectators could give a crap which location has the better dance clubs.
Hayward track is not faster than the University of Texas track. There is far more things to do in Austin as opposed to Eugene. The best part is you can take a flight directly into Austin and tons of hotels and restaurants to choose from. The nightlife is far better in Austin as well. Hayward has a very nice T&F stadium and that's it! However, it should no longer be called Track Town USA.
Current 10-day forecast for Austin: Highs in the mid-90's every day, dewpoints in the 70s every day, chance of meet-delaying thunderstorms most days. No thank you.
Also, I think most athletes and spectators could give a crap which location has the better dance clubs.
As one such spectator: I live in the NE USA. I went to Worlds in Budapest. I did not go to Worlds in Eugene. Tourist infrastructure matters a great deal.
After the dreadful attendance at NCAAs this past weekend, Eugene can no longer call itself TrackTown USA. It’s time to stop hosting NCAAs and USAs there every year. Austin was a way better atmosphere for NCAAs last year—the stands were packed for both the men’s and women’s finals. The attendance in Eugene was embarrassing and made the national championships feel like a low-key dual meet.
Seemed pretty full when I was there. Betting >50% ofvthe upvotes here weren’t even at the meet.
Current 10-day forecast for Austin: Highs in the mid-90's every day, dewpoints in the 70s every day, chance of meet-delaying thunderstorms most days. No thank you.
Also, I think most athletes and spectators could give a crap which location has the better dance clubs.
As one such spectator: I live in the NE USA. I went to Worlds in Budapest. I did not go to Worlds in Eugene. Tourist infrastructure matters a great deal.
Same. Got a hotel in central Budapest for probably like $80/night. Rooms within a mile of UO campus for the first weekend of the Trials are between $389-$449 plus taxes and fees
Another point: why not give away unsold tickets to high school teams in Oregon? Anything to pack the stands and avoid the embarrassment of a lifeless atmosphere on national TV.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I assume it sold out on the primary market? I think part of the raeson for empty stands is people buying all-session tickets without using/reselling all of them, or even if they go to a given session, only being in their seat for the 1-2 events (or even specific heats!) they care most about. I think for NCAAs there's also a sizable section reserved for athletes that is often empty
This post was edited 39 seconds after it was posted.
Hayward has 3 advantages over Austin for major track meets.
1. The stadium is honestly much, much better 2. The track is faster 3. The weather is usually much better for the athletes and spectators
1 and 2 could be "easily" taken care of with a re-model. It would be costly, but add some seatbacks and some shade along with a world-class track surface. The heat....yeahhhhh, maybe they could figure out a way to "AC" the stadium like they did for the World Cup in Qatar
That's about the only advantages Hayward really has. Austin is wayyyy easier to get in and out of. Way more to do. More places to eat. More places to stay.
If you've been to both places, which one would you honestly want to go back to for track and hanging out for a long weekend or even an Olympic Trials? Again, fix 1 and 2 above and there is no debate.
I have never been to Austin. I would go if Trials were held there.
I have never been to Hayward and you couldn't pay me to go there. Well you could, but it would break your bank.
why wouldn't you go to Eugene? Or to the best track facility in the world? Why the hate?
It’s not. There are numerous venues throughout the country that could host the meet, and would surely attract better crowds than Eugene did last weekend.
Another point: why not give away unsold tickets to high school teams in Oregon? Anything to pack the stands and avoid the embarrassment of a lifeless atmosphere on national TV.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I assume it sold out on the primary market? I think part of the raeson for empty stands is people buying all-session tickets without using/reselling all of them, or even if they go to a given session, only being in their seat for the 1-2 events (or even specific heats!) they care most about. I think for NCAAs there's also a sizable section reserved for athletes that is often empty
Austin wasn’t empty last year (or in 2019). Stands were totally packed. So this excuse doesn’t move the needle.
Sure those of us on the East coast dread the travel each year. However once you get there, you realize that there is no other setting like it. It is not just the stadium, but the warm-up and other support areas. The Track Town volunteers and with the captive work force in the Oregon Athletic Department (Operations, Medical, Grounds, etc.) provide for a meet educated labor source. It is a college town with no other major event going on. Traffic getting athletes to and from the track is reliable. For long meets like the NCAA's, the trail system is ideal for distance runners.
Sure those of us on the East coast dread the travel each year. However once you get there, you realize that there is no other setting like it. It is not just the stadium, but the warm-up and other support areas. The Track Town volunteers and with the captive work force in the Oregon Athletic Department (Operations, Medical, Grounds, etc.) provide for a meet educated labor source. It is a college town with no other major event going on. Traffic getting athletes to and from the track is reliable. For long meets like the NCAA's, the trail system is ideal for distance runners.
a 10 year rotation rule should be in place of champs venues. that's optimum.
Hayward track is not faster than the University of Texas track. There is far more things to do in Austin as opposed to Eugene. The best part is you can take a flight directly into Austin and tons of hotels and restaurants to choose from. The nightlife is far better in Austin as well. Hayward has a very nice T&F stadium and that's it! However, it should no longer be called Track Town USA.
Current 10-day forecast for Austin: Highs in the mid-90's every day, dewpoints in the 70s every day, chance of meet-delaying thunderstorms most days. No thank you.
Also, I think most athletes and spectators could give a crap which location has the better dance clubs.
COULDN'T give a crap. Could give a crap means the exact opposite what you are trying (and failing) to say.
I remember in the '60s, '70s, and '80s the UofO was horrible at just about every other sport but track and field. Meanwhile Athletics West worked hard to get every good distance runner to come to Eugene in the '80s.
Over time the Nike money got the Oregon really good in football... and very representative in other sports. All those old AW athletes aged out and the new ones that emerged first went to Boulder and now Flag. And the Eugene crew moved their operations to Beaverton.
The legacy of Pre and Bowerman fades with time.
In the old days, the locals never missed a meet. That generation is pretty much passed on and the younger folks are way more worried about getting Ducks football tickets than watching track and field at the now no longer venerable... but very corporate looking Hayward Field.
After the dreadful attendance at NCAAs this past weekend, Eugene can no longer call itself TrackTown USA. It’s time to stop hosting NCAAs and USAs there every year. Austin was a way better atmosphere for NCAAs last year—the stands were packed for both the men’s and women’s finals. The attendance in Eugene was embarrassing and made the national championships feel like a low-key dual meet.
Is this how Detroit calls itself “Hockeytown USA” even though the Red Wings haven’t been relevant for several years now, lol?
I remember in the '60s, '70s, and '80s the UofO was horrible at just about every other sport but track and field. Meanwhile Athletics West worked hard to get every good distance runner to come to Eugene in the '80s.
Over time the Nike money got the Oregon really good in football... and very representative in other sports. All those old AW athletes aged out and the new ones that emerged first went to Boulder and now Flag. And the Eugene crew moved their operations to Beaverton.
The legacy of Pre and Bowerman fades with time.
In the old days, the locals never missed a meet. That generation is pretty much passed on and the younger folks are way more worried about getting Ducks football tickets than watching track and field at the now no longer venerable... but very corporate looking Hayward Field.
Good post.
I don’t know if any of you have ever been to Santa Barbara City College on the ocean, but that would be an absolutely incredible venue to host NCAAs/USA champs.
I don’t know if any of you have ever been to Santa Barbara City College on the ocean, but that would be an absolutely incredible venue to host NCAAs/USA champs.
Such an underrated and exceptional venue but too small and certainly not ready for an event like this.
Hayward is suffering from oversaturation. Officials have gone to the well too many times. Establish a rotation. NCAAs and Olympic Trials in the same location within a fortnight… ridiculous.
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