Why so many empty seats in Eugene?

Europe fills them

I went in 2023 and could not believe how empty it was. People were barely clapping for most of the athletes that were announced. I’m in LA so plane tickets weren’t horrible and we could at least take a direct flight but for most people there’s no direct flight and tickets are pricey. Eugene is a ghost town, finding an air bnb was tough as well as trying to get a rental car bc they have like none (had to use turbo or whatever that app is called), almost nowhere to eat after the meet bc the 2 restaurants there were packed and everywhere else is closed. Not ideal. For most people it’s way too expensive and not worth it, Eugene can’t handle those kind of numbers coming in if it was full.

Most European countries have laws against price gouging and middleman fees (Ticketmaster 😡).

Most European cities have amazing mass transit. You can book a cheap hotel in the suburbs and then take a train or trolley to the meet without hassle or high costs. No need for a car or parking.

Track is still a big deal in Europe and shown on regular over-the-air TV, not buried on low quality streaming services and niche cable channels.

Alcohol served in the stadium! Baseball moves slowly but half the fun is drinking beers with other fans. The only way to get a beer in Hayward is to be a guest of Nike and you still have to consume it in a roped off section of the concourse.

Young people just aren’t into domestic track. Sure, plenty of kids run track and XC but they would rather do other things in their free time. They aren’t begging Mom and Dad to take them to Eugene, Austin, Des Moines, or wherever to watch a track meet.

The Oregon faithful have aged out or died. I can remember seeing nearly a third of the old Hayward crowd being age 60 and over. Many of those people are no longer with us or won’t pay $35/day plus fees while living on a fixed income.

Bad timing for Phil Knight. Had he proposed this stadium 20 years ago, things would be different. COVID and then ramming it down people’s throats to be ready for Worlds had consequences.

I think this is an excellent run-down.

But man, where were you getting $35 GA tickets from? I bought them off the USATF website through Ticketek and it was $45 for Thursday and $55 for Friday (!!!) Friday in particular I almost didn't want to go - it was only really the 800m semis and 100m finals of any real interest.

The pre-stadium experience (of just getting there) is still just effing annoying - and it's not the USATF's fault or Hayward Field/U of O's fault either. There is still no stadium parking - if you want anything longer than 2 hours (which you need) you need to find a lot which isn't close and it tacks on another $20 or so per day. The "city" of Eugene does these meets no favors at all.

So now if you are there with a car, it's $75 including general admission - I'd love to say the product is worth that - for me it is because I love the sport, not so much for the casual fan that comes from out of town.

Final thing is the TV broadcast situation that hurts this meet and Prefontaine. Everything has to be early afternoon to early evening (the 10000m races Thursday the only exception). The nights were so beautiful and perfect in Eugene last week and ironically they turned the lights on just as everyone was leaving each day. Why does that matter? Sitting on the second half of the top curve and the back straight is absolute torture middle of the day/late afternoon if the sun is out (and it usually is). Protected from any sort of breeze sitting in those seats even on an 85 degree day feels like 105 degrees. Nobody wants to do that. Also running the meet in the afternoon on Thursday/Friday, many people are still working so who is coming into the stadium and paying full price to catch the final 90min of the session (plus the logistical hassle outlined above).

It's such an awesome stadium, but to be honest it's just in a location that isn't really suitable for it. Hayward started as a University track facility - it wasn't meant to be a world class international meet venue - and it shows.

In addition to what Oregon Steepler said...

I've said it before and I'll say it again...the stadium design is a huge problem for both in person and to the TV viewer.
Even a crowd of 6-8k is going to look abysmal on TV.

At this point, just bring in the wrecking ball to the seats along the Bowerman curve. They are horrible. Direct exposure to the sun. Vantage point is horrible. Seat fabric is literally disintegrating. You are close to the action. That's about it. Make that it into an standing room only party zone. Are they prohibited from serving alcohol in the stadium? Turn that whole area into an area with food trucks and picnic tables and canopies or something. It would look cooler on TV than empty seats.

Tear down all the seats on the backstretch. Rebuild the old east grandstand just like it was just with more comfortable benches with backs and wider aisles. Would get the spectators out of the sun, you couldn't tell if there wasn't fans beyond the first 5-6 rows and the mix of the old design with the new stadium design would look fantastic.

Those who want to pay for the plush seating can sit in the new design. Those who want nostalgia, out of the sun/rain and pay less can sit in the "old" design along the backstretch.

No idea how much this would cost but it would be better for both TV optics and the fans in general.

Spot on, Eugene while being The Mecca for track fans, is very difficult to travel to for most of the US.

But as other's have noted, what other city has the stadium that could host a major track meet? The list is small.. very small.

Very few people care about track lol get out of your letsrun bubble

I'm going to start knocking on doors on the coast of California asking the question.........in 1964 at those Tokyo Olympics who handed off to Bob Hayes on the 4x1 relay?

How far will I get before somebody tells me......Gramblings Richard Stebbins,

MOST....people know....0....about track, the sport has more of a cult following here in America.

Eh, I live in Portland, and while I got to Pre, I'm not willing to drive back and forth to Eugene on multiple days for USA's. If Amtrak was faster/more frequent I would definitely do it though.

You can absolutely get beer in Hayward as a general spectator. Probably not at UofO meets (which I think is an NCAA rule) but absolutely at Pre.

Should hold it at Bristol Motor Speedway.

MLB held a game there.

Or put it at Brooklyn, MI n conjunction with the Michigan high school cross country state meet.

US nationals has never been fan friendly, it's spread over too many days. If it was only a two day meet maybe more people could justify traveling to Eugene for the weekend, but going to watch half a track meet is a joke. USATF caters to the handful of athletes that want to double instead of trying to present something fans might actually want to pay to watch.

San Antonio.

the430miler and his boys who he coaches at a university there can host the meet.

Agree. Can def get a beer at Pre.
Logistics of Eugene suck. Hotels price gouge and hotels are scarce in general when you factor in all the teams / athletes staying there in town. They get first dibs too so it really sucks.
Eugene is “walkable” if you’re up for it and depending on where you’re staying it can be quite a walk to the stadium so most end up driving and ending up having to park.
The ticketing system doesn’t allow for single purchase tickets so someone like myself who would be willing to spend at a higher price point gets totally hosed because I can’t even go in and buy a seat for just me, I have to buy two. What’s the logic there? They just continue to shoot themselves in the foot. Instead of selling one $350 ticket they want to force you to buy two so then the person ends up buying none instead. It’s just ridiculous.

Yeah, but why would Americans want to emulate them?

They drew us into two world wars over the past 108 years.

Eugene is way overpriced. I just lined up airfare and hotel near Tyson track for ncaa indoors for less than $1000.

For people who are complaining about flight, rental car and hotel, and so forth, here is the solution.

1. Fly to Portland.

2. Rent a Car.

3. Stay in Corvalis, Albany or Salem.

4. Commute to Eugene from your hotel.

I know people who did the above for the World Championships because the hotel rooms in Eugene were too expensive.