Yes, parking still a major problem at Hayward, remote parking lots expensive, tickets unbelievably expensive, hotels, food, et al. Not many from out of town interested in dropping at least 1K for a track meet. And the same attitude that Rojo before he saw the new stadium for the first time- a lot of traditional Oregonians were horrified that Nike tore down the historical old stadium and were not interested in the new money taking over. They used to get in for 20 bucks, and be able to walk anywhere in the stadium. I was last there in 2004 and remember that as well.
If there are only a few hotels and B&Bs, what about camping? Can you camp near there? I think I would rather camp than pay $500 for one night in a hotel that I was only in for eight hours to sleep.
Yes, but not on Memorial Day weekend. Malmo is right. Everybody and their brother goes camping this weekend so you're not going to find a campsite available.
Personally, I looked at tickets, saw it was going to be $50-125 dollars to sit near the finish line on Friday and decided to save myself 4 hours of driving and watch it on USATF TV.
I have been a season ticket holder for twenty years. Not anymore.
Tearing down the old stadium was a big mistake. While my tickets to the new stadium are basically in the same section that my old seats where in, you sit at least twice as far from the track as before. Ticket prices have escalated dramatically. You can't bring a sandwich into the stadium because they want you to buy their $10 hot dogs. Overall, the ambiance that was once one of the reasons people made the stadium so historic, has all but been eliminated. I've talked to dozens of fans, and they share many of my thoughts.
I've attended the NCAA Championships many times; you always had the place filled for all four days. The Prefontaine meet was also always sold out. Rain or shine. What you saw this weekend was pathetic. I suspect that the seats were lucky to be fifty percent occupied.
I don't suspect the sport to recover in Eugene anytime soon Well see what happens at the World Championships, but I suspect that you see many empty seats. The prices are ridiculous. I'll stay home and watch the event on television.
As someone who saw many great meets and competed at Hayward going back decades, I was dead set against the new facility. To me it was like tearing down Wrigley. But seeing the new place I had to admit I was wrong and Uncle Phil was right. It's a fantastic place to see a meet, one of the best, if not the best in the world. Not a bad seat in the house. I have finish line seats for Worlds and can't wait. With the exception of the morning sessions, there are very few seats left. The fact is, major championships are expensive to attend no matter where they're held, it's just a fact.
I have been a season ticket holder for twenty years. Not anymore.
Tearing down the old stadium was a big mistake. While my tickets to the new stadium are basically in the same section that my old seats where in, you sit at least twice as far from the track as before. Ticket prices have escalated dramatically. You can't bring a sandwich into the stadium because they want you to buy their $10 hot dogs. Overall, the ambiance that was once one of the reasons people made the stadium so historic, has all but been eliminated. I've talked to dozens of fans, and they share many of my thoughts.
I've attended the NCAA Championships many times; you always had the place filled for all four days. The Prefontaine meet was also always sold out. Rain or shine. What you saw this weekend was pathetic. I suspect that the seats were lucky to be fifty percent occupied.
I don't suspect the sport to recover in Eugene anytime soon Well see what happens at the World Championships, but I suspect that you see many empty seats. The prices are ridiculous. I'll stay home and watch the event on television.
THIS is the problem with the sport in America - THE CHEAP AZZ FANS.
"OMG! The tickets cost money! And the parking!! They won't let me brown bag my lunch!!!"
Track fans are pathetic! College football fans will not flinch to buy a travel package to a bowl game. Euro soccer fans will burn their vacation hours and a ton of coin to see their club play a UEFA Cup match, not to mention seeing their national side play in a World Cup. But American track fan won't! In fact, they will also spend hours on LRC griping that they have to pay a pittance to watch a meet live on a streaming service.
I loved old Hayward but the place was a dump and a fire trap. It only held about 6,000 without temporary bleachers, had inadequate bathrooms and concessions, smelled of piss when the weather got hot, and good luck trying to leave or return to your seat in the old main grandstand without drawing the ire of a bunch of crusty senior citizens that had to give you two inches of room to shimmy out. The new place is great, the seats are super comfortable, and there are no bad views in the place. I cannot tell you how many tight finishes I missed because a support pillar blocked my view from old east stands.
But...but...Penn? And Iowa High School Champs? And.... Yes, they do draw bigger crowds and it is easy to get the competitor's immediate and extended family to drive from four counties away to watch their precious little small school division 800 meter stud to wash out in the first round. Pro meet? You might see a WR or a great battle between the three best throwers on Planet Earth but, those soft drink prices and having to walk four blocks from a parking spot just ruin the whole thing.
Back to the economics. The sport is not a charity at any level. It take revenue to fund but the typical domestic fan is reluctant to part with any cash. Everything about our sport just looks and feels cheap down to this very website. If it is too rich for your blood, fine. Just don't go watch live meets and follow the action for free through the often dumb posts on this board. Otherwise, prove your fandom and lob some lucre at it. I find it so laughable when people complain that Eugene is too expensive, too dirty, too hard to get to, etc. but then the same tightwads brag that they will max out their credit cards to fly to Budapest for the next WC. I've been there and, newsflash, it's more expensive than Eugene and you still can't smuggle a Subway $5 Footlong into the stadium! In fact, that will probably get you jailed in Orban's Hungary.
This sport isn't for coupon clippers and folks that demand a senior discount. Pay if you are passionate! The less you support the sport financially, the shorter its lifespan gets. Otherwise, stay home and watch it on your laptop and keep whining about the lack of exposure and respect it gets.
You don't get it. I never said the whole state is going camping, fishing and hiking. Only those with disposable income.
There aren't as many track fans there as they want you to believe, and those days are long gone.
Hippies and crackheads to go to track meets.
I had not been to Eugene in a looooooooooooong time until I went to the Trials in '21. It was such a disappointment. The town has gone down the tubes with homeless encampments on many underpasses, parks. Clearly drugged folks cruising the downtown areas etc. Yes, there are still some insolated areas, but I was crushed by the demise. Yes, the T&F events and new stadium are compelling for us Track Folk, but, for me the magic of Eugene has disappeared.
Sounds like you've not been to Seattle in the last two years. It has many, many more concrete campers, open drug selling and use, and ugly graffiti than Eugene.
This year's official attendance for Saturday was 6,447. It was pathetic to see tarps covering all of the upper sections on the east side.
Attendance was 8,937 last year, when there may have still been some capacity restrictions due to COVID, and that was higher than any single day of the NCAA or Olympic Trials.
Pre Classic attendance was higher for at least every single one of the previous 27 editions, and probably more. In 2008, the Pre Classic drew 14,221 and that's still the meet record. Heck, it drew 13,400 way back in 1984, when the meet was held in July, close ahead of the Olympic Games.
I agree with the previous posters who did a good job of outlining the issues: dislike of new stadium, UO football no longer sucks, Pre Classic ticket prices have suddenly skyrocketed since Tom Jordan's retirement: 2021 best seats $83 (when purchased originally for the never-held 2020 meet), 2022 best seats $140. My non-UO math education figures that as a 69% increase in 2 years.
If track fans don’t start showing up, then there are rumblings about the university using it to host concerts, Dew Tour, X Games type stuff to generate the money needed for upkeep. It would be a black eye for the sport if Pre needed to be moved to accommodate the Red Bull Extreme Big Air Skateboard Tour and Hip Hop Festival because Red Bull wants Memorial Day weekend while the students are still on campus.
If track fans don’t start showing up, then there are rumblings about the university using it to host concerts, Dew Tour, X Games type stuff to generate the money needed for upkeep. It would be a black eye for the sport if Pre needed to be moved to accommodate the Red Bull Extreme Big Air Skateboard Tour and Hip Hop Festival because Red Bull wants Memorial Day weekend while the students are still on campus.
Incorrect. No money will ever be needed. Phil Knight and his Foundation covers all expenses.
I don't get any dislike for the new stadium, other than it being too big for all but one meet (World Champs). I think the permanent structure should have been built about 2/3 the size and I wish Nike/Eugene/UO would have never bid on Worlds, but regardless, the new Hayward is SO much better than the old stadium.
I have been a season ticket holder for twenty years. Not anymore.
Tearing down the old stadium was a big mistake. While my tickets to the new stadium are basically in the same section that my old seats where in, you sit at least twice as far from the track as before. Ticket prices have escalated dramatically. You can't bring a sandwich into the stadium because they want you to buy their $10 hot dogs. Overall, the ambiance that was once one of the reasons people made the stadium so historic, has all but been eliminated. I've talked to dozens of fans, and they share many of my thoughts.
I've attended the NCAA Championships many times; you always had the place filled for all four days. The Prefontaine meet was also always sold out. Rain or shine. What you saw this weekend was pathetic. I suspect that the seats were lucky to be fifty percent occupied.
I don't suspect the sport to recover in Eugene anytime soon Well see what happens at the World Championships, but I suspect that you see many empty seats. The prices are ridiculous. I'll stay home and watch the event on television.
THIS is the problem with the sport in America - THE CHEAP AZZ FANS.
"OMG! The tickets cost money! And the parking!! They won't let me brown bag my lunch!!!"
Track fans are pathetic! College football fans will not flinch to buy a travel package to a bowl game. Euro soccer fans will burn their vacation hours and a ton of coin to see their club play a UEFA Cup match, not to mention seeing their national side play in a World Cup. But American track fan won't! In fact, they will also spend hours on LRC griping that they have to pay a pittance to watch a meet live on a streaming service.
I loved old Hayward but the place was a dump and a fire trap. It only held about 6,000 without temporary bleachers, had inadequate bathrooms and concessions, smelled of piss when the weather got hot, and good luck trying to leave or return to your seat in the old main grandstand without drawing the ire of a bunch of crusty senior citizens that had to give you two inches of room to shimmy out. The new place is great, the seats are super comfortable, and there are no bad views in the place. I cannot tell you how many tight finishes I missed because a support pillar blocked my view from old east stands.
But...but...Penn? And Iowa High School Champs? And.... Yes, they do draw bigger crowds and it is easy to get the competitor's immediate and extended family to drive from four counties away to watch their precious little small school division 800 meter stud to wash out in the first round. Pro meet? You might see a WR or a great battle between the three best throwers on Planet Earth but, those soft drink prices and having to walk four blocks from a parking spot just ruin the whole thing.
Back to the economics. The sport is not a charity at any level. It take revenue to fund but the typical domestic fan is reluctant to part with any cash. Everything about our sport just looks and feels cheap down to this very website. If it is too rich for your blood, fine. Just don't go watch live meets and follow the action for free through the often dumb posts on this board. Otherwise, prove your fandom and lob some lucre at it. I find it so laughable when people complain that Eugene is too expensive, too dirty, too hard to get to, etc. but then the same tightwads brag that they will max out their credit cards to fly to Budapest for the next WC. I've been there and, newsflash, it's more expensive than Eugene and you still can't smuggle a Subway $5 Footlong into the stadium! In fact, that will probably get you jailed in Orban's Hungary.
This sport isn't for coupon clippers and folks that demand a senior discount. Pay if you are passionate! The less you support the sport financially, the shorter its lifespan gets. Otherwise, stay home and watch it on your laptop and keep whining about the lack of exposure and respect it gets.
Budapest is not more expensive than Eugene. I’ve actually lived there on a very meager budget that would be basically impossible in any decent-sized US city. Bread, deli meats at the market were so cheap and at the fruit/vegetable markets everything was so cheap that I once did the calculation in USD of watermelon prices and it came out to 8 cents per pound.
Whether your premise true or untrue, your evidence as presented in the photo is flawed, as those are the temporary seats erected for World Champs and were not sold for Pre. They are empty because that section was closed.
It’s so obvious. You had the Fenway of track and field and you tore it down. it was a draw in and of itself and contributed to atmosphere becuase it can have atmosphere even with small crowds.
Now New Hayward does look cool but I can see how the increased capacity backfires when you don’t pack the place. Makes even a decent crowd look sparse.
You would think it would be packed for a 5k world record attempt. If you look at the photos the lower deck is only a few rows deep with tons of empty seats.
how do they expect people to pay $13 to stream the meet when they can even fill the lower level for live action?
Without the vitriol of a few here and while Im not a coupon clipper, it does take a committment first, then time to do some research and plan through your options. Maybe its age/wisdom, etc... but whatever keeps you from going for it is what you have to settle for. I chose not to go to some big meets a couple times but more often than not I found a reasonable way to have those experiences. You live once.
I went to the 87 Pan Am games in Indianapolis on nothing in 87 and found a way to get in the stadium for several days to see the likes of Scott/Spivey/Cruz battle it out in the 1500, Mike Tully jump a PV AR, Jacki Joyner Jump 24+, Carl Lewis, Anna Quirot, Judy Brown King, Valerie Briscoe hang her gold medal on a kid in a wheel chair, tell him she loved him and walk away after her awards ceremony and on and on... We camped, starved, got overheated, probably smelled, figured out how to make ourselves presentable, met, conversed and partied with world class athletes and just didnt give up on ourselves.
Yes inflation, whatever... If you really want something, Figure It Out!!! Geez! But stop bitchin!!!
Just because Im a multimillionaire doesnt mean I HAVE to spend a million to have a good time. And if Im scratching by on a shoestring, theres still a way if you want it bad enough! Ive done it several times!!!
Commit to something, plan ahead, go work a side hustle and JUST DO IT! For you married people, Maybe its not a family vacation but you can plan ahead as to how you will make it up to them for being selfish and self centered with track by working together and earning a vacation together. Maybe you lead with that as you propose your selfish track trip to soften the edge unless you want them to be there too, then plan for it! But dont take food off the table or clothes off their backs because you are too lazy to make it happen then cry to everyone else about it. Its YOUR choice! And its ok if you choose not to go but at least be honest instead of being a victim. Nobody is going to make it happen for you but you.
Eugene may be in danger of losing their Diamond League meet if attendance looks like that again next year. One DL needs to stay in the US, but in a more accessible town with more accommodations. "Rust Never Sleeps" accurately pointed out too many foreigners. Track was compelling when we when had compelling American stars. Relatable heroes is key to the success of any sport. We still have a few but even many hardcore fans don't care about random Africans no matter how fast they run. Hopefully Worlds is a big success with every seat filled. If not... ugh.