A security guard near the Agate street entrance to Hayward Field glanced over his shoulder toward the outer ring of the stadium’s deck where a group of 20 or so fans perched over the metallic railing on Friday afternoon, peeking to to get a glimpse of the first competition held in the new stadium.
“Hopefully I’m not stuck here all day,” he said, swaying back and forth. “I’d love to go inside and check it out.”
The fans yelled words of encouragement and cheered as they watched hammer throw on the video screen and other early field events. Those without tickets poked their heads through the trees lining Agate Street and grasped the guard fence in hopes of sneaking a view of the events.
The nation’s premiere track and field stadium is finally open. And the students, who watched the evolution of the vast project on their campus, wanted the first crack at it.
“Is it open to fans?” a trio of students asked a staff member as they strolled by the north gate of Hayward Field.
It was not; a limited number of guests of Oregon athletes and news media were in attendance because of COVID-19 protocol. Signs reminded fans and onlookers of the COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines both inside and out of the stadium.
Still, a renewed sense of community encircled Hayward and the surrounding blocks. Runners jogged by, slowing their pace to take in the scene, their eyes hinting at smiles below their masks.
While some went about their business, skating, using the adjacent turf fields or traveling to and from their dorms, many stood in awe and the sun-swept stadium. Students, families and community members snapped photos or capture videos.
The occasional driver tapped the brakes, slowing traffic, to catch a glimpse and a memory. A man driving a black pickup truck slowed as he passed the stadium and shot a video out the window on his phone.
Two students stood on a cement bench, craning their necks over the black-clad metal gates in hopes of spotting a brief moment of action. “It’s got like four levels of facilities down in there,” one student explained to his friends. “I can’t wait to get in there.”
The voice of announcer Paul Swangard emanated from Hayward and could be heard over a block away. With a sparsely filled stadium, the athletes themselves — specifically the Oregon track and field team — were responsible for much of the noise and excitement as the day progressed.
Past the large recreational field where groups of students kicked soccer balls and competed in spike ball, the smaller fields were guarded by security guards in fluorescent vests. Athletes from neighboring schools such as Portland State and fellow Pac-12 programs stretched, chatted with teammates and jogged laps around the smaller track.
As the sun set and the day’s final events came to a close, groups of onlookers stood outside the main gate peering in and taking photos.
