The Oregon track and field team will have a chance to add to its prolific success in the Pac-12 Championships meet when Hayward Field hosts the meet in 2017.
The Oregon women have won eight straight Pac-12 team titles and the men have won 10 straight. The Pac-12 Championships this year took place at the University of Washington in Seattle.
The Register-Guard reported the Pac-12 Track and Field Championships have been moved to Hayward Field next year after Oregon State, the original hosts, requested the change.
The Whyte Track & Field Center in Corvallis does not have permanent seating, a scoreboard and other infrastructure necessities to host a meet involving all schools in the Pac-12.
“The facility is just not ready,” Oregon State spokesman Steve Fenk told the Register-Guard. “That’s the bottom line. We’re totally committed to it and absolutely committed to the program and getting that facility completed. It was just pretty obvious we weren’t going to be able to get that done to host it to our standards.”
According to the report, Oregon State reached out to the Pac-12 to describe the situation and begin to craft an alternate plan.
Sean Harris, the Pac-12 championships and sports management coordinator called this “unique situation.” He told the Register-Guard, “Ultimately we felt as though Oregon was the best option and the most convenient for this year. We all know they know how to host big-time meets.”
Harris also said Oregon State’s role in the meet is still to be determined though the school is still considered the “host” of the meet.
Hayward Field will host the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in June and the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Championships in early July.
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