TrackTown USA president Vin Lananna shocked the track and field world last April by securing the 2021 International Association of Athletics Foundation World Championships for Eugene. Since the announcement, the bid has been met with questions and concerns ranging from the cost of the proposal to bribing allegations.
Though the controversy has quickly become a national story, bringing the World Championships to Hayward Field has sparked a local debate among students and faculty of the University of Oregon. These questions boil down to who will pay for the event and how the university will accommodate 2,000 visiting athletes and approximately 3,000 members of the media.
Lananna proposed that the project will cost $40 million from public funding, initially meant to be paid with state support and a lodging tax increase. However, Lananna recently indicated that the dollar amount of tax support is now only expected to be $25 million – after a lukewarm reception from Lane County legislators.
The attention now turns to what the UO’s role will be in paying for the World Championships, especially in relation to a budget refocused on research and academics.
Nick Jones, a UO sophomore, says he has mixed feelings on the IAAF bid.
“Bringing prestigious athletes here definitely gives great exposure to the city and the UO,” said the former Pit Crew member, “At the same time, I’d like to see some attention on renovating academic buildings like PLC.”
Although President Schill has acknowledged in a recent message to the UO community that “resources are too scarce and our mission too important for us to waste money in redundant administration, poorly performing programs and lax accountability,” the UO still sees value in supporting TrackTown’s bid both financially and by providing housing. According to a legislative agenda by Hans Bernard, UO’s associate vice president for state and community affairs, funding TrackTown’s proposal is a top priority. Bernard stated that “…these events will be to the economic and cultural benefit of the Eugene-area and the State of Oregon.”
These details come amid Lananna’s announcement last September that historic Hayward Field would be undergoing renovation. Construction begins this August, with plans to triple the seating – a facelift under the management of the UO Foundation.
Evidence suggests that the UO may cater to TrackTown USA during the event. According to UO documents,  “Any regular University of Oregon staff time spent working on the event would not be charged to TrackTown USA.” The Register Guard expanded on these proposals, noting that any activities that conflict with the championships, including classes, seminars or orientations, would be canceled. However, because the event is still several years away, UO Vice President General Counsel Kevin Reed says that “There’s no final OK on any of those arrangements.”