At around 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, a day before the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the University of Oregon received a phone call. It was a bomb threat that led to the complete evacuation of all athletes participating in the marquee event. The University of Oregon Police Department scanned the entire area, and after a thorough check, they have the all-clear.

The statement from the NCAA, posted on their social handles, first addressed the events that took place and later confirmed the complete safety of Hayward Field. The NCAA touched on the training programs next. “Teams competing in the Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships have received a revised practice schedule for Wednesday morning. All events in the championship are scheduled to start on time on Wednesday as well,” the update read.

Additionally, the NCAA also underlined its efforts to mitigate any further risks during the competition. “The University of Oregon Police Department will work with the University of Oregon Athletics Department, the Division 1 Men’s and Women’s oversight committee, and NCAA staff to enhance security for the rest of the Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship,” the statement specified.

Due to the emergency, student-athletes won’t be able to train on Tuesday. They’ll instead have a final practice in the morning. Wednesday’s first event will begin at 1:00 pm. The tournament will take place from Wednesday all the way until Saturday. Men’s and Women’s events are held on alternate days to ensure athletes receive adequate rest before the finals.

Lastly, the NCAA thanked the local law authorities for their neat work in analysing the threat and bringing calmness to the hallmark event.

Tense Tuesday afternoon at Hayward Field before the NCAA Championships

UO spokesperson Angela Seydel said on Tuesday that the athletes practising at the stadium had to be evacuated following the call. She had no additional details to provide. More than 1000 athletes from 272 universities attend the event, and then there are the thousands of spectators who fill the stands. So, the UOPD and the UO Athletic Department were not taking any chances.

They evacuated Hayward Field and swept the area in a joint effort with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office and the Eugene Police Department, with the automated fire alarm playing the evacuation alert the entire time. It was not just the athletes who had to relocate. Authorities requested the media to move in front of the UO Law School, across from Hayward Field on Agate Street.

The bomb threat did not disrupt the freshman move-out from nearby Unthank Hall, New Residence Hall, and the Living Learning Center, which meant increased pedestrian activity in the area. This latest threat comes less than a month after a shooting threat was called into the Student Recreation Center adjacent to Hayward Field.

In the wake of the incident, the NCAA announced the press conference scheduled for Tuesday afternoon was canceled.

At around 4 p.m., the university alert system gave the all-clear, and announced normal activity inside the stadium could resume. At 6 p.m., the NCAA announced the stadium would remain closed to the teams for the rest of the day. They had given a revised practise schedule for Wednesday morning to make up for lost time. Many teams had already moved on Tuesday afternoon to track facilities at South Eugene High School, about six blocks south of Hayward Field.

The NCAA also confirmed that the event would proceed as planned and kick off at 1 pm on Wednesday. The Division 1 Outdoor Championships will air on ESPN. This is the 17th time in the school’s history that Hayward Field is hosting the championships. The Oregon stadium has hosted numerous big events in the past, including the World Track Championships in 2022, and the U.S. Olympic team trials ahead of the 2024 Paris Games.

Anyone with further information on the threat is encouraged to contact the UOPD at 541-346-2919.