The latest sports venue to receive a facelift at the University of Oregon is one of the most beloved. Historic Hayward Field is set to receive a complete renovation in preparation for the 2021 Track and Field World Championships. Vin Lananna, the UO associate athletic director and president of TrackTown USA, a local advocacy group for track and field, is one of the main people responsible for the renovation.

Lananna took the time to sit down and talk about what to expect from the new Hayward.

Emerald: Why is Hayward being renovated?

Vin Lananna: It’s time. The east grandstands has had lots of money put into it on a regular basis for maintenance. Once and for all, we need to fix the basic things: unsexy things like bathrooms, fences and rot at the top of the grandstand. We need to renovate that, refurbish it so it will look the same but better.

E: How about some of the other things being done to the facility?

VL: The west grandstands also has difficulty in that they have never been accessible for the disabled — we don’t have elevators or handrails. We don’t have enough restrooms and we don’t have enough seats as we host the World Championships in 2021. So the impetus is we have to make the stadium be, on a temporary basis, around 30,000 seats. We will have a permanent facility that is about 12,000 — which is a couple thousand more than we have now. We will try to maintain all the charm of it and all the historic perspective.

What is being done to the Bowerman Curve and Building?

No real decision has been made yet with the Bowerman building. It’s likely it will either be taken down or moved in some way, because the seating does need to extend down to the start of the 100 [meter race].

Is the hammer still going to be moved to the infield?

Yes. The hammer obviously presents some challenges, because of the configuration of our jumps. A lot of other stadiums serve as soccer venues, so the runways are outside lane eight. We don’t want to do that. Our challenge is to conduct the hammer on the infield, while other events are going on.

Has a budget been set for the project?

Still working on it. The reality of it is we are still in the planning stages.

When does planning become action?

We are pretty close. We expect by the end of this academic year to have a good sense of the financial side of it and have a real timeline. My timeline and their timeline might not be the same. Mine is this summer, after the Olympic Trials. We have a window; we don’t plan to have to cancel or change the PreClassic or the NCAAs. There might be some construction going on, but we want to have them here without any interruptions.

How about the Oregon Preview and Oregon Twilight, those kind of meets?

It’s possible that in 2017 there will be construction going on and they will not be able to be held — but everything else will stay intact in 2016. Right now, I am working with our track coaches to find out what that would actually look like.

You talk about keeping the charm of Hayward, and obviously it has a lot of nostalgia for many people. Are there some specific ways you are trying to do that?

Well I think that the iconic venue is the east grandstands, which we will maintain intact and everyone who arrives on campus will see the east grandstands will be exactly the same. It’s funny, because the west isn’t that old. The plans that we have now are really what Bill Bowerman had when he put them in — he just ran out of money.

Why should fans be excited for this renovation?

I think what we will have is all of the amenities of a major sporting event. So the NCAAs, the Olympic Trials, the PreClassic, the Oregon season, the high school state meet — it will all have all the charm of Wrigley Field and other iconic venues. The athletes are going to perform. The stuff they do as competitors will all be very similar. But all the other stuff will be modernized. It will not be ornate; you will know it’s Hayward Field.  

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After a 62-20 loss at the hands of No. 10 Utah, the Ducks (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12) are unranked for the first time since 2009, snapping a 98-game streak of making the Top 25.  Oregon looked shell-shocked in the loss, struggling on both offense and defense as the Utes ran away in the route.

The Ducks will be looking to rebound on the road against Colorado (3-1), a team that is coming off a successful showing against Nicholls State. The Buffalo were able to force the Colonels into committing three costly turnovers and convincingly won, 48-0.

The last time these two teams played, Oregon won 44-10, with former Ducks Heisman trophy winner Marcus Mariota scoring four touchdowns.

But this will be a much different Ducks team going into Boulder, Colorado. On the season, Oregon averages 240.2 passing yards (62nd) and 285.2 rushing yards (11th) per game, while Colorado averages 205.5 passing yards (87th) and 272.0 rushing yards (13th).

Here are the match-ups to watch on Saturday:

 Oregon’s defensive front seven vs. Colorado’s offensive line

Against Utah, Oregon struggled to collapse the pocket, allowing quarterback Travis Wilson plenty of time to set his feet and let the routes develop. Against Colorado, the Ducks will have to find ways to put pressure on starting quarterback Sefo Liufau. As a team, Oregon has recorded just five sacks through four games.

 Oregon’s quarterback vs. Colorado’s secondary

Whoever lines up behind center for the Ducks — whether it is Vernon Adams Jr. or Jeff Lockie — needs to be able to open up the playbook and get the offense moving. The offense looked stagnant in its loss last week. On the other side of the ball, Colorado’s secondary has been excellent,  recording seven interceptions this season.

 Players to watch:

 Oregon:

 Royce Freeman, running back 

With so much uncertainty in the passing game, the Ducks may focus on the run Saturday. Freeman should be the workhorse, making an impact early. He has rushed for 450 yards and five touchdowns in 2015, though against Utah, he was held to his lowest total of the season – 77 yards.

 Colorado:

 Nelson Spruce, wide receiver

It should be no surprise that one of the main players to watch when a team plays Oregon is the top wide receiver — as the Oregon secondary has made a habit of giving up big numbers of late. Colorado senior Nelson Spruce is poised to have a monster performance. He has a good balance of size and speed, while using crisp route running to shake off opposing defenders. Last year, Spruce racked up 1,198 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, a performance good enough to make him a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the nation’s best receiver.

 Diego Gonzalez, kicker

One dangerous area of Colorado’s game is special teams, where their kicker Gonzalez has sent some big attempts sailing through the uprights. On the season, the junior is kicking 72.7 percent, and is a perfect 16-for-16 on extra points. Most impressive is his range, as all of his makes have come from at least 30 yards out. He is 4-of-5  from beyond 40 yards, with a season long currently at 52 yards. Gonzalez ensures that Colorado will be putting points on the board even if the offense fails to punch it in.

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Oregon women’s soccer head coach Kat Mertz is no stranger to Westwood. Entering her third season with the Ducks, Mertz is comfortable returning to a place where she worked as an assistant coach for five years.

The rest of the Ducks looked pretty comfortable as well, as the team played tough in a close 1-0 loss in their Pac-12 opener against UCLA at Drake Stadium.

Oregon (3-6, 0-1 Pac-12) played aggressive throughout the contest, but just couldn’t string things together in the final third to complete the upset bid.

The two-time defending Pac-12 champion Bruins (5-4, 1-0) struck first for the only goal of the night. Sophomore forward MacKenzie Cerda was able to get her team on the board after finishing a nice set-up from teammate Zoey Goralski in the 8th minute. The goal, which gave UCLA a 1-0 lead at the break, was Cerda’s first of the season.

In the second half, Oregon put together a solid performance on both offense and defense, out-playing the Bruins during long stretches. The Ducks had multiple chances to find the back of the net, with several big scoring opportunities coming during dangerous corner kicks. They could never quite string it together, despite finishing with 13 shots and five corners.

The sparkplug for the road team was freshman midfielder Marissa Everett, who flew around the entire game. She was aggressive in her play, attacking the ball and creating multiple looks on goal. Everett finished with a team-high four shots — three of which were on frame.

Senior forward Kira Wagoner also contributed for the Ducks, finishing with two shots on goal in 44 minutes of action.

UCLA goalkeeper Arielle Schechtman was a big reason why Oregon couldn’t get onto the scoresheet, as she was able to come up with big plays time and time again. Schechtman ended the match with 10 saves.

Oregon will return to Eugene for its next match, as they play host to Colorado on October 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur

Oregon women’s soccer will begin Pac-12 play with a tough road trip. It will be heading down south this Friday to face off against perennial powerhouse UCLA.

Though entering the season as the two-time defending conference champions, the Bruins (4-4) haven’t been as dominant of late, struggling to reload after talented graduating class departed. They have had a tough time stopping opponents from scoring, allowing 10 goals on the season.

On the other side, Oregon (3-5) is coming into the match riding a two-game winning streak, including a dramatic 1-0 victory over Portland State last week. The last two matches for the Ducks resulted in shutouts.

Pac-12 Networks analyst JB Long took the time to weigh in on the matchup with the Emerald.

Looking at Oregon, what do you make of their season so far?

I think Kat Mertz did a nice job of challenging her Ducks early. Oregon had to find itself a little bit through their nonconference schedule, but they seem to have figured it out. What a birthday win it was for Kat over Portland State last weekend. Having that second clean sheet in a row heading into conference play is a huge indicator for them.

Who are some of the impact players for the Ducks so far?

They seem to have settled into Halla Hinriksdottir, their sophomore keeper from Iceland. I think it’s really important for the defenders to have a consistent voice behind them, and know and anticipate what their keeper wants from them. And I can’t stress this enough: I know what Caitlyn Wong, their redshirt sophomore center back, means to this program. You saw her impact in her debut at Portland State, assisting on the game winner. I still think she has a way to go in terms of getting up to full fitness and playing a full 90, but I think that Kat will deploy her strategically.

This feels like a Duck team on the rise.

It’s a combination of many things, including going back to recruiting. Kat, now in her third season, has more and more players that she and her staff have identified as being matches for the style they want to play. Oregon is going to be prepared to compete in the Pac-12. Now, are they going to be top-3 in the league? Probably not yet. But when you look at the Pac-12 women’s soccer as a whole, you see the teams like Oregon becoming more competitive and more dangerous.

Not the best start for UCLA this season, what can Duck fans expect from them on Friday?

You look at their record of 4-4 and you think, ‘gosh, they’ve underachieved.’ What they have lost is nine starters to graduation, including the Pac-12 player of the year, the defensive player of the year and the goalkeeper of the year. Seven of those players they graduated are playing professionally in some capacity. So, they essentially graduated not just an all-conference roster, they graduated a full professional side — which is just staggering.

Sounds like Oregon is coming in at a good time against UCLA.

It would be a huge resounding statement. If they could get a result, even a draw, in Westwood I think college soccer would react by saying ‘woah, UCLA is struggling to replace that class.’ But more regionally in the Pac-12, you might get the reaction along the lines of ‘hey, Kat is really starting to get this thing going up in Eugene.’ I know it is always special for her to go back to UCLA because of what she accomplished there.

Oregon and UCLA will kickoff Friday, September 25 at 8 p.m.

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Oregon football fans may have noticed someone missing from the sidelines this season, a man who not only runs the Ducks’ defense, but also has been labeled one of the best-dressed coordinators in the nation.

Don Pellum, a veteran of the program and entering his second season as defensive coordinator, is coaching from the booth instead of the sidelines.

“I decided to go up there and operate from a different perspective,” Pellum said after the season opener against Eastern Washington.

The biggest benefit to moving up to the booth is it removes the distractions of the game that prevent level-headed decisions. Football is an emotional sport, where impulsive reactions can spell disaster in a game that often comes down to inches. According to Oregon linebackers coach Erik Chinander, being up in the booth removes the excess noise and, most importantly, allows for a more analytical approach.

“I like it because it slows the game down, like watching tape,” Chinander said. “[It] takes the emotion out of the game so you make decisions on what you planned and prepared for and not what you feel.”

Chinander made the opposite move this season. Previously he had been up in the booth for 12 years. But, with Pellum leaving the sideline, coaches like Chinander, John Neal (defensive backs) and Ron Aiken (defensive line) have stepped up to fill the void by communicating with players directly.

That is the biggest issue with being in the booth, because it can sometimes become a sterile environment. You are unable to communicate directly with the players.

“The nice thing is when you are down on the field, you can get closer to players,” Pellum said. “I can talk to you, see where you are.”

Players can feed off the energy from a coach like Pellum. He is detail oriented, demanding the best from his athletes with high standards and expectations. Everybody knows their assignment and plays with the correct techniques.

“This year, it is kind of weird not having him on the sidelines,” Oregon senior defensive lineman DeForest Buckner said. “Especially when we get off the field after a drive and the whole defense gets together to talk about what’s wrong and what happened.”

Communication amongst the coaches is the way to keep things running smoothly. Now, it is Pellum relaying down to the field what he wants to see happen. Before the change, it was the assistants making slight adjustments. This poses a bigger issue if things aren’t relayed correctly.

“I think there is always an adjustment period no matter how many times you practice,” Chinander said. “Doesn’t matter if I’m up there or he is. There is always going to be some communication issues.”

Three games into the season, nothing disastrous has occurred so far. As the year progresses, the kinks will continue to be worked out. As for the players missing their coach on the sidelines during the game, he’s only a phone call away.

“He said if we ever need to talk with him, just pick up the red phone,” Buckner said.

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-Conference play has finally begun for the Oregon football team and their first game promises to be a slugfest against No. 18 Utah. Last season, the Utes overpowered the Ducks early, taking a 14-0 lead before falling apart late. This year, the matchups between the two squads promise to be a tough game for both sides.

-As for who will be playing under center for the Ducks this Saturday, things are still very much up in the air. Vernon Adams Jr. spoke with members of the media on Monday and said his finger is at 80 percent. Whether that is good enough for him to get the starting nod over teammate Jeff Lockie remains to be seen.

-More quarterback drama for the Ducks comes via Travis Jonsen, who will have to redshirt the season after undergoing a medical procedure. Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich tweeted out the news Tuesday afternoon. While it was expected that Jonsen, a four-star recruit out of California, would use the redshirt this season, the procedure erased all doubt. Previously he had been vying for the fourth string spot on the depth chart.

-Oregon softball has landed a commitment as they continue to restock  their pitching prospects. Oregon received a 2016 verbal commitment from Maggie Balint, a right-handed pitcher out of Pennsylvania. Balint, a two-time attired Player of the Year in Pennsylvania, comes with plenty of accolades.

-Oregon men’s golf had a big day at the Husky Invitational, tying for first place to start the season. Playing at the par-71 Tumble Creek Golf Course, the Ducks were able to get the victory thanks in part to Aaron Wise, who shot a combined four-under for the tournament.

-Oregon cross country continues to check in high on the latest coaches poll. The Duck men moved up to No. 6, while the women remained at No. 7.

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Oregon cross country continues to show well nationally in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll that was released Tuesday afternoon.

The men moved up one spot to No. 6 (294 points), while the women remained at No. 7 (295 points) — just seven points out of making the top five. Neither team competed this week. Instead, they focused on training for the upcoming Washington Invitational on Friday, October 2nd.

The rest of the Pac-12 looked strong as well, boasting seven men’s and five women’s teams in the rankings.

Most impressive is the Colorado men, who once again claimed the No. 1 spot, something they have done since the final poll of the 2013 season. The Buffaloes earned all 12 first-place votes. Stanford finished at No. 2, UCLA No. 12, Arizona State No. 21, Washington No. 28 and California No. 29.

For the women, the Buffaloes also took the top spot in the conference, ranking third with 329 points. Stanford (No. 5), Washington (No. 14) and California (No. 30) round out the field.

Click here for the complete men’s rankings and here for the women’s rankings.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur

Oregon football has added BYU to their non-conference schedule in 2022, the team announced Tuesday afternoon.

The Cougars will travel to Eugene as part of a one-game contract, playing in the second game of the year. This is the first scheduled contest for the 2022 schedule and should serve as the top non-conference game that season.

“This matchup fits our scheduling philosophy within the current landscape, which means facing top competition along with our Pac-12 opponents,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said in a GoDucks.com article.

The two teams have squared off six times in the past, winning three games each. The most recent meeting came in 2005 at the Las Vegas Bowl when BYU won 38-6.

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Oregon football fans waiting to find out who will be suiting up as the number one quarterback going into the Pac-12 season opener will have to wait a little longer.

Vernon Adams Jr. was held out from the 61-28 victory over Georgia State last Saturday due to a broken index finger. He watched teammate Jeff Lockie get his first start of his college career.

Lockie played well, throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns, while avoiding any turnovers. But, the threat Adams poses behind center appears to be far greater.

As of now, both quarterbacks are working hard in practice and offense coordinator Scott Frost has confidence going with either one.

Are you treating this week like last week, waiting to see how Vernon feels before deciding on a starter?

No, we don’t know who is starting yet. I think Vernon is improving. There is no risk any more of furthering the injury. So we just have to watch him throw this week and make sure he is up to speed.

So how will you divide first team reps with those two?

We get so many reps in practice that no matter which one is taking ones or twos, they are getting plenty of practice for Saturday.

How do the plays you call with Jeff at quarterback change?

Didn’t change much. The few plays we ran with Bralon Addison were the ones we didn’t want to go with Jeff because we didn’t need to get him hurt at that point with one quarterback out of the game. Other than that, our package is our package.

How did the wildcat get implemented and what advantages does it give you?

Well, our whole offense is a wildcat, so when people talk about wildcat, it’s running with the quarterback really. Some coaches just put other people at quarterback to do it. In my eyes, Bralon is a quarterback — he was one of the best players in the state of Texas in high school his senior year, and played a ton of quarterback. I have a lot of trust in him to do the right thing with the ball.

Vernon says sitting back and watching Jeff can help him. Do you see some benefit to that?

Absolutely. I think Jeff had a big advantage because he got to watch Marcus Mariota do it for three years — he got to see how things are done the right way for the most part. I think Vernon can gain some of the same things. I think there are things Jeff does cleaner and crisper because he has been around here and understands it a little better.

What challenges does facing the Utah defensive line bring?

Utah is really good at what they do. They are a really physical team — big, strong team. They’re not super complicated on defense; they just do what they do well. They are always a challenge for us to block and make some hay running the ball. Typically if we can run the ball it opens everything else up.

What are some things that stick out as needing to be worked on heading into conference play?

After Saturday just cleaning everything up. There were too many mistakes on our side of the ball. I think we need to come off the ball better up front. We need to eliminate penalties, and eliminate a few other careless mistakes.

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Oregon track and field completed one last round of signings for the 2015 recruiting class Thursday afternoon, bringing in an additional 12 student-athletes.

“Our coaching staff believes that we have found a group of newcomers who will make an immediate impact for our team at the NCAA level,” Robert Johnson said in a press release. “We are excited about each of these individuals and can’t wait for them to get started with our team over the next couple weeks.”

The group, a mix of high school and college transfers, will add to the five athletes who signed letters of intent earlier in the year. Four of the newcomers are Oregonians.

The headliners of the group are three transfers with NCAA Championship experience: Former Oklahoma All-American Hannah Cunliffe, Ole Miss All-American Brooke Feldmeier and Georgetown All-American Ryan Gil.

Oregon also landed a pair international athletes: Jessica Hull, Australia’s 1500 and cross country junior champion, and Monique Stander, South Africa’s 800 junior champion.

Follow Chris Keizur on Twitter @ChrisKeizur