Hayward Field evacuated after bomb threat, authorities find nothing suspicious

Hayward Field was emptied in the middle of the day after a bomb threat set off a fast-moving police response and a string of campus alerts that reached students, staff and visitors within minutes. The University of Oregon Police Department said its dispatch center received the call at 1:09 p.m. June 9, and the stadium was under evacuation orders by 1:39 p.m.

The university’s first alert told people to leave Hayward Field because of a bomb threat. A follow-up message at 2:06 p.m. expanded that warning to the surrounding area and said the investigation could take several hours. By 2:45 p.m., another UO alert said UOPD and partner agencies from across the region were on scene out of an abundance of caution.

UOPD said the search found nothing of concern, and the all-clear came at 4:00 p.m., allowing normal activities to resume. The sequence of alerts shows how quickly the university’s emergency messaging system was activated and how the evacuation unfolded as police worked through the threat at one of Eugene’s most visible public venues.

The incident carried extra weight because it came just one day before the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships were scheduled to begin at Hayward Field. The university says the championships ran from June 10 through June 13 at the stadium, which it describes as a world-class track and field facility and a focal point for major competition.

Hayward Field has long been central to Eugene’s track and field identity. University of Oregon says the venue hosted its first NCAA Championship in 1962, and it has remained a high-profile site for major events ever since. That history, along with the expected championship crowds, made the June 9 response especially sensitive for campus operations, public safety and event security in Lane County.

Even though the threat proved unfounded, the response disrupted a major campus site and put the university’s threat-response procedures under a public spotlight. The timeline, from the first call at 1:09 p.m. to the all-clear at 4:00 p.m., showed a rapid evacuation, a broad law-enforcement presence and a communication system designed to move quickly when the stakes are highest.