They're planning more than just a track meet

Media Credit: Zac Goodwin [Click to enlarge]

The Police playing a set at Autzen? Hey, it could happen. After all, Sting is a noted environmentalist ... and the University has a killer campus recycling program.

Eugene '08, currently in the planning stages, is a 10-day community celebration coinciding with the 2008 Olympic Track and Field Trials.

Laura Niles of the Eugene '08 Entertainment Committee said there has been discussion around the prospect of hosting a large entertainment event at Autzen Stadium, most likely a concert featuring a large international act.

Niles said the event would be "complimentary to the trials" and popular enough to draw a large crowd. She mentioned The Police, the renowned punk and reggae-influenced new-wave band currently re-formed and touring, as a possible headliner.

"The likelihood of getting a group like that to Eugene for one performance - it's pretty iffy," Niles said. "It would need to be someone who had a connection in Eugene, or who would want to support track and field." Still, Niles noted that many groups could enjoy playing here at such a community-driven, reasonably high-profile event.

Although the potential concert will probably generate a great deal of excitement, it's not the main attraction of Eugene '08.

For the fourth time since 1972, Hayward Field will host the Olympic Track and Field Trials. Beginning June 27, 2008, the facility, which will be expanded to a capacity of 15,200, will witness 10 days of athletic excellence, with the top American runners, jumpers and throwers vying for a spot on the Olympic team.

"If not the best track meet in the U.S., it may very well be among the best track meets in the world," said University track and field coach Vin Lananna. "There's something about the Olympic Trials because it's a very easily understood concept. It's first three people who cross the finish line, or the person who throws the farthest or jumps the farthest, who will be selected to compete in Beijing in the 2008 Olympics."

But Eugene '08 will be more than a track meet. Dozens of community members, business leaders and sponsors are working together to make the week one of the most memorable Eugene has ever seen.

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