The Jane | |
![]() | |
Former names | Howe Field |
---|---|
Location | 1677 University Street Eugene, Oregon, U.S. |
Coordinates | 44°02′27″N123°04′26″W / 44.04083°N 123.07389°W |
Owner | University of Oregon |
Capacity | 2,500 |
Surface | Clay infield, artificial turf outfield |
Scoreboard | 12-by-36-foot (3.7 m × 11.0 m) video board |
Construction | |
Broke ground | June 4, 2014 |
Built | 2014–2016 |
Opened | 24 March 2016 |
Expanded | 2017–2018 |
Construction cost | $17.2 million |
Architect | SRG Partnership |
General contractor | Howard S. Wright |
Jane Sanders Stadium, nicknamed "The Jane", is an outdoor softball stadium in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Located on the south side of the University of Oregon (UO) campus at 18th and University, it is the home field of the Oregon Ducks of the Big Ten Conference.
Robert C. "Bob" Sanders donated more than $16 million to build the stadium, a memorial to his late wife Jane Sanders, who had been a longtime fan of Ducks softball. Former Ducks softball coach Becky Sisley matched other donations, up to $200,000. The total cost of the stadium was $17.2 million.
The stadium was opened in 2016 and expanded a year later with an additional 1,000 permanent general admission seats in the outfield. The official seating capacity is 2,500. [1]
On June 7, 2014, US$10 million gift from alum and football player Robert Sanders supported a new stadium project to be named in honor of his wife, Olive Jane (Daggett) Sanders. They met at the University of Oregon, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi, cheerleader for the Ducks, class of 1950, and he was a fullback on the football team, class of 1951. [2] [3] [4]
The Sanders were successful in the lumber industry with their business, RSG Forest Products Inc., on the west coast. [5] [6] [7] Jane frequently attended Ducks softball games with her grandchildren; Bob wanted to honor her and support the Oregon Ducks. [5] In May 2016, Bob Sanders donated an additional $6 million toward completion of the stadium. [8] [9] The total cost of construction was $17.2 million. [10]
Jane Sanders Stadium was constructed on the site of the University's Howe Field stadium, which was built in 1935 with a $10,000 grant from the Works Progress Administration. [11] Howe Field is still the name of the field itself, according to the Daily Emerald. [12]
Named for Professor Herbert C. Howe of the English faculty, who served as faculty athletics representative, Howe Field had been used by the Ducks baseball team until Oregon dropped the men's baseball program in 1981. [11] Describing the small field south of Mac Court as "a welcoming place for fans and hitters", former Duck shortstop Steve Wolf said it was "a kind of 'little Fenway' ". [11] However, it had no dugouts, no bathrooms, no clubhouse, and the grass was mowed by the players themselves. [11]
In 1974, Oregon had added the varsity women's softball program, which for four years used Amazon Park and a green space between Pioneer Cemetery and Gerlinger Hall as the softball home diamond. In 1978 a space south of Hayward Field was designated for the softball program. By 1987, the expanding Ducks track program needed more space, and the softball area at Hayward was converted to the hammer area. [11]
The softball program then moved to Howe Field, where dugouts were added, and temporary lights were brought in for telecast games. These improvements were funded by Bob Sanders, the alumnus who later also donated funding for the new Jane Sanders Stadium, according to the first softball coach at Oregon, Becky Sisley. [11] Players used portable toilets, and changed in the locker room at the aging Mac Court. The Register Guard reported Howe Field had "no permanent bathrooms or on-site locker rooms, limited concessions, a small press box and little space for live television and radio broadcasts", [3] and, "In recent years, Howe Field became a symbol of benign neglect." [11] The last remnants of Howe Field, the historic iron gates, are located in front of the new stadium's courtyard. [10]
Jane Sanders Stadium opened March 4, 2016, earning praise from ESPN, who compared it to similar ballparks in the Southeastern Conference. [13]
On April 30, 2015, the athletic department of the University revealed drawings of Jane Sanders Stadium, planned to replace facilities at Howe Field. [14] Designed by SRG Partnership, [15] the project was managed by Chris Hartson, and the university hired general contractor Howard S. Wright of Dallas to build the stadium. [3]
The new stadium was designed with features not formerly available at Howe Field, such as locker rooms and an indoor practice facility, as well as media rooms. [16] The stadium was built to meet needs described by former coach Mike White, "...a player development center indoors, a place where we can have batting cages, and for recruiting, a place we can have a great team room". [17] The upper level of the stadium includes concessions and restrooms, as well as a multi-purpose room, a video room, and offices for coaches. [18]
Jane Sanders Stadium opened March 24, 2016, with 1,500 permanent seats available. Temporary bleachers adding another 1,000 seats were constructed by April 1, 2016. [16]
With a donation from Bob Sanders, in addition to his previous gifts of $16 million, construction on permanent outfield seating was announced in July 2017, and built in time for the 2018 season. The permanent seating also includes bathrooms and a concession stand. [19]
The stadium has a seated capacity of 1,483 people, including several suites and a grandstand that is covered by a V-shaped canopy decorated with wood cutouts in the shape of the home plate. The stadium's videoboard measures 12 by 36 feet (3.7 by 11.0 m) and cost $250,000. [1]
The stadium has a clay infield and artificial turf in the outfield, as requested by former coach Mike White, making it playable in Pacific Northwest weather conditions. [12]
Game attendance averaged 2,334 in the 2018 season. [20]
Philip Hampson Knight is an American billionaire business magnate who is the co-founder and chairman emeritus of Nike, Inc., a global sports equipment and apparel company. He was previously its chairman and CEO. As of December 2023, Forbes estimated his net worth at $45.0 billion. He is also the owner of the stop motion film production company Laika. Knight is a graduate of the University of Oregon and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was part of the track and field club under coach Bill Bowerman at the University of Oregon with whom he would later co-found Nike.
Autzen Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in the northwest United States, in Eugene, Oregon. Located north of the University of Oregon campus, it is the home field of the Oregon Ducks of the Big Ten Conference. Opened 57 years ago in 1967, the stadium has undergone several expansions. The official seating capacity is presently 54,000 to 60,000 ; however, the actual attendance regularly exceeds that figure.
Reser Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in the northwest United States, on the campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The home of the Oregon State Beavers of the Pac-12 Conference, it opened in 1953 as Parker Stadium and was renamed in 1999.
The Eugene Emeralds are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Eugene, Oregon. The Emeralds are members of the Northwest League and the High-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Eugene plays their home games at PK Park.
Hayward Field is a track and field stadium in the Northwestern United States, located on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. It has been the home of the university's track and field teams since 1921, and was the on-campus home of the varsity football team from 1919 through 1966. Track and field competitions at the stadium are organized by the not-for-profit organization TrackTown USA.
Civic Stadium was an outdoor athletic stadium in the northwest United States, located in Eugene, Oregon. For most of its history it was owned by the Eugene School District. Opened in 1938, the stadium was destroyed by fire in 2015 on June 29.
The Oregon Ducks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Big Ten Conference. With eighteen varsity teams, Oregon is best known for its American football team and track and field program, which has helped Eugene gain a reputation as "Track Town, USA". Oregon's main rivalries are with the Oregon State Beavers and the Washington Huskies.
The Oregon Ducks football program is a college football team for the University of Oregon, located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the FBS and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. (B1G) Though now known as the Ducks, the team was commonly called the Webfoots until the mid-1960s.
Hillsboro Stadium is a multi-sport stadium in the northwest United States, located in Hillsboro, Oregon, a suburb west of Portland. Opened 25 years ago in 1999 and owned by the city of Hillsboro, the award-winning stadium is part of the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex located in the northeast part of the city, adjacent to the Sunset Highway.
Leo A. Harris was an American athlete, coach, and athletic director. He played college football at Stanford University, coached football and basketball at Fresno State College, and was the first athletic director for the University of Oregon, bringing success to a financially troubled system. He was also known for his handshake deal with Walt Disney that permitted the University of Oregon to use the likeness of Donald Duck as the basis for its mascot, the Oregon Duck.
PK Park is a baseball stadium in the northwest United States, located in Eugene, Oregon. It is the home field of the University of Oregon Ducks of the Big Ten Conference, and during the summer, the home of the minor league Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League. The Ducks' program was revived in 2009 after nearly three decades as a club sport.
The Oregon Ducks baseball team represents the University of Oregon in NCAA Division I college baseball in the Big Ten Conference. The home games are played on campus at PK Park.
The 2001 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon as a member of the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Mike Bellotti, the Ducks compiled an overall record of 11–1 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, winning the Pac-10 title. Oregon was invited to the Fiesta Bowl, where the Ducks beat Colorado. The team played home games at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. The stadium was undergoing its fourth and current renovation and expansion from 41,698 in capacity to 54,000, with standing room for 60,000.
The Oregon–Washington football rivalry, also known by fans as the Border War or the Cascade Clash, is an American college football rivalry between the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies of the Pac-12 Conference. The respective campuses in Eugene and Seattle are 285 miles (460 km) apart, via Interstate 5. It is often regarded by fans as the fiercest and most competitive rivalry for both sides.
The Oregon Ducks track and field program is the intercollegiate track and field team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference. The team participates in indoor and outdoor track and field as well as cross country. Known as the Ducks, Oregon's first track and field team was fielded in 1895. The team holds its home meets at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Jerry Schumacher is the current head coach and since the program's inception in 1895, there have only been eight permanent head coaches. The Ducks claim 32 NCAA National Championships among the three disciplines.
The Oregon Ducks softball team represents the University of Oregon in NCAA Division I college softball. The Ducks compete in the Pac-12 Conference and are led by head coach Melyssa Lombardi. Oregon plays their home games at Jane Sanders Stadium after playing at Howe Field through 2015. Oregon has appeared in eight Women's College World Series.
The 1968 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. All five home games were played on campus in Eugene at Autzen Stadium, which opened the previous year.
The 1966 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU) during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. Three home games were played on campus in Eugene at Hayward Field and one at Civic Stadium in Portland.
The 1962 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon during the 1962 NCAA University Division football season. In their twelfth season under head coach Len Casanova and fourth as an independent, the Ducks compiled a 6–3–1 record and outscored their opponents 229 to 156. Three home games were played on campus at Hayward Field in Eugene and one at Multnomah Stadium in Portland.
Gwen Svekis is an American softball player for the Chicago Bandits.