The Office of Physical Education, Recreation and Sports (OPERS) announced on Feb. 19 that the Upper East Field will be opened for limited hours, Monday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m. The limited opening will run from Feb. 23 to March 20. The field will be closed during spring break and reopen again on March 30.
The field has been closed since Sept. 2 due to drought recovery. Water rationing efforts by the university cut the Upper East Field’s irrigation in May by 55 percent and the field was consequently closed to preserve it.
Parts of the field remain closed and are marked by signs. The fence will remain around the perimeter of the field, but the gates are now open.
On Jan. 13, UC Santa Cruz’s grounds crew reseeded the field with 3,000 pounds of seeds to encourage new growth and rehabilitation. OPERS Associate Director of Facilities and Operations Todd Hammonds said the field was opened early to give students access on a limited basis while repairs continue. During the break, the softball diamonds will be repaired with new sod, and the entire field will be sprayed for weeds.
The men’s lacrosse team has already resumed practice on the field, and the baseball team will begin holding its practices there this week. Athletic clubs will not have priority use of the field, according to OPERS, but will have the same access as all UCSC students.
