Herds of green and yellow clad fans cross the bridge over the Willamette River in Eugene and follow the winding path towards Autzen Stadium. Over the years, this journey has become a rite of passage for Oregon fans, and it’s a community-building aspect of gameday. Enthusiasm builds with each step towards Autzen as cheers of “Go Ducks!” are exchanged among the faithful.
The sound of “Mighty Oregon” brightens the atmosphere as the football team is welcomed by the spirit squad and a stretched out pathway of fans during the pregame teamwalk. Like most universities, this pregame tradition sparks thrills while enabling fans with an opportunity to connect with their beloved team.
The teamwalk is where sightings of The Duck are likely to be encountered. The Duck nickname naturally progressed out of the Webfooters. This moniker originated when Oregon was known as “The Webfoot State” in the early 20th century. The Duck’s likeness had contractual ties to Donald Duck from Disney up until 2010 when the University of Oregon and Disney parted ways. While there are still some resemblances to its history with Disney, The Duck is uniquely Oregon and one of college football’s most famous mascots. Fans especially await The Duck’s entrance to the stadium on a custom Harley along with its post touchdown pushups.
Autzen Stadium is deafening. While smaller in stature compared to its collegiate brethren, the home of The Ducks is an imbalanced, yet continuous bowl that brings fans close to the action thus encapsulating the sound. Intimate in nature, its 54,000+ capacity is widely known as one of the loudest collective bunches in the sport. Autzen is a house of intimidation.
Most notably, the stadium reaches peak levels during the traditional singing of “Shout” between the third and fourth quarters. The Otis Day classic rocks the stands as fans collectively throw their arms into the air and wildly scream the lyrics. No group reveres this song like the folks in Eugene. It hits with both a calculated and untamed approach that cannot be matched.
Eugene, Oregon is a classic college town offering everything from bars and restaurants to scenery and outdoor activities. The tremendous fanbase adds color and excitement that powers the pageantry of gameday. Simply put, Oregon is a college football fan’s dream.
