Editor’s note: In the final 20 days before Chip Kelly and the Ducks return to the field to defend their status as Pac-12 Champions, the Emerald sports desk will take a look back at one defining Oregon moment, play, or game each day. Every moment will have happened over the last 20 years of Oregon football, and not all are positive.
Starting a countdown of defining football moments without mention of a player, game, or play might be unorthodox, but the construction boom at and around Autzen Stadium over the past 15 years is worthy of its own spotlight. From the Moshofsky Center to the futuristic locker rooms, the influence on the Ducks’ success is hard to miss.
Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Darron Thomas runs a passing drill on the 2012 Pro Day at the Moshofsky Center. (Nate Barrett/Oregon Daily Emerald)
The transformation started in 1997 when ground was broken on the Moshofsky Center – the first indoor practice facility on the West Coast. Named for former lineman and donor Ed Moshofsky, the facility was a game-changer for football practices and recruiting purposes as well, allowing the team to not only escape the notorious Eugene weather, but replicate the conditions of road venues such as the heat in Tempe, Ariz. The “Mo” is also used as an indoor tailgating venue for fans during home games.
The DuckVision scoreboard was upgraded in 2010 and includes captions for those with hearing impairments. (Courtesy Clarke Anderson)
Following the 2001 season, Autzen Stadium itself was renovated to increase seating capacity as well as adding a modern feel to the south side of the field. The number of official seats increased from 41,698 to 54,000 and included luxury boxes and the “Autzen Club” above the outdoor seating. Other recent additions to Autzen include the large yellow “O” above the South entrance that was unveiled prior to a taping of ESPN’s television program College GameDay during the 2007 season and the 33-by-85 feet “Duckvision 2.0” that replaced the video screen installed in 1998.
Arguably the most modern aspect of the football complex, the locker room features lighting sensors to match the hue on the playing field and vents inside each locker so the place doesn’t smell like, well, a locker room. Rather than going into detail in print, quarterback Bryan Bennett is happy to give a tour of the eye-popping space.
