Jeff Attila couldn’t make the trip out to Knoxville, Tenn., to watch the Oregon football team take on the Volunteers Sept. 11.
Still, the senior business administration major didn’t have to go far to have a good time.
Attila and some friends ended up watching the Ducks beat the Volunteers, 48-13, at Rennie’s Landing. The food, beverages and atmosphere helped shape the experience of another Oregon victory.
“They brought in Bud Light to sponsor some activities with prizes,” Attila said. “Being able to surround yourself with a collective group of Duck fans during the game is the next best thing to being at the game in person.”
But patrons aren’t the only ones having a good time with the Ducks’ victories. Campus-area bars have enjoyed an uptick in business as the Ducks have reached new heights as a football program, including a No. 1 national ranking this season.
“The fan base is always interested. This year, they’re more excited,” Rennie’s Landing manager Annette Lee said.  “We’ve been really packed.”
Bars typically track their income through a percentage of gross revenues, as measured against the replacement costs of food, beverages and supplies. Standard day-to-day thresholds lie anywhere from 20 to 30 percent.
While the bars surveyed by the Emerald did not provide specific figures related to sales or net income, the general consensus is that patrons are spending more money.
“We’re doing better since they’re winning, during games,” Lee said, adding that Rennie’s has noticed increased beer sales during the 2010 football season.
Ward Fairbairn’s establishment, Max’s Tavern, has also fared well during this football season.
“(This season) has generated nights that are off the charts. It’s been a roller coaster,” he said.
To attract customers without tickets to home games or without the budget to follow Oregon on the road, the bars have implemented special promotions on game days.
Rennie’s allows brand representatives from beer companies to stage activities while executing original promotions, such as bingo games. Meanwhile, Max’s hosts its own “tailgater” on its outdoor porch, complete with barbecued food and a series of car horns (hooked up to an air compressor) to announce the Ducks’ latest scoring drive.
The bars accommodate all types, and management personnel have been complimentary of the six opposing fan bases that have come to Autzen Stadium.
“Some of the Pac-10 teams travel very well,” Fairbairn said. “They spend well, they tip well and they’re very gracious in defeat.”
Fairbairn reserved special praise toward the cadre of Stanford fans that attended Oregon’s 52-31 victory over the Cardinal on Oct. 2.
“They travel with class, they’re happy to spend and they’re not jerks,” he said.
Skirmishes do tend to follow heated rivalries, contentious outcomes and inebriated fans. Security and safety of patrons remains a priority for the campus bars. However, in the eyes of management, whatever conflicts arose on the football field stayed there once the game ended.
“It’s really nice — things have been kosher,” Lee said. “The fans give each other a bad time, but then they buy each other a drink.”
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