Eugene police escorted a record number of people from Autzen Stadium on Saturday during the Civil War game for what police said was an unprecedented amount of heavy drinking and offensive behavior.
Police escorted 70 people from the stadium for inappropriate behavior and arrested one man for fighting with police officers, said Kerry Delf, a spokeswoman for the Eugene Police Department.
The number was higher than previous football games this season, including the Sept. 24 game against the University of Southern California, when 50 people were escorted out, Delf said.
The rivalry between the Ducks and the Beavers and the late starting time of the game contributed to the high number of people drinking at the game, said Eugene Police Lt. Pete Kerns, who was in charge of EPD patrols at the stadium during the game.
Police began removing people from the stadium two hours before the game started, Kerns said.
“That has never happened before,” he said.
The Student Senate recently proposed a “pro-classy advertising campaign” and other measures to dissuade students from participating in unruly fan behavior. In a letter to University President Dave Frohnmayer, the Senate recommended he start with an advertising campaign and, if the problems with unruly fans persist or become worse, implement more severe measures. Those measures include revoking tickets for violators, fining violators, increasing security and pushing for increased coverage in the Emerald and on campus radio station KWVA.
Officials in Frohnmayer’s office and in the Athletics Department could not be reached for comment on the proposals Tuesday because they didn’t return phone calls or were out of town.
After the USC game, people asked whether the Eugene police planned to increase patrols at football games. Police patrols at University sporting events are authorized and funded by the University, Delf said.
So far this year, the University has not authorized an increase in police patrolling at games, Kerns said.
At the Civil War game, people were cited for alcohol offenses, offensive behavior and assault, which “is more common (at football games) than any of us realize,” Kerns said.
Kerns also said students account for only a small percentage of people at Autzen Stadium and are not the only people causing problems.
Many people witness illegal behavior at games but don’t report it because it is inconvenient and people think it should be tolerated, Kerns said.
“The nature of big sporting events is highly emotionally charged,” he said. “There’s a lot of heavy drinking and the assumption is that it should be tolerated.”
Authorities are considering making a telephone line available next season for people to report unruly behavior, Kerns said.
University freshman Jennifer Collins was stepped on by a crowd of students rushing to the field moments after the game ended.
Collins said she was standing near the aisle in the 10th row, when the mob, screaming “just push through,” forced her onto her stomach and stepped on her.
She said she was not able to stand again until the mob reached the field and someone helped her up. The incident caused bruising on her legs, hips and face. Collins’ friend, who was also caught in the mob, twisted her ankle.
Kerns encourages people who witness offensive behavior at games to report it to authorities immediately.
“If people reported it more, we would have more influence on inappropriate fan behavior,” he said.

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