There is a rumor that the ball Oregon football played its first game with in 1894 is buried in the great lawn behind the university’s Lillis Business Complex. Students often dig up the lawn with hopes of finding the ball. Amid numerous attempts to find it, no one ever has.
Oregon fans sure are unique, and the traditions of the football team they support are, too.
Oregon’s uniform schedule
Oregon annually promotes and produces a uniform schedule that goes with the color scheme the team will wear that week. Duck fans always come dressed in style and in color with their team on the field. The remaining Oregon home games entail a black-out against USC, as well as a green-out of Autzen when the Beavers come to town.
“Oregon’s got some sick uniforms,” UO student Kayla Hussey said. “So it makes sense that Oregon would have something cool like a schedule for fans to follow. I will make sure I wear my black and green for the last two home games.”
The walk to Autzen
The walk across the bridge and through the woods to the home of Oregon football has become synonymous with the fan experience at Oregon. Fans flock from all over campus — and the state — to come see the Ducks play.
“I love the walk,” UO student Melissa Knight said. “ I think it’s funny when there’s so many people in such a small space; it makes the walk just that more entertaining for me.”
The “walk to Autzen” went viral on social media as fans were captured leaving the stadium early in the Ducks’ 42-6 trouncing of then-ranked No. 19 Colorado. “I thought that was really funny,” Knight said. “There wasn’t much else to see. Oregon was killing them so it was funny to see ESPN broadcast everyone leaving the game early.”
It never rains in Autzen Stadium
Coined by legendary, long-time Duck PA announcer Don Essig, the weather forecast at Oregon games is always offered with no chance of rain. “‘It never rains in Autzen Stadium’ has nothing to do with the weather,” Essig said in an interview with NBC Sports Northwest. “When people come into Autzen Stadium, it is in sight of them a sunny experience.” Whether on t-shirts, tokens or just by plain memory, ‘It never rains in Autzen Stadium’ has been adopted by Duck fans around the world.
“I love it,” UO student Kai Brown said. “I think it’s great, but it will be really really funny if it actually ends up raining at an Oregon game this year. I wonder if he will still say that to the crowd.”
The Harley-Davidson motorcycle
Before every home game, a custom Harley-Davidson motorcycle leads the Ducks out onto the field. Riders Arlen Rexius and Matt Hogan take turns on “the Harley”, accompanied by The Duck mascot on their back.
“Of course, Oregon has something cool like that,” UO student Chloe Kavadas said. “It’s really loud and it’s unique to Oregon so I think it’s great.”
In 2020, an Oregon custom model of “the Harley” was listed on Craigslist for $29,000. “The motorcycle is so loud,” UO student Frank Swift said. “The whole student section starts cheering when they hear the motorcycle. It gets everyone so excited to see Oregon take the field, and I know the game will start soon.”
Rexius and Hogan took over the role from long-time rider Doug Koke last year. “It’s quite an honor, to be honest when that thing fires up, and you’ve gone to these games your whole life, to have a chance to be at the controls,” Hogan said to Kezi. “It’s quite a deal. It’s a little like taking a Harley on the dirt; it’s not what they were intended for.”
The Duck’s Pushups
Oregon football has played strong this year and its mascot may be even stronger. After every Ducks’ point-scoring drive, Oregon’s mascot does as many pushups as the football team has scored. The Duck sure is getting strong by my unofficial count. Oregon’s mascot has done 1,082 pushups throughout four Oregon home games.
“The Duck is my favorite,” UO student Dustin Short said. “I think it’s hilarious when the Duck has to do a ton of pushups and then gets tired toward the end. It’s a fun thing to do.”
The Duck famously did 546 pushups in Oregon’s 81-7 routing of Portland State. “He doesn’t have to go to the gym tonight,” Oregon middle-linebacker Bryce Boettcher said to GoDucks after the game on Sept. 2. “546, that’s incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many pushups since I’ve been here. I’ve gone to a lot of Oregon games, too.”
The Duck certainly is strong, and Oregon fans will hope to see quite a few more pushups before the season is finished.
“Coming Home”
Mat Kearney’s “Coming Home” plays during the interlude between the first and second quarter. Duck fans join in with the song’s chorus, “I left my heart in Oregon.” Kearney, who grew up a Duck fan, said in a 2015 interview with the Emerald that he considers the song one of the highlights of his career. “It’s literally one of the most exciting things that has ever happened in my career,” Kearney said. “The Ducks were my heroes when I was growing up.”
“Shout”
You know it and you love it. The Ducks, who coined “Shout” from the 1978 comedy film “Animal House,” have played Otis Day and the Knights’ tune at the end of the third quarter at every home game since 2010.
Oregon players and even opponents join in as the crowd erupts with noise before the start of the fourth quarter of play. “‘Shout’ is the best!” UO student and longtime Duck fan Matthew Licurse said. “It’s a great way to interact with fans and it gets the whole crowd involved. I love doing it with the other fans; it gets everyone so excited and is unique to Autzen and Oregon college football in general.”
From tunes to motorcycles, Oregon has quite a few traditions that make the Oregon football experience that much more unique and exciting for fans.
