The Oregon Pit Crew has had little trouble connecting with die-hard Duck fans, but a new mobile application will soon connect students to Oregon athletics around-the-clock.
The Pit Crew last month debuted a new app for iOS devices that allows students to check in, earn rewards and find the best Oregon sporting events to attend each week. Created by computer and information science major Cody Hatfield, the app “Pit Crew” supplies a schedule of upcoming games, updated weekly, and posts by the Pit Crew’s media team.
The app, which Hatfield said is the product of a year’s work, uses GPS so students can see where games are currently happening on UO campus and check in, creating a community of fans. Hatfield said students can use GPS to check in at away games, as well.
“Every student can check in to games by location, but there are still a few kinks to be worked out,” Hatfield said.
“The check-in feature will be super cool for fans,” Pit Crew president Dylan Westrick said.
The app also allows for push notifications to remind students of upcoming games, and includes an option to set favorite sports for Pit Crew-generated content. It features a panel for articles, previews and videos, which will allow students to connect with student-athletes in new ways.
“When you set up your profile, you can select your favorite sport, and you’ll get notifications when they play at home,” Hatfield said.
The Pit Crew expects to have an Android version of the app available for students by basketball season.
Currently, the rewards within the app are badges based on total games attended during the school year, such as “Won The Day: Attend all home football games” and “Hat Trick: Attend all home soccer games.” Students create a Pit Crew profile, linked to their UO email accounts, on which they accumulate points. Westrick said it’s possible the data will be used to distribute exclusive gear.
Westrick said the app has been downloaded mostly by freshmen, who have been encouraged to use the app to get a handle on the buffet of UO fall sports. Ultimately, Hatfield and Westrick hope the app will allow more people to feel involved from the day they step on campus.
“It’s nice not to have to log on the internet to find each individual schedule, because it’s all there,” Westrick said. “We hope it’ll boost student attendance at every event.”
In the coming months, they hope to streamline the student experience and pull in more active users. Large-scale changes to the app, however, must be approved by Apple.
“We think and hope it’ll push attendance at the smaller events,” Westrick said. “It’s so exciting for us.”
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