To Duck fans young and old – from the decades-long season ticket holders, to the incoming freshmen lining up for their first student tickets, to the children brought to the game in green and yellow by their parents – take heart, because 2007-08 holds promise to be one of the best athletic school years in Oregon history.
And that’s ignoring the football team’s 2-0 start to the season.
Last school year, 11 of the University’s 14 varsity intercollegiate teams either participated in team postseason play or sent representatives to national competitions. One of the three teams who didn’t make the postseason, women’s soccer, was famously snubbed by the NCAA tournament selection committee despite finishing second in the Pacific-10 Conference.
That strength in depth means the whole year should be littered with success stories, from the first games of the football season to the final bell lap at Hayward Field in the spring. It’s a joy, considering a few of the teams expected to do well again this year are from former conference doormat programs now turned around – notably Jim Moore’s volleyball team and Tara Erickson’s women’s soccer team. Three years ago both teams were struggling and chained to the conference basement; now they hold their heads high after breakout seasons, and expect to get even more out of their talented young players.
Excuse me while I hum the fight song for a minute. Having competitive programs across the map is just as much a sign of Oregon’s ascendancy in the college sports ranks as the facilities, the Nike-designed football uniforms or the big-time boosters.
To the many incoming freshmen beginning their college years and interested in seeing the Ducks play, do not take this for granted. The perks of a major-conference school include seeing big-time sports teams, and that all of the programs have legitimate postseason shots – including the ones who didn’t make it to the postseason last year – only increases my cry for fans, especially my fellow students, to go see the Ducks play.
Sure, the men’s basketball and football teams take the spotlight, but with competitive teams playing and requiring just the student ID to get into the game, it’s criminal to not take in at least one game from every team in your college career. Men’s basketball, select women’s basketball games, and football are the only sports that require tickets, so with many more teams being competitive, there’s little excuse to say “no” to volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, softball, track, tennis or wrestling.
You’ve got four years – just keep it the back of your mind.
Well, except for the wrestling team. For those who think the wrestling team was hard-done by the July announcement they would be bumped off Oregon’s varsity sports roster by baseball, time is short to be vocal and make your support for the program known. Plus, the Pac-10 meet in being held at Mac Court in March – that will surely be an emotional event no matter the outcome.
Sure, the football team just hammered Michigan, and the basketball team is expecting great things after last year’s Pac-10 Tournament title and Elite Eight run. And, yeah, they don’t sell lacrosse, volleyball, or softball jerseys at the bookstore – yet football and basketball gear is all over the place. I get that. I have my student ticket for the Fresno State football game, too.
But there’s nothing better than sitting out on an afternoon or evening and watching a game. Especially when it’s your school out there playing – regardless of whether it’s your alma mater or you think the player who just scored is in one of your classes. Everybody knows Autzen and Mac Court have great home-court advantage (and if you’re new to the experience as a freshman or incoming transfer student, feel free to ask in the student section about cheering for the Ducks), so why shouldn’t it be that way for every other sport we can get to? With so many teams competitive and aiming for postseason play, they deserve our applause and cheers of “Let’s Go Ducks,” whether they play at Howe Field or Hayward Field, Autzen Stadium, Papé Field, or Mac Court.
There’s plenty to see and love in the Ducks sports world this season. I’m still not sold on those football uniforms, but I think I could even warm to those with a bowl win.