It’s the one commodity all student basketball fans want their hands on.
It symbolizes the most die-hard of die-hard basketball fans on campus.
It’s not a home-game ticket for the Civil War game or games against Arizona or UCLA.
It’s the Pit Crew T-shirt.
This season, the highly demanded shirts will be distributed at the Nov. 14 exhibition game against Western Oregon.
The shirt is given out before every men’s basketball season to the first 1,000 students through the gates at McArthur Court at a predetermined non-conference game.
After the shirts are distributed, student game-attendees will be allowed to enter Mac Court early for a shot at prime seating in what is widely considered one of the most exciting college basketball venues in the country.
Pit Crew president Eric Weckert said the demand for shirts is so big, he receives nearly
30 e-mails a day from fans asking when shirts are going to be distributed or whether they can still get a shirt without attending Sunday’s game.
“You have to say no to those people because the people that deserve the shirts, in my view, are the ones who wait outside in line for hours,” Weckert said.
Weckert, a 22-year-old business major, said he advises people to get there early if they want a shirt, citing last season when people started waiting in line before noon for the
7 p.m. game.
“That’s one of the biggest things I can say if you want your shirt,” Weckert said. “Make sure you get in line early.”
However, he said last season students “panicked and literally got crushed” in hot pursuit of the shirts. Weckert stressed that if people are there early, “they’re going to have no problem getting a shirt.”
Weckert is in his second year as president of the Pit Crew, which was formed by head coach Ernie Kent and the University’s sports marketing program back in 1999. The story is Kent’s wife, Dianna, came up with the name “Pit Crew” and it has stood ever since.
One of the group’s founding members is ex-Duck and current NFL quarterback Joey Harrington. Weckert said he expects Harrington to make at least one appearance this season.
“He usually doesn’t pass up a good basketball game,” he said. “He loves basketball.”
Weckert said the best part of being a Pit Crew member is watching the crowd erupt after a huge dunk or three-point shot during a game.
“To look around and see all these people coming together regardless of who you are,” he said. “I mean, that’s the thing. It’s that you’re united by this one thing — the Pit Crew.”
Fellow member Joey Greenberg, who is the head of sponsorships, added that it’s great to see the older alumni join in the celebration with the students.
“We’re up and jumping around and it actually affects them and the whole place gets rocking and it starts affecting the players,” Greenberg said, who is also a 22-year-old business major. “I think that’s the coolest part — getting the more stoic, older people to (cheer).”
One of the group’s biggest targets from opposing teams is Washington guard Nate Robinson, who is listed as 5-foot-9. Robinson is infamous for being referred to as Gary Coleman whenever he visits Eugene.
“I think it’s all tasteful fun in my opinion,” Weckert said. “We love Nate Robinson and I hope that he understands and reciprocates the love for us.”
Weckert said he now hopes fans can get more vocal and louder than last season.
“You don’t have to worry what other people think of you,” he said. “Just scream at the top of your lungs and you’re going to be accepted. The environment is amazing, but it has to be created by us.”

Alex Tam is a freelance reporter
for the Daily Emerald