Autzen Stadium
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| Autzen Stadium | |
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| Location | 2727 Leo Harris Parkway Eugene, OR 97401 |
| Coordinates | |
| Broke ground | 1967 |
| Opened | September 23, 1967 |
| Renovated | 2002 |
| Owner | University of Oregon |
| Operator | University of Oregon |
| Surface | FieldTurf |
| Construction cost | $2.5 million USD, $80 million (2002 renovation) |
| Architect | Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Ellerbe Becket (2002 renovation) |
| Tenants | University of Oregon Ducks (NCAA) (1967-Present) |
| Capacity | 54,000 (official) |
Autzen Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Located north of the University of Oregon campus, it is the home field of the Oregon Ducks of the Pacific-10 Conference. Originally opened in 1967, the stadium has undergone several expansions; the official capacity is 54,000, though official attendance has exceeded that number every game since 1999.[1]
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[edit] History
Prior to 1967, the Ducks played on Hayward Field. Recognizing that the football team had outgrown that facility, Oregon athletic director Leo Harris led a campaign to build a new stadium on 90 acres that he had acquired for the purpose in the 1950s.[2][3]
The stadium, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, was built within an artificial crater to eliminate the need for multilevel ramps. As a result, construction took just nine months and cost approximately $2.5 million. $250,000 was contributed by the Autzen Foundation, headed by Portland lumberman Thomas J. Autzen, for whom the stadium was named.[4] Thomas J. Autzen is actually an alumnus of Oregon State University. His donation to the University of Oregon is linked to his son's attendance at the school during the late 1930s and early 1940s.
The first game played at Autzen Stadium was on September 23, 1967 in which Colorado defeated Oregon, 17-13. Oregon's first win in the stadium occurred on October 21, when Idaho was defeated 31-6. That was the only victory for Oregon at Autzen Stadium that year.
The stadium alternates with Reser Stadium at Oregon State University in hosting the Civil War game between Oregon and Oregon State.
[edit] Renovations
In 1988, a $2.3 million renovation built a new press box on the south side of the stadium and converted the original north side press box to luxury suites.[1]
In 1995, the field was named Rich Brooks Field. Brooks, currently is the head coach at Kentucky, coached the Ducks from 1977-94, and led the Ducks to their first outright Pac-10 title in school history in 1994.
In 2002, a $90 million facelift and expansion added seating and luxury boxes to the south sideline, bringing capacity up to its current size.[1]
[edit] Stadium records
The Ducks have a current streak of 55 straight sellouts at Autzen going back to the 1999 season. The highest attendance at Autzen was 59,379 on November 3, 2007, when the Ducks beat the Arizona State Sun Devils 35-23.
From 1997 to 2001, the Ducks had a 23-game home winning streak at Autzen Stadium that ended with a 49-42 loss to Stanford.[1]
| Autzen Stadium Attendance Records[citation needed] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Attendance | Date | ||
| 1 | Arizona State | 59,379 | 11/03/2007 | |
| 2 | USC | 59,277 | 10/27/2007 | |
| 3 | California | 59,273 | 09/29/2007 | |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 59,269 | 09/16/2006 | |
| 5 | USC | 59,129 | 09/24/2005 | |
| 6 | Oregon State | 59,050 | 12/01/2007 | |
| 7 | Michigan | 59,023 | 09/20/2003 | |
| 8 | Washington State | 58,749 | 10/13/2007 | |
| 9 | UCLA | 58,618 | 10/14/2006 | |
| 10 | Fresno State | 58,525 | 09/15/2007 | |
| 10 | Oregon State | 58,525 | 11/19/2005 | |
| 12 | Stanford | 58,450 | 09/02/2006 | |
| 13 | Washington | 58,408 | 11/04/2006 | |
| 14 | UCLA | 58,334 | 11/13/2004 | |
| 15 | California | 58,309 | 11/05/2005 | |
[edit] Location and configuration
The stadium is located just north of the Willamette River, next to Alton Baker Park. Students typically travel to the stadium by walking from the Oregon campus over the Autzen Footbridge, which passes over the Willamette. The FieldTurf playing field is at an elevation of 420 feet (130 m) above sea level and is laid out in a non-traditional east-west orientation.
[edit] Crowd noise
Autzen is known for its crowd noise. On October 27, 2007, during a 24-17 defeat of the USC Trojans, a record crowd of 59,277 fans was recorded at 127.2 decibels. A similarly-loud 31-27 upset of third-ranked Michigan in 2003 prompted a Michigan Daily columnist to write[5]
| “ | Autzen's 59,000 strong make the Big House sound like a pathetic whimper. It's louder than ... The Swamp at Florida, The Shoe in Columbus, and Death Valley at Louisiana State. Autzen Stadium is where great teams go to die. | ” |
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr later said that Autzen Stadium was the loudest stadium he'd ever been in.[6]
In 2006, a Sporting News columnist named Autzen the most intimidating college football stadium in the nation.[7]
Lee Corso of ESPN College Gameday frequently says that; "Per person Autzen Stadium is the loudest stadium that I have ever been in my entire life!"[8]
[edit] Other uses
Besides Ducks football, Autzen also plays host to other events, marching band competitions, Oregon high school football 6A, 5A, and 4A championships (until the 2006 season), and musical concerts, including U2 and numerous performances by the Grateful Dead. It is currently the largest sporting arena in the state of Oregon.
[edit] External links
- Sports-Venue.com - Autzen Stadium - Info and Photos
- Goducks.com - Official Autzen Stadium Information
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Autzen Stadium. GoDucks.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- ^ Autzen Stadium: Milestone of Momentum. University of Oregon. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ "Harris, former UO athletic director, dies", The Oregonian, April 26, 1990.
- ^ Autzen Stadium: Architecture of the University of Oregon. University of Oregon. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ McCollough, J. Brady (September 22, 2003). Duck, duck, lose. Michigan Daily. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- ^ Smith, Jeff. "Ducks savor '03: a Michigan loss", The Oregonian, September 8, 2007.
- ^ Hayes, Matt (August 7, 2006). No venue more intimidating than Autzen Stadium. The Sporting News. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- ^ http://oneclicksportsblog.wordpress.com/2007/09/28/ducks-have-you-read-these/
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