Autzen Stadium
Where Great Teams Go to Die
54,000 seats. Louder than stadiums twice its size. The most intimidating home-field advantage in college football.
Photos by The Quack Report. Taken at Autzen Stadium.
54,000
Capacity
1967
Opened
60,129
Record Crowd
vs Ohio State, Oct 2024
The Noise
127.2 dB (2007 USC game)
For comparison: a jet engine at 100 feet is 130 dB. A chainsaw is 110 dB. Autzen is closer to a jet than a chainsaw.
The stadium's enclosed bowl design traps sound. No open ends. No upper deck gaps. 54,000 people generating noise that 100,000-seat stadiums can't match. The student section sits directly behind the visiting bench.
Autzen Stadium is the loudest place I have ever coached or played in.Pete Carroll, USC head coach
Where great teams go to die.Coined 2003 after Oregon upset #3 Michigan
It is as loud as any stadium I have been in.Urban Meyer, Ohio State head coach
Home Record by Coach
CoachYearsRecordWin%Note
Dan Lanning2022-202528-2.933Only home losses: Georgia 49-3 (2022 opener), Indiana 23-17 (2025)
Mario Cristobal2018-202121-3.875
Chip Kelly2009-201224-1.960Only home loss: LSU 40-27 (2011)
Mark Helfrich2013-201616-8.667Washington 70-21 (2016) happened here
Notable Home Games
2024
Ohio State Oregon 32, Ohio State 31
Record crowd: 60,129. Biggest regular-season game in program history.
2009
USC Oregon 47, USC 20
Halloween night. #3 USC. The night Oregon became a national brand.
2007
Michigan Oregon 39, Michigan 7
Season opener. Dennis Dixon. 'Where great teams go to die.'
2025
James Madison Oregon 51, James Madison 34
First CFP game ever at Autzen.
1994
Washington Oregon 31, Washington 20
The Pick. Kenny Wheaton. Modern Oregon football starts here.
2014
Michigan State Oregon 46, Michigan State 27
Mariota's Heisman statement game. 4 TDs.
2010
Stanford Oregon 52, Stanford 31
Andrew Luck's Stanford came in ranked. Oregon scored 52.
2005
USC Oregon 27, USC 24
Upset of #1 USC. Kellen Clemens to Demetrius Williams.
Game Day Guide
Parking
Lots open 4 hours before kickoff. Closest: PK Park lot, Papé Field lot, Autzen Complex lots. Street parking along MLK Blvd fills fast. Many fans park on campus and walk across the Autzen Footbridge (10 minutes, scenic). The EmX bus (Lane Transit District) runs free shuttles on game days from campus and downtown Eugene.
Tailgating
Tailgating starts when lots open. Charcoal and propane grills are allowed. No open flames, no kegs, no glass. The PK Park lot has the best tailgate scene. Visiting fans are welcome. Oregon tailgates are friendlier than most.
Arrival
Gates open 90 minutes before kickoff. For the Autzen Walk (team walks from Casanova Center through a fan corridor to the stadium), arrive 2+ hours early. For big games (Ohio State, Washington), arrive even earlier. Security lines at gates build quickly for night games.
Weather
September: warm, 70s-80s. October: cooling, 55-65. November: rain and cold, 40-55. Layers are non-negotiable. Bring a rain jacket, not an umbrella (the person behind you will hate you). Night games in November can drop below 40°F. Eugene is the Willamette Valley. It will rain on you eventually.
Food
Inside: standard concessions plus Falling Sky Brewing (Eugene local). Outside pregame: Track Town Pizza (10 min walk), Cornucopia (burgers, bar, campus staple), food carts on Agate Street near campus. Downtown Eugene (5th Street Public Market area) is a 15-minute drive or EmX ride.
What to Bring
Clear bag policy (enforced). Layers. Rain gear for October-November. Ear protection if you bring kids. The noise is real. Leave the umbrella in the car.
What to Know
Student section is in the north end zone. The loudest spot. Visiting teams hate it. If you have never been, sit lower bowl between the 30s for the best experience. Upper rows of the south end zone give the widest view of the field.
Nearby Hotels
Walking distance: Valley River Inn (along the bike path). Campus-adjacent: Graduate Eugene, Inn at the 5th. Budget: Springfield motels (10 min east on I-105). Book months early for Ohio State, Washington, and any top-10 matchup. Hotels sell out fast.
Where to Sit
Lower bowl between the 30-yard lines is the best overall experience. The student section occupies the north end zone and is the loudest part of the stadium. Upper rows on the south side give the widest field view. The west side gets afternoon sun for early-season games. The east side stays shaded. For first-timers, Sections 7-12 on the west side or Sections 23-28 on the east side offer good sightlines at mid-range prices. Club seats are on the west side between the 20s.
Traditions
Autzen Walk: The team walks from the Casanova Center through a fan corridor to the stadium before every home game. Arrive early to line the path.
The O: Fans raise their arms to form a giant O. Started in the student section. Now stadium-wide on third downs and big moments.
Shout: The Isley Brothers' 'Shout' plays after Oregon touchdowns. The entire stadium jumps in unison. If you have been, you know.
Mighty Oregon: The fight song. Played by the Oregon Marching Band after every score. You will learn the words whether you try to or not.
History
Built in 1967 with a $2.5 million gift from the Autzen Foundation, named after Portland lumberman Thomas J. Autzen. Original capacity: 41,698. Expanded multiple times through the 1990s and 2000s to reach 54,000. The field was named Rich Brooks Field in 2004, honoring the coach who took Oregon from doormat to Rose Bowl. Phil Knight and Nike have funded multiple facility upgrades including the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex (football operations building) adjacent to the stadium. Despite being one of the smallest Power conference venues, the enclosed bowl design traps sound and creates what visiting coaches consistently call one of the loudest, most hostile environments in college football.
Built by fans who were there.
Weekly Oregon football analysis starting 2026 season.