It has been well over a year since the stands at Autzen Stadium were packed with fans, watching the Oregon Ducks play in front of an endearing crowd. The loss of fans at the Spring Game earlier this month was a brutal reminder of that, as Oregon’s new and improved squad showed flashes of greatness in front of an empty stadium.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, though, and as more of the public gets vaccinated and our country continues to climb out of this hole caused by the coronavirus pandemic, hope is on the horizon.
For the Ducks, that means the potential that there can be fans in the stadium this fall when Oregon kicks off the football season, according to athletic director Rob Mullens.
“We’re planning for all scenarios, including having a full stadium,” Mullens said, via an interview with The Athletic. “You’ve seen that our football season ticket sales are out there and we’re planning for groups and single games and all those things. We’re continuing to work closely with public health and our campus leadership, and we’re looking at all scenarios. Fingers crossed that the vaccinations continue and that we can get back to a packed stadium when we host Fresno State in September.”
There was originally a plan to allow approximately 8,000 fans into the Spring Game, but just days before the event, Lane County was placed in the ‘Extreme Risk’ category, and the plug was pulled. Of course, just a few days later, Lane County went back down to ‘High Risk,’ which would have likely opened the door back up for limited spectators.
Regardless, there is a world in which the seats at Autzen are packed full this fall as Oregon looks to make its run at a College Football Playoff appearance. A lot of things can happen between now and September, but hope is all that we can ask for.
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