Tailgating the Northwest

Fall means football, and there’s no shortage of great action in the Northwest. We have many beautiful campuses, unique stadiums with red and blue turf, tailgating by boat, former national champions, and a whole lot more. There’s nothing like the buzz around a college campus on a crisp fall Saturday afternoon. And even if your alma mater might be across country, there’s no shame in rooting for another regional team, rivalries withstanding! Just taking in the sites of game day is a blast, and we are fortunate to have some of the most interesting stadiums in the country close by.

University of Oregon

Location: Eugene, OR

Stadium: Autzen Stadium

Capacity: 54,000

Home Schedule: 9/5 vs. Eastern Washington, 9/19 vs. Georgia State, 9/26 vs. Utah, 10/10 vs. Washington State, 11/7 vs. California, 11/21 vs. USC, 11/27 vs. Oregon State

About the Team: The Ducks are one of the most powerful offenses in all of college football. Oregon brings in Eastern Washington transfer Vernon Adams to take the place of first round QB Marcus Mariotta. As luck would have it, the Ducks host the Eagles to open the season in what is sure to be an emotional matchup for Adams. Even with a brutal schedule, a trip to the college football playoff wouldn’t surprise many.

Did you know? Autzen stadium was used as the fictional field for Faber College in the John Belushi classic “Animal House.”

Oregon State University

Location: Corvallis, Oregon

Stadium: Reser Stadium

Capacity: 47,249

Home Schedule: 9/4 vs. Weber State, 9/19 vs. San Jose State, 9/25 vs. Stanford, 10/24 vs. Colorado, 11/7 vs. UCLA, 11/21 vs. Washington

About the Team: Oregon State struggled last year managing just two wins in conference play and a 5-7 overall record. The Beavers were 32nd in the country in passing yards, but that was coming off the arm of recently graduated Sean Mannion. A big test comes in week two with a trip to the big house in Michigan and a showdown with Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines.

Did you know? Reser Stadium broke ground in September of 1952 at a cost of $1 million dollars. The bill for renovation and expansion in 2005 was $80 million dollars.

University of Washington

Location: Seattle, Washington

Stadium: Husky Stadium

Capacity: 70,138

Home Schedule: 9/12 vs. Sacramento State, 9/19 vs. Utah State, 9/26 vs. California, 10/17 vs. Oregon, 10/31 vs. Arizona, 11/7 vs. Utah, 11/27 vs. Washington State

About the Team: The Huskies are a real wild card team this year after losing big contributors on defense to the draft as well as replacing their quarterback. After winning eight games a season ago, Vegas odds makers are only giving the Huskies four wins this season. Head Coach Chris Peterson opens the season at Boise State, the school in which he helped propel into the national spotlight.

Did you know? With a capacity of more than 70,000 and metallic roofs, Husky stadium is one of the loudest stadiums in the country crossing over the 100 decibel level multiple times each game.

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