Saturday’s Oregon vs. Oregon State football was the perfect stage for DIRECTV’s Fan Zone activation, part of the brand’s ongoing commitment to college sports. From interactive games and product demos to rally towels and photo ops, fans packed “The Mo” just outside Autzen Stadium to celebrate in true Oregon style before kickoff. DIRECTV brought the fun, energy and streaming ease, while the rivalry game itself delivered the drama, together creating a day packed with excellence and school spirit.
DIRECTV’s College Sports Sponsorship
DIRECTV announced a multi-year, strategic and year-round collaboration with six university athletic departments this summer ahead of the highly-anticipated 2025 college football season. This sponsorship involves some of the most renowned institutions in all of college sports, including the University of Oregon.
DIRECTV is activating across the six campuses throughout the academic year with an initial presence at marquee college football games, including:
- August 30:Texas at Ohio State
- September 20:Oregon State at Oregon
- October 4: Clemson at UNC
- October 18: Georgia Tech at Duke
- November 1:Penn State at Ohio State
- November 28:Texas A&M at Texas
On Saturday, September 20, DIRECTV touched down in Eugene, OR, for a Fan Zone Activation and a historic matchup between Oregon State University and the University of Oregon.
Oregon vs. Oregon State Rivalry
The Oregon vs. Oregon State football rivalry, often called the “Civil War,” is one of the oldest and fiercest in college football. First played in 1894, it has grown into a defining tradition for the state, splitting households, towns and generations between Ducks green-and-yellow and Beavers orange-and-black. Marked over the years by pranks, brawls, dramatic upsets and high-stakes bowl implications, the matchup has come to transcend football. It’s a cultural touchstone that embodies school pride, regional identity and more than a century of bragging rights.
What makes the rivalry so iconic is its longevity and intensity. With well over a hundred meetings, it ranks among the most-played matchups in the nation. That weight of history was especially present this season, as next year will mark the first pause in the rivalry in more than 80 years. With Oregon’s move from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big Ten, no game is scheduled for 2026, creating a gap unseen since a 1911 riot and the World War II years of 1943-44. The series is set to resume in 2027, but the interruption itself is historic. As a result, this year’s contest carried an extra layer of celebration and nostalgia, and a chance for fans to revel in a tradition that has long held a special place in Oregonian hearts.
DIRECTV Fan Zone Activation
Fans poured into Eugene on Saturday ready to have fun, and DIRECTV was right there with them. Ahead of the game, the University of Oregon’s Moshofsky Center (affectionately called “The Mo”) was transformed into Fan Fest, complete with food and drinks, a Ducks bounce house and DIRECTV’s Fan Zone. The activation delivered something of a game-day playground: interactive games, free swag, product demos of MySports and other DIRECTV Genre Packs and live pregame viewing powered by DIRECTV’s satellite-free streaming service.
Living Room
Game day energy is electric, but sometimes you just need a comfy spot to catch every snap. The DIRECTV “Living Room” gave fans exactly that: cozy seating and three massive TVs streaming college football action from across the country. Just because you came to Autzen for the game doesn’t mean you should miss the rest of the Saturday slate!
Product Demo: Gemini Air
DIRECTV’s product station let fans experience the flexibility of streaming MySports on Gemini Air. Nothing beats a first-hand demo, and visitors quickly saw how easy it is to use. MySports delivers a curated lineup of channels (ESPN, Fox Sports, regional sports networks, plus local favorites like ABC and FOX) without the cost of a full live TV package. With DIRECTV’s sports-centric Genre Pack, fans can stream just the channels they want, and nothing more.
Photo Wall
A co-branded DIRECTV & Oregon backdrop gave fans the perfect excuse to stop, smile and snap a professional photo to share on their social channels to commemorate the day.
Stream and Redeem Game
Cornhole was a must at the activation, it’s a game day classic! But that wasn’t the end of the fun. The Stream and Redeem game offered an engaging way to highlight DIRECTV’s Genre Packs. Fans learned about the smaller, lower-cost packs that offer curated collections of channels and streaming services focused on a single theme like sports, entertainment, news or family programming. To no one’s surprise, the Sports Pack was a particularly big hit!
DIRECTV Merchandise
The green co-branded rally towels could be seen twirling throughout Autzen Stadium the rest of the day, and DIRECTV’s white t-shirts emblazoned with the Oregon Duck flew off the tables just as fast.
“The activation today was great,” said Josh Stern, associate vice president, brand strategy and investments at DIRECTV. “The Oregon fans really embraced DIRECTV, and they were really excited for us to be here. We talked to hundreds of fans about our Genre Packs. We talked to them about streaming satellite-free, sports mix and all of our mix channels.”
The Main Event
Eventually, the fun of Fan Fest was traded for the fun of the game itself. The showdown between Oregon and Oregon State delivered exactly what fans came for: big plays, nonstop energy and a rivalry atmosphere that kept Autzen rocking from kickoff to the final whistle. The Ducks ultimately came out on top with a 41-7 victory, dominating throughout to put the Beavers away, but both sides delivered standout moments that kept fans buzzing all afternoon. The atmosphere was electric in the sold-out stadium, and while the scoreboard leaned heavily green and yellow, it felt like everyone got to be part of something special.
Of course, the game itself was only half the show. Autzen was alive with all the pageantry, quirks and traditions that make Oregon football so unique.
Before kickoff, after both teams’ bands’ rousing performances, the Oregon Duck himself makes his grand entrance by riding across the field on a custom Harley Davidson, revving up the crowd before the first snap. Every Oregon touchdown brings another tradition: the Duck’s famous pushups. After each score, he cranks out as many pushups as Oregon has points on the board; a fun but exhausting ritual that once added up to 546 pushups in a single night after the Ducks dropped 81 points on Portland State.
And no game at Autzen is complete without “Shout.” Between the third and fourth quarters, Otis Day and the Knights’ iconic track from the Animal House movie (filmed right on the University of Oregon campus) turns the stadium into a giant sing-(and dance)-along. Cheerleaders, fans and even players all join in, dancing and belting out the lyrics together before the Ducks charge into the final quarter. It’s a beloved ritual that perfectly captures the fun, spirited culture of Oregon football, and one that makes a Saturday in Eugene unlike any other.
Check out the photo recap below for these moments and more!
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