GameDay begins Memorial Quad preparations

The football pregame show that has made Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit household names will be back on the University of Oregon's Memorial Quad by Thursday morning – two and a half days before kickoff for Saturday's UO-Stanford game.

The oversized set for ESPN's College GameDay, and a strike force production company that accompanies it – typically traveling from one week's location to the next with at least three semi trucks of gear – will be hard to miss on the west side of the UO campus.

UO Senior Vice President and Provost Jim Bean asked colleagues to report any scheduled activities in buildings surrounding the quad – particularly if they are not on the campus master schedule – so that any potential conflicts can be ironed out. But he didn't expect any major disruptions.

"Given the success of last year’s (GameDay) staging on the Memorial Quad, and the dedicated efforts of UO staff, we anticipate another positive experience," Bean said in his memo. "Let me emphasize that ESPN is respectful of the UO's academic mission and classes, and students will remain the top priority on Thursday and Friday.

The Johnson Hall parking lot will be closed to all reserved permit parking and all president’s gold/green visitor permits from 5 p.m. today (Nov. 14) through Saturday or Sunday, Nov. 17 or 18. Last year, the lot was closed until Sunday afternoon, but the crews may be able to leave more quickly this year. 

GameDay staff will set up temporary offices in Johnson Hall.

This will be College GameDay’s seventh visit to the UO campus and the 12^th game overall featuring the UO.

The Memorial Quadrangle is the grass area between the Knight Library (south) and Lillis Business Complex (north), and Prince Lucien Campbell and Condon halls (west) and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and Chapman Hall (east) on the west side of campus near 13^th Avenue and Kincaid Street.

The stage orientation will feature the Lillis Business Complex, one of the nation’s most environmentally-friendly business school facilities and the first LEED-certified building in the Eugene-Springfield area, as the background for the broadcast.

Saturday morning’s three-hour ESPN College GameDay production, presented by The Home Depot, goes on the air at 6 a.m. Pacific Time for the first hour on ESPNU, and from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on ESPN with hosts Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Samantha Steele and David Pollack.

UO students, faculty, staff and the community are encouraged to attend the live broadcast. The area in primary view for the television audience will open at 4 a.m. and is expected to be filled to capacity before the broadcast begins at 6 a.m.

The following items are not allowed in the area: bags, food, pens or markers, signs depicting advertising or attached to sticks, poles or rulers, objects that could be used as projectiles, or any items deemed by ESPN staff to be inappropriate.

Fans are encouraged to walk, bike or carpool when possible to travel to campus. Near campus parking options include Lots 6B, 42, 16, 17 and 18 on the map here. The lots are reserved for permit holders during business hours Monday to Friday; however, the public will be allowed to park while attending the GameDay broadcast.

The Autzen Stadium parking lot will operate on its regular game day schedule with opening four hours prior to kick-off at 1 p.m. It will not be available for early morning parking. 

Near-campus businesses are planning to open early for the early-rising Duck fans. The UO Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art will open at 6 a.m., and The Duck Store will open at 5 a.m. with coffee and apparel available for purchase.

Oregon has a 5-1 record when hosting GameDay with wins over Arizona State University in 2011, Stanford in 2010, USC in 2009, Arizona State University in 2007 and UCLA in 2000. The Ducks’ lone home loss was to California in 2007.

Oregon has been the road team for GameDay visits at USC and Oregon State in 2010, Arizona in 2009 and UCLA in 1998, when the show originated from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. ESPN College GameDay also aired from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, last season prior to the Ducks' neutral-site game with Louisiana State University in the Cowboys Classic.