The University of Oregon will meet with prospective students and families, assist a local food bank, and gather with fans before the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Longhorns in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30.
The UO will visit San Antonio to make connections with prospective and current students as it has done for the past several years of bowl appearances.
“Our team is excited to visit Texas to meet with prospective students and families who will be able to learn more about our institution and the aspects that make the University of Oregon a good fit for their future educational opportunities,” said Roger Thompson, vice president for Enrollment Management at the UO. “Annual bowl visits have become an important element of our efforts to reach new geographic areas.”
A reception for prospective and current students and their families will be hosted by Enrollment Management, with assistance from the Parent and Family Association, on Saturday, Dec. 28. Thompson expects approximately 100 attendees at the event and looks forward to bowl visit opportunities to inform reception attendees about academic excellence at the university.
Prospective and current students and families are also invited to join UO volunteers – including university and student leadership, alumni and fans of each team – as they work together to assemble food boxes to help the San Antonio Food Bank on Sunday, Dec. 29.
This is the fifth consecutive year that the UO will participate in a bowl game-related community service project, with a local organization alongside volunteers from the opposing football team. UO President Michael Gottfredson, University of Texas President Bill Powers, Associated Students of the University of Oregon President Sam Dotters-Katz, UT-Austin Student Body President Horacio Villarreal and San Antonio Food Bank President and CEO Eric Cooper are scheduled to attend the event.
“Service to communities is an integral part of our university mission, and we’re happy to continue our tradition at the Alamo Bowl and to showcase how giving back is part of being a Duck,” said Robin Holmes, UO vice president for Student Affairs, the division that organized the service project and invited the University of Texas at Austin to participate.
On game day, for the first time, the University of Oregon and the UO athletics department have scheduled an open-to-all tailgate party for Duck fans. Admission is free at the gate but pre-registration is required to guarantee entry as space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre-purchase for meal and drink tickets is also available.
Kickoff for the Valero Alamo Bowl is at 3:45 p.m., Pacific Time. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
- by Julie Brown, UO Office of Strategic Communications