If you’ve ever had the good fortune to make it to Eugene for an Oregon football game at Autzen Stadium, you’re certainly more than familiar with the fact that the noise level there can be incredibly intense. If you’ve never made the trek to watch a game at the home of the Oregon Ducks football team, there’s a good chance you don’t know the extent of just how loud Autzen Stadium can be.
So, let’s explore this. How loud is Autzen Stadium? What makes Autzen Stadium such a loud and intimidating venue?
The home of the Oregon Ducks, Autzen Stadium is well known for the way its passionate fanbase and electrifying atmosphere create a hostile experience for opposing teams. On top of that, the stadium's unique and intriguing design, along with the relative close proximity of seats to the field, help amplify the noise generated by those passionate Oregon football fans.
Dan Lanning and Colin Cowherd discussed this a bit. The stadium itself only holds 54,000 seats (though the capacity can increase with standing room only tickets). That said, as Cowherd noted, the venue is much louder than the attendance number might lead you to believe.
So, just how loud is Autzen Stadium?
How loud is Autzen Stadium?
To be brief, it’s very loud. Very, very noisy. In 2003, the Michigan Wolverines left Ann Arbor to hit the road and face off against the Ducks in Eugene. And as the Michigan Daily ended up reporting after the Ducks handed the Wolverines a loss, Autzen Stadium is “deafening” despite the fact that the stadium is about half the size of the Big House in Ann Arbor.
As the Michigan Daily points out, Autzen Stadium is “shaped like an amphitheater,” which certainly helps the Ducks “get the most out of the noise its fans make.”
But that doesn’t quite answer the question. Let’s get something quantifiable. Like decibels. What’s the decibel level that’s been observed at Oregon football games in Eugene?
According to a report by KVAL, the home of the Ducks has seen a decibel level as high as 127.2 decibels. Which, that’s very loud. That’s more than loud enough to create a distinct home-field advantage for the Oregon football team. That sort of deafening noise level from Oregon football fans is capable of disrupting the opposing team's offense. If Oregon fans are routinely that loud, opponents will have a hard time hearing play calls and communicating on the field.
And, well, it might be worth considering taking a pair of ear plugs to a game. Just, you know, protect your ears a bit.