The Ultimate Tailgate Showdown at Oregon vs. OSU Rivalry Football Game

Friday, Nov. 24, is game day at MAC as the Social Activities Committee hosts its first annual tailgate party. This exciting, family-friendly event is meant to bring rival fans together for a day of football and fun. As part of the draw, the committee is asking MAC members to please volunteer a tailgate vehicle with a tent cover, decorations, and fun to create a unique tailgate experience.

The Turnaround will transform into a full game day scene, with the display of tailgate vehicles joined by the food truck Smak Dabs. The game will be projected on the big screen with tables, decorations, giveaways, and a football-themed kids’ zone.

Please arrive in your favorite rival gear. Ahead of this event, which was planned with MAC members and university alumni in mind, the committee caught up with a few of them to hear their stories as they participated in game day life and events on campus.

Ian “Louie” Paul transferred to Oregon State University from California’s Chapman University during his sophomore year of 2003. A background in music and gymnastics led him to a cheerleading open call, and he definitely knocked that out of the park, going on to become captain of the cheerleading team for the following three years. Paul describes his game days as fun, exciting, and busy. Could you imagine not just being a viewer but creating the atmosphere? He and his team were knee-deep in festivities hours in advance of the game, entertaining and performing, and his personal favorite was leading the game day chant and running the flag leading the team out onto the field. When asked about what led him to OSU, Paul shared a touching story of his alumni parents. During his time at OSU, he joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon and roomed in the very room his father had proposed to his mother in during their time on campus. Paul comments that he misses the friends he made and the beautiful season and scenery of Corvallis.

Maynard Chambers, also an OSU graduate and a car enthusiast, jumped at the chance to join the MAC Rivalry Tailgate. He, with Benny the Beaver, will showcase his 1929 Mercedes Benz Roadster SSK Replica at the tailgate. Please swing by his tent on game day and appreciate his love for cars. Chambers attended OSU from 1963 and 1969 and never left. His love for the school and his professors led him to move into a position of professor of business at OSU, Linfield College, and Linn Benton for the next 30 years. Though he was not in the sports system at school, he certainly loved game days and traditions, recalling how he and his friends would go shirtless with painted chests on sunny game days, sneaking beer and cheering on the Beavers. He was no dry guy; Chambers has made some extraordinary accomplishments in his lifetime. He has climbed on both Mount Everest and Kilimanjaro, as well as boated the entire length of the Amazon and sailed to Hawaii and back. Another amazing MAC member, but we would expect nothing less!

Marissa Fewel is a true tailgater! She won’t be at the 2024 tailgate party because she’ll be sitting front and center on game day in the stadium! This house-divided season ticket holder does not miss a game. Fewel, a fun 30-something gal, graduated from the University of Oregon in 2015 with a degree in journalism. This has led her to a successful career in public relations. She had chosen U of O specifically, she says, because she didn’t know what she wanted to do when she grew up and could see that U of O offered such a diverse range of degrees. Fewel was heavily embedded in the football scene and a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma house. With a Duck dad and Beaver mom, there is no better football world to grow up in! Fewel recalls having the privilege of attending games during the precious Marcus Mariota years, with her senior year being the first year in college history to offer the college football playoffs. Not only did the Ducks take the win against Florida State University, but that was also the year Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy. All these team accomplishments and excitement certainly added to game days, tailgating, and traditions. Fewel explains that her favorite part of fall on campus was her season ticket-holding family; tailgating with her family was a special part of her time there.

Joey Harrington really needs no introduction. Who better to offer game day insight?! Harrington has been a national leader and innovator in the college football world for over 20 years. He attended University of Oregon from 1997-2002 as the Oregon Ducks quarterback. Harrington chose Oregon over Stanford so both his parents and grandparents could be part of his game day life. His time at U of O was integral in giving the Oregon football program national recognition and launching a true football brand. He has many noteworthy accomplishments over the years and was nominated for the Heisman Trophy in 2001 as the Pac 10 Offensive Player of the Year. He went on to play seven more seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, and Atlanta Falcons. What’s perhaps most interesting is his many other interests and accomplishments. Harrington played piano with both the jazz and pep bands, was a founding member of the first student pit crew at U of O (supporting the university’s basketball team), and now runs the Harrington Family Foundation, which provides four-year scholarships to Oregon students with strong leadership skills going to in-state colleges and universities. When asked about his most memorable time at Oregon, Harrington recalls pouring out of the tunnel onto the field on game day and how it would give an irreplaceable feeling of adrenaline as part of an incredible football career. His time overall at U of O provided him with a sense of enjoyment and friendship in an approachable atmosphere he will always truly cherish. Just one more outstanding MAC member!