University of Oregon graduation Countdown

From Deady Hall to TrackTown USA

Oregon opened in 1876 with a single building and has grown into a research university best known for its journalism school, its sports-product ties, and track and field — Eugene calls itself TrackTown USA, and historic Hayward Field hosted the 2022 World Athletics Championships, the first ever held on U.S. soil. The school's most famous kitchen experiment came when coach Bill Bowerman poured rubber into his wife's waffle iron chasing a better running sole, a tinkering streak that helped birth Nike.

A Monday morning in Autzen Stadium

Because Oregon runs on quarters, commencement comes in mid-June, after most of the country has graduated. Starting in 2026 the university moved to a single university-wide ceremony in Autzen Stadium: graduates gather at the Moshofsky Center, enter through the west tunnel onto the field, and celebrate in a roughly 90-minute ceremony. Afterward, free shuttles loop guests back to campus for individual school ceremonies at Matthew Knight Arena, Hayward Field, and Beall Concert Hall.

Graduates, class by class

The Class of 1934 gave Oregon Bill Bowerman, who returned to coach and co-found Nike with Phil Knight, BBA Class of 1959. The Class of 1957 produced novelist Ken Kesey; the Class of 1978, journalist Ann Curry; and the Class of 1986, Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk. Actress Kaitlin Olson finished her theater degree in 1997, and basketball star Sabrina Ionescu earned her bachelor's in 2019 before addressing the university's 2020 graduates herself.

Planning your graduation weekend

Eugene's hotels fill fast for graduation Monday and the weekend before it, so book early or look toward Springfield and the I-5 corridor. Autzen Stadium sits across the Willamette River from campus — many families park once and use the footbridge or the free shuttles rather than moving the car between ceremonies. Graduating Ducks: share this countdown with your class and watch the days to the big Monday tick away together.

Quick facts

• Founded in 1876 in Eugene, Oregon
• Enrolled 24,448 students in fall 2025
• The university commencement is held in Autzen Stadium, which seats about 54,000
• Hayward Field hosted the 2022 World Athletics Championships — the first ever in the United States
• The Duck mascot's resemblance to Donald Duck is covered by a 1947 handshake agreement with Walt Disney
• Nike co-founders Phil Knight (Class of 1959) and Bill Bowerman (Class of 1934) are both alumni