This fall, Autzen Stadium will once again look a little more like Shakedown Street than your typical Pac-12 (make that Big Ten) Saturday. When the Oregon Ducks host the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, October 25, 2025, the university is inviting fans to stage a full-stadium tie-dye out—a one-of-a-kind “Grateful Ducks” celebration that nods to Eugene’s deep bond with the Grateful Dead.
Why Oregon + the Dead makes perfect sense
The Grateful Dead’s fingerprints are all over the UO story. The band performed 10 times at Autzen between 1974 and 1994, and played dozens of campus shows dating back to the late ’60s—forming a cultural through line from Kesey’s backyard to modern Duck country. That lineage got a fresh echo when Dead & Company brought the music back to Autzen in 2018. The Oct. 25 theme game is a direct callback to that shared history.
University of Oregon Athletics
A living anniversary
The Grateful Ducks game lands in a milestone year for the community: Dead & Company are marking the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead with a three-night run in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, August 1–3, reinforcing how durable—and intergenerational—this music has become. Oregon’s October tie-dye out extends that celebration north up I-5.
What fans can expect
Wear tie-dye. The university has officially designated the Wisconsin matchup as a “Grateful Ducks Tie-Dye Out.” Think swirls, sunshine, bears, and big Autzen energy.
Limited-edition gear. The UO has teamed up with Class Trip on co-branded merchandise—Dancing Bears, “Steal Your Face,” and The Duck are sharing the same canvas on fresh tie-dye pieces, with availability through The Duck Store.
Pre-order details are rolling out ahead of the game.
Tickets. “Grate” seats are on sale while supplies last via GoDucks.com/FBTix.
More than a theme—an Oregon tradition
Eugene’s relationship with the Dead has never just been about concerts; it’s a community identity that embraces creativity, kindness, and a sense of play. Autzen’s tie-dye out is a modern riff on that tradition—part pep rally, part cultural reunion—set to the soundtrack of a high-stakes fall football Saturday.
If you go
Game: Wisconsin at Oregon — Sat., Oct. 25, 2025
Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
Wear: Tie-dye (head-to-toe if you’ve got it)
Merch: Look for Grateful Ducks drops from Class Trip at The Duck Store (pre-orders before in-store arrival).
The Ducks and Deadheads have crossed paths for decades; on Oct. 25, that history becomes the color palette. See you in the stands—in full color.
Sources: University of Oregon Athletics announcement; Dead & Company Golden Gate Park 60th anniversary information; Class Trip and Duck Store merchandise listings.
