Ducks Digest

What Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Said About Construction of New Practice Facility

Set to be complete in 2027, the state of the art practice facility being built off Martin Luther King Boulevard in Eugene has displaced the Oregon Ducks football team for their fall practices. Ducks coach Dan Lanning recently spoke about the adjustment.
Ally Osborne|
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning yells to the officials as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning yells to the officials as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Oregon Ducks

Down Martin Luther King Boulevard in Eugene Oregon, the sight of the Oregon Ducks' home of Autzen Stadium is accompanied by construction noises due to the current renovation of the Hatfield-Downlin Complex.

Constantly on the race to have the most modern state-of-the-art facilities, Oregon broke ground on a facility West of Autzen called "2.MO" shortly after the 2024 season, making coach Dan Lanning and crew reevaluate their practice set up.

The Ducks are currently practicing inside Autzen instead of the outdoor turf next to the indoor practice facility, the Moshofsky Center. This cut the Ducks' space to practice in the off season in half.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning rallies his team during warmups before the Oregon Spring game at Autzen in Eugene April 26, 2025
Oregon coach Dan Lanning rallies his team during warmups before the Oregon Spring game at Autzen in Eugene April 26, 2025 | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How the Ducks are learning to deal with the construction around Autzen Stadium.

"Yeah. Still learning, right? It means drills are moved in different spots, means that some of the drills are not, you know, you don't have as much field space for, so you have to adapt and adjust the drills. But it's something that we can handle well," Lanning said about the construction.

It's interesting to note that the Ducks teased a new documentary series covering their off season titled "Under Construction" pointing to the current renovations.

Members of the Oregon defense stretch as the Oregon Ducks hit the practice field ahead of Michigan State Tuesday, Oct. 1, 202
Members of the Oregon defense stretch as the Oregon Ducks hit the practice field ahead of Michigan State Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MORE: Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Addresses 'Good And Bad' From Defense

MORE: Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Looking To Add Elite Running Back Recruit

MORE: Oregon Ducks Facing Highly-Ranked FCS Team in Week One: Upset Alert?

MORE: Oregon Ducks 5-Star Recruit Anthony 'Tank' Jones Estimated NIL Earnings Revealed

So, what is happening with the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex?

Expected to push boundaries for football facilities across the country, the renovations to the Hatfield-Downlin complex introduces a brand new 140,000 square foot indoor facility mimicking the shape of the Oregon "O" from special polymer tile and Northwest timber. The indoor area will be temperature controlled to mimic certain environments for athletes.

"The center of the roof would be paneled with tinted polymer panels supported by a steel cable system, which allows natural light to reach the field without glare while insulating against heat," the University of Oregon wrote in a press release.

The new facility will allow other sports at Oregon to use the Moshofsky Center, often occupied by football throughout the off season.

There will also be 30,000 square feet of renovations to the existing complex.

According to the university, the renovations are "entirely funded through private philanthropy" and managed by the UO Foundation.

New Oregon Ducks practice facility for the Hatfield-Downlin Complex.
New Oregon Ducks practice facility for the Hatfield-Downlin Complex. | Courtesy of the Oregon Athletic Department

Why does this facility matter for current and future athletes?

“Probably more than anything, just the fact that Oregon continues to prove that we're going to be the best of the best,” Lanning said to Oregon Ducks on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus earlier this year. “When you get here and you're like, these are unbelievable facilities for our players. We talk about living off the land. And then they find out that it's only gonna get better… There's a lot of benefits to this new building that are going to be really special and directly impact our student athletes.” 

"Highly competitive, top-tier college football benefits our community in a myriad of ways, but especially economically, with thousands of visitors each fall spending millions of dollars. The economic and community impact of UO Athletics has increased in step with the trajectory of the University of Oregon football program. Maintaining a competitive edge has never been more challenging," the University said regarding the new complex.

Published
Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI, Ally Osborne is a born and raised Oregonian. She graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021 after interning for the Oregon Sports Network with experience working on live sporting broadcasts for ESPN, FOX Sports, the PAC 12 Network, and Runnerspace. Osborne continued her career in Bend, Oregon as a broadcast reporter in 2021 for Central Oregon Daily News while writing for Oregon Ducks on SI. Since then, Osborne is entering her third season reporting for the publication and is frequently the on-site reporter for home games at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. She is currently the host of lifestyle shows "Everyday Northwest" and "Tower Talk Live" for KOIN 6 News in Portland, Oregon. Osborne also works as a sports reporter for KOIN 6's "Game On" sports department. In her free time, Osborne is an avid graphic designer, making art commissions for athletes across her home state. Osborne's designs have even become tattoos for a few Duck athletes.

Home/Football