This article is a part of the START issue, a guide for all incoming Oregon State University students and their families going through START, which aims to help familiarize them with the campus, college life, academic success and more.

Gamedays at Oregon State are exciting, fun and a great way for students to connect with the Beaver community.

With facilities within walking distances, students and fans can effortlessly find the stadiums and partake in the fun. At Oregon State, the athletics department is rich with talent and die-hard fans. Rain or shine, win or lose, our stadiums are full of Beaver spirit. 

Kayla Spani – fourth year (2021) 

Working for the athletic department as a student has provided me with some really unique game-day experiences. Home football games create such a fun environment on campus, and being a direct part of that because of my job has been so fun. Taking prospective recruits down onto the field before and after games has been one of my favorite parts. The student section is always loud, and the energy in Reser is unmatched. 

Morgan Hall – OSU alumna (2020) 

I have truly loved every athletic event I attended as a student at OSU! Working for the athletic department gave me a whole new appreciation and love for OSU athletics and allowed me to attend events I wouldn’t have thought I would get to experience.

My favorite athletic event I ever attended was the Super Regional baseball games in 2018. Not only was that year so special because the team won the National Championship, but the atmosphere and excitement in Goss Stadium were unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

The love and support that surrounds Oregon State athletics is so special and I’ll always be happy I got to be a part of that for my four years here! Go Beavs!

Brenden Ranan – fourth year (2021) 

In my time at OSU I have had the privilege to watch my beloved Beavers play many great games. My first football game [was] versus UW where we held them 10 points at halftime to only get blown out 44 to 3.

Holding out hope that we keep up with WSU in a shootout that same year. Watching Ryan Nall fumble our chances at beating Stanford. Watching us get so close to beating the Ducks last year in Women’s Basketball. 

Out of all the games, my best experience would have had to be the back to back Civil War sweep a year ago for Men’s and Women’s basketball. I loved it, the atmosphere, the crowd, and the intense rivalry. I went with one of my friends and the best summary for that game is that we both lost our voice after the game.

I can’t recall specifics, but the most vivid memory was the last inbounds play in the WBB game. The Ducks were about to inbound right after we scored. I think at this point it was a 1 score game. Gill Coliseum was rocking, I was screaming then the ball got in the hands of Ionescu, and in a flash, I saw Aleah Goodman go for a trap causing her to travel.

As soon as that was called, Gill went wild.

Hannah Johnson – fourth year (2021) 

When I was in high school I was on the cheer team all four years so I never got to have the experience of being in the student section. So going to OSU, I was really excited to be in the student section cheering on the football team.

Freshman year, I didn’t know my way around campus so sadly I ended up lost trying to find Reser and came across a couple of girls that directed me perfectly to it. At that moment I knew this place felt welcoming and was home away from home.

As I got to the game I met up with all my new friends and it was nothing that I was expecting. Everyone was cheering and jumping for the entire game. Even though I missed being on the sideline, I knew I was meant to be in the student section screaming at the top of my lungs. I am so blessed to have one more year at OSU because I am definitely not ready to stop cheering on my Beavs at every game.

Landon Simpson – third year (2022) 

I had been to many Oregon State football games prior to enrolling and attending OSU. Growing up, love for the Beavers was ingrained in me and my brother from our dad, an Oregon State graduate. I went to my first game at such a young age that I probably was still in swaddling clothes.

However, the first game I recall going to was against Cal in 2006. I was 6 years old and all I really remember was sitting above one of the cement entrances watching the Beavers get beat badly.

Even though we lost the game, I enjoyed going to the stadium on a sunny September day with my family and experiencing life in Corvallis for the first time. Fast forward 14 years and nothing has changed.

Brynn Masters – second year (2023) 

My favorite memory of an OSU sporting event is family weekend. My dad came down and got to spend the day with my sister and I. It was exciting because normally my dad goes down to see my sister but now that I was at Oregon State, we could all spend time together.

We spent the evening meeting so many nice people, eating hamburgers, waiting for the game to start. OSU is such a welcoming place where we can all come together to enjoy one another’s company, eat good food, and cheer on the Beavs. Win or lose, no one hesitates to be a proud Beaver fan which is why I love it so much here.