EUGENE, Ore. -- (April 28, 2010) - The University of Oregon's Spring Football Game will make some noise on Saturday, with a national telecast and a few notable celebratory events surrounding the game.

Three Howitzer cannon will be brought by the Oregon National Guard to the north side of Autzen Stadium, and will fire three blank artillery rounds at about 3 p.m. as part of the halftime ceremony. The shots are expected to be heard in nearby Eugene and Springfield neighborhoods.

A major theme of this year's Spring Game will be the recognition and support of U.S. military personnel and their families. There will be a joint service color guard and 21-gun salute, and a National Guard Humvee mounted with 50-caliber machine guns is expected to be on display. Armed soldiers will guard the military equipment.

The military tribute was suggested by Oregon head coach Chip Kelly, who will be visiting Iraq and Afghanistan next month as part of a United Service Organizations tour.

A four-hour, pregame "Fanfest" will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Moshofsky Center, and will feature information tables staffed by veterans' service organizations and active military personnel. Five thousand specially designed t-shirts will be on sale, with all proceeds forwarded to the families of deployed troops or returning veterans. The shirts were donated by Nike.

Pregame, halftime and post-game events will feature representatives of the various armed services branches, along with the American Red Cross and veterans' organizations. Oregon players will give their jerseys to service members immediately following the game.

Saturday's game will be televised live to a national audience on ESPN2.

Admission to the game, which kicks off at 2 p.m., is three non-perishable food items that will be donated to Food for Lane County. Last year's Spring Game generated more than 22,000 pounds of food for the local food bank. Parking in the stadium's east lots will be $5 per vehicle.

About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 63 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.

Contact: Dave Williford, executive assistant athletic director for media services, 541-346-2251, diw@uoregon.edu

Media Contact: Joe Mosley, media relations associate, 541-346-3606, jmosley@uoregon.edu