Large inflatable of Oregon’s mascot placed in Indy river

Oregon made a boisterous entrance into the Big Ten as it took part in its first major event in its new conference home.

During Day 1 of Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis, an enlarged inflatable of the Oregon Ducks mascot was placed in the White River. The mascot was placed in the canal and right next to the bridge in the White River State Park, giving many a sight to see as they walked to Lucas Oil Stadium for the start of Big Ten Media Days.

It’s unclear who the mastermind behind the placement of the inflatable Duck, but the school’s athletic department teased something special might be coming ahead of Tuesday.

“Something B1G is coming… @TheOregonDuck,” the school’s athletics account posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. It included an image of its mascot sitting on a patch of grass overlooking the Indianapolis skyline.

Additionally, it’s also unknown just how large the inflatable Duck is. However, the bridge over the canal appears to be dozens of feet high and the head of the inflatable overlooks pedestrians. 

Oregon, of course, is one of four schools entering the Big Ten this season from the Pac-12, joining the conference alongside UCLA, USC and Washington. Entering the year, Oregon is widely regarded as the best team in that group and viewed as one of the top two frontrunners to win the conference. The school was voted second in the conference in Cleveland.com’s annual media poll, trailing only Ohio State.

The Ducks also received some honors shortly before the kickoff of the Big Ten Media Days. Oregon had two players named as Big Ten honorees, with quarterback Dillon Gabriel and wide receiver Tez Johnson being included on the 12-player list. 

Gabriel, who transferred into the program from Oklahoma over the offseason, recently became the betting favorite to win the Heisman in 2024. He threw for 3,660 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions to go with 12 rushing touchdowns last season. Johnson, meanwhile, had 86 receptions for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, slotting in to be the team’s top receiver after Troy Franklin‘s departure. 

While one-third of the 18-team conference met with reporters on Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days, Oregon isn’t scheduled to take part in the event until Thursday. So, it still has some time to get its ducks in a row and possibly have a full takeover of the White River or even the City of Indianapolis. 

Oregon likely hopes that this is just the first time it makes its presence known in Indianapolis this season, too. The Big Ten season concludes in Indianapolis with the Big Ten title game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Dec. 7.

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