PORTLAND, Ore. -- Ducks fans woke up smelling roses Friday morning after the University of Oregon's 37-33 win over Oregon State, and thousands of fans and alumni have already begun preparing for the Ducks' southern migration for the 96th Tournament of Roses football game.
The Rose Bowl, located in Pasadena, Calif., became the first collegiate bowl game in the U.S. when organizers of the Tournament of Roses devised it as a fundraiser for the annual Rose Bowl parade. It is arguably the best-known bowl game in the country. The Ducks have a 1-3 record playing in the game and will face Big 10 champions The Ohio State Buckeyes -- a team Oregon has never beat.
The University of Oregon will receive 31,000 tickets to the big game. Donors and season ticket holders will get the first option to buy the university's alloted tickets. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 8 a.m. and cost $145 plus service fees, according to the Tournament of Roses website.
Azumano Travel is offering Rose Bowl tour packages for Ducks fans and has chartered fan flights to depart from Portland and Eugene.
"Interest in the Rose Bowl is off the charts this year," Azumano president Sho Azumano said. "The chartered flights appeal to fans because of the expediency of the travel itself, but also for the fun, excitement and esprit de corps of the other travelers onboard."
Azumano offers three options - two air packages, one each outbound from Eugene and Portland - and one "land package" that requires fans to arrange their own travel to southern California.
Each package includes hotel reservations, chartered travel to various Rose Bowl festivities, and for an extra fee, tickets to the game itself.
More information on packages and prices was available at the Azumano Travel website.
The University of Oregon Alumni Association has travel packages available for Ducks alumni.
A UOAA website devoted to travel for Ducks away games lists four Rose Bowl packages, including a deluxe option and a less-expensive "webbed foot" option.
Alumni can call a Rose Bowl tour hotline at (877) 373-7377.
