The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and has been a member of the Pac-12 Conference and prior iterations since the conference's founding in 1915. Their home games are played at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon. The mascot of the beavers is also the official state animal and nickname for the state of Oregon. Team colors are orange and black. The school has one Heisman Trophy winner with Terry Baker in 1962 and has a total of six conference championships. OSU's main rival has been the University of Oregon in what traditionally has been named the Civil War, first played in 1894.
Early history
Football at Oregon State University started in 1893 shortly after athletics were initially authorized at the college, which was then known as Oregon Agricultural College. Athletics were banned prior to May 1892, but when the school's president Benjamin Arnold died, his successor John Bloss reversed the ban. Bloss' son, William, started the first team, on which he served as both coach and quarterback. The team's first game was an easy 64–0 victory on November 11, 1893, over visiting Albany College.Bear and Forbear, "College Column," Corvallis Times, vol. 6, no. 39 (Nov. 15, 1893), pg. 3.
When the team first started, they played their first games on an open grass lot with a perimeter fence. In 1896 or 1897, bleachers were built for the south side, which was designated the home side, and in 1899–1901, bleachers were built for the visitors on the north side. It was first known as College Field on Lower Campus. The first game was played on November 11, 1893, at College Field on Lower Campus against Albany College. Over 500 spectators, who paid a ten-cent admission, cheered on OSU for a 62–0 victory. Brady F. Burnett scored the first touchdown in Oregon State history on a fumble return.
In 1906, Oregon State hired Fred Norcross as its head football coach. Norcross had played quarterback for Fielding H. Yost's "Point a Minute" Michigan Wolverines from 1903 to 1905. Through the first six games of the 1906 season, the college had compiled a 4–0–2 record, outscoring opponents, 77–0. In the final game of the season, Willamette defeated Oregon State, kicking a 23-yard field goal midway through the first half, the only points either team scored. Despite the result, Oregon State students marched through the streets of Salem, Oregon, chanting the early OSU fight songs.
Conference affiliations The university has been in several athletic conferences. Prior to joining the Pac-12 Conference (then called the Pacific-8 Conference), OSU intermittently played as an independent school.
Oregon Intercollegiate Football Association (1893–1897) Independent (1898–1901, 1903–1907, 1909–1911) Northwest Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1902, 1908, 1912–1914)"League of Colleges," Spokane Daily Chronicle, vol. 17, no. 34 (Oct. 11, 1902), p. 1. Pacific Coast Conference (1915–1958) Independent (1959–1963) Pac-12 Conference (1964–present)
Conference championships Oregon State has won seven conference championships, done through four different conferences, although two of them have links to the current Pac-12 Conference, as the conference claims the history of the PCC as their own, and the Athletic Association of Western Universities was the first name for the conference that later became the Pac-12 Conference."Football," Corvallis Gazette vol. 30, no. 45 (Dec. 22, 1893), p. 1., quoting the Corvallis Gazette.
1893 Oregon Intercollegiate Football Association Will Bloss 5–1 3–01897 Oregon Intercollegiate Football Association Will Bloss 6–0 3–01941 Pacific Coast Conference Lon Stiner 8–2 7–21956 Pacific Coast Conference Tommy Prothro 7–3–1 6–1–11957† Pacific Coast Conference Tommy Prothro 8–2 6–2 1964† Athletic Association of Western Universities Tommy Prothro 8–3 3–12000† Pacific-10 Conference Dennis Erickson 11–1 7–1
† Co-championship
Other claimed championships
1897 Champions of the Northwest
The 1897 Oregon Agricultural Aggies football team compiled a perfect 5–0 record, shut out four of five opponents, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 164–8. The team claimed their second league championship in the OIFA.
The Aggies defeated Oregon (26–8) and Washington (16–0). With those two wins, they then proclaimed themselves regional "Champions of the Northwest".
1907 Champions of the Pacific (West Coast)
1907 Champions of the Northwest
The 1907 Oregon Agricultural Aggies football team represented Oregon Agricultural College as an independent during the 1907 college football season. In their second season under head coach Fred Norcross, the Aggies compiled a perfect 6–0 record, did not allow any of their opponents to score, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 137–0. The Aggies' victories included games against Oregon (4–0), Pacific University (49–0), and Willamette University (42–0).
Oregon Agricultural's game against Loyola, then known as the St. Vincent's College Saints, was a Thanksgiving Day matchup of the "Champions of the Northwest" and the "Champions of California", with the winner taking home the "Championship" of the entire West Coast. After their victory, the Aggies proclaimed themselves "Champions of the Pacific Coast".
Head coaches List of head coaches, tenure, and number of seasons.
Will Bloss (1893, 1897) 1, 1 Guy Kennedy (1894) 1 Paul Downing (1895) 1 Tommy Code (1896) 1 No coach (1898) Hiland Orlando Stickney (1899) 1 No team (1900–1901) Fred Herbold (1902) 1 Thomas L. McFadden (1903) 1 Allen Steckle (1904–1905) 2 Fred Norcross (1906–1908) 3 Sol Metzger (1909) 1 George Schildmiller (1910) 1 Sam Dolan (1911–1912) 2 E. J. Stewart (1913–1915) 3 Joseph Pipal (1916–1917) 2 Homer Woodson Hargiss (1918–1919) 2 Dick Rutherford (1920–1923) 4 Paul J. Schissler (1924–1932) 9 Lon Stiner (1933–1942) 10 No team (1943–1944) Lon Stiner (1945–1948) 4 Kip Taylor (1949–1954) 6 Tommy Prothro (1955–1964) 10 Dee Andros (1965–1975) 11 Craig Fertig (1976–1979) 4 Joe Avezzano (1980–1984) 5 Dave Kragthorpe (1985–1990) 6 Jerry Pettibone (1991–1996) 6 Mike Riley (1997–1998, 2003–2014) 2, 12 Dennis Erickson (1999–2002) 4 Gary Andersen (2015–2017) 3 Cory Hall (2017) 1 Jonathan Smith (2018–2023) 6 Kefense Hynson (2023) 1 Trent Bray (2024–2025) 2 JaMarcus Shephard (current)
Bowl games
Oregon State University has played in 20 postseason bowl games. The Beavers have also played in the Mirage Bowl, but this was a regular season game and a "bowl" in name only, not a post-season invitational bowl game. The Beavers lost the 1980 edition of the game against No. 14 ranked UCLA 34–3 in front of 80,000 at National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.
The 20 bowl game total does not include an invitation to play in the Gotham Bowl in 1960, when no opponent could be found for Oregon State. The Beavers are 12–8 in bowl game appearances.
1939 Lon Stiner Pineapple Bowl Hawaii W 39–6 1941 Rose Bowl Duke W 20–16 1948 Pineapple Bowl Hawaii W 47–27 1956 Tommy Prothro Rose Bowl Iowa L 19–35 1960 Gotham Bowl None Found 1962 Liberty Bowl Villanova W 6–0 1964 Rose BowlMichigan L 7–34 1980 Joe Avezzano Mirage Bowl UCLA L 3–34 1999 Dennis Erickson Oahu BowlHawaii L 17–23 2000 Fiesta Bowl Notre Dame W 41–9 2002 Insight Bowl Pittsburgh L 13–38 2003 Mike Riley Las Vegas Bowl New MexicoW 55–14 2004 Insight Bowl Notre DameW 38–21 2006 Sun Bowl MissouriW 39–38 2007 Emerald Bowl MarylandW 21–14 2008 Sun Bowl PittsburghW 3–0 2009 Las Vegas BowlBYU L 20–44 2012 Alamo BowlTexas L 27–31 2013 Hawaii Bowl Boise State W 38–23 2021 Jonathan Smith LA BowlUtah State L 13–24 2022 Las Vegas Bowl Florida W 30–3 2023 Kefense Hynson Sun Bowl Notre Dame L 8–40
Home stadium
The Beavers play their home games at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon. It was originally called Parker Stadium when it was constructed in 1953, and had a capacity of 25,000. Parker Stadium was renamed Reser Stadium in June 1999. Major renovations from 2005 to 2016 increased the stadium's capacity to 43,363, where it stood through the 2021 season. Another renovation project, called "Completing Reser", was announced on Feb. 4, 2021. The stadium featured a temporary capacity of 26,000 during the 2022 season and now has an official capacity of 35,548 at the completion of the construction project for the 2023 season.
Rivalries
Oregon
Oregon State University's primary rival is the University of Oregon. The two schools enjoy a fierce and long-standing rivalry due to the proximity of the two campuses. The University of Oregon is in Eugene, Oregon, about south of Corvallis.
The teams first matched up on the gridiron in 1894 and have been playing each other almost every year since. The rivalry game between the two schools has traditionally been the last game of each season and was long known as the "Civil War Game." The two schools have played each other 128 times, tied for fifth most among any Division I FBS rivalry. Though not officially recognized by the universities, the Platypus Trophy is awarded annually to the winning alumni association. Oregon leads the series 69–49–10 through the end of the 2024 season.
Washington State
The rivalry with Washington State started in 1895 when Cougars defeated the Beavers 41–35. It is among the most played FBS rivalries in history. The two rivals have meet 110 times as of 2025 and will play each other twice with a home-and-home series in 2025. Washington State leads the series 57–50–3 through the middle of the 2025 season.
The Beavers' largest margin of victory was 66–13 in 2008, while the Cougars' largest margin of victory was 55–7 in 1991. Oregon State's longest win streak against the Cougars is six straight from 1966 to 1971, while Washington State's longest against the Beavers is 10 straight from 1983 to 1993. The rivalry has not been officially named yet, with suggestions including the "Land-Grant Rivalry", the "Cascade Cup", and the "Colombia River Rivalry".
Northwest Championship
The Northwest Championship is a rivalry between Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, and Washington State. The four Pacific Northwest rivals began playing in a round-robin format in the 1903 season. No trophy is awarded to the winner, and no organization grants the title, although in 2002, the Washington Huskies wore homemade t-shirts for the Northwest Championship.
Retired numbers
Oregon State Beavers retired numbers No. Player Pos. Tenure Ref.11 Terry Baker QB 1959–1962
Although not a retired number Oregon State has "AL" displayed opposite Terry Baker's number "11" in Reser Stadium for long time donor/philanthropist/contributor Al Reser.
Individual national award winners
Players Heisman Trophy Terry Baker (1962)
Maxwell Award Terry Baker (1962)
Groza Award Alexis Serna (2005)
Biletnikoff Trophy Mike Hass (2005) Brandin Cooks (2013)
Chic Harley Award Terry Baker (1962)
Paul Hornung Award Jack Colletto (2022)
National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award Mike Kline (1961) Terry Baker (1962)
UPI College Football Player of the Year Terry Baker (1962)
Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Terry Baker (1962)
Sporting News College Football Player of the Year Terry Baker (1962)
College Football Network Punt Returner of the Year Anthony Gould (2022)
Silver Anniversary Awards Terry Baker (1988) Pellom McDaniels (2015)
NCAA Inspiration Award Esera Tuaolo (2024)
Coaches Sporting News Coach of the Year Dennis Erickson (2000)
AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year Mike Riley (2008) Mike Riley (2012) Jonathan Smith (2022)
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award John Cooper (2016)
Individual conference awards Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year Jacquizz Rodgers (2008)
Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Bill Swancutt (2004†) Stephen Paea (2010)
Pac-12 Freshman Player of the Year Brandon Browner (2003) Jeremy Perry (2005†) Jacquizz Rodgers (2008)