Eugene listed among the best college towns in the nation

You know those Saturday mornings when the sun peaks up over the Coburg Hills and starts to warm the crisp fall air? There are still some college students straggling home from Rennies’ Landing to the fringes of Oregon’s campus, and the city starts to wake up, getting ready for what is sure to be an exciting and eventful Duck football game as they flock to Autzen Stadium.

It’s days like those that make Eugene a special place.

A city that sees a large influx of college students settle into town each fall has made a reputation off of many things, sports and fandom being one of them. But when you look at the place as a whole, it really is a special place in the nation.

In a recent piece surveying the greatest college towns in the country, Hemisphere’s Magazine recognized the University of Oregon as the gem of the northwest. It was listed as one of the five best college towns in the United State.

Thanks to an alum by the name of Phil Knight, Eugene and the University of Oregon are inextricably linked with sports. The Nike founder and his wife have reportedly dedicated more than $1 billion to the school over the last four decades, and the city is sometimes called “Track Town, USA,” on account of the shoe company and U of O’s dynastic track program. Beyond its athletic pedigree, though, Eugene’s location at the southern end of the fertile Willamette Valley make it an ideal place for pinot noir drinkers and steelhead-chasing fishers, as well as boho types such as 1957 U of O grad and Merry Prankster Ken Kesey.

If you’re a regular reader of USA TODAY’s Ducks Wire, you likely are aware of what a special place Eugene is. It’s home to the Ducks, and a place where countless memories — both centered around sports and otherwise — have been made over the years.

It’s always nice to see that getting some recognition.