The Oregon Ducks’ official tailgate partner will bring Benchmade’s passion for food, fire and gathering to one of college football’s biggest stages, with wide receiver Evan Stewart joining the brand as its first NIL athlete
Benchmade Arrives at Autzen Stadium.
The Tailgate Just Got Sharper.
EUGENE, Sept. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Football season is back, and Benchmade Knife Company is getting behind the grill, at the tailgate and on the field. Benchmade has signed a three-year partnership with Oregon Sports Properties, the sole rights management organization of the Oregon Ducks. Beginning with the 2026 season, Benchmade becomes the program’s Official Tailgate Partner and placing the Oregon-based knife company at the center of game-day culture at Autzen Stadium.
The partnership brings Benchmade into a natural extension of the brand’s longstanding connection to cooking, grilling, food and the people who gather around it. Across the three-year partnership, Benchmade will activate around Oregon football through stadium signage, game-day content, fan experiences and its own signature tailgate, creating new ways for Ducks fans to experience the brand.
“Oregon Football has become one of the biggest stages in sports, and that makes this partnership incredibly exciting for us,” said Jon deAsis, CEO of Benchmade. “What connects us as two premier brands in Oregon is the culture around the game of football itself. The rituals of gameday and tailgating emphasize competition, food, friends and bringing folks together for a great time. Benchmade and Oregon Football have been a part of these time-honored traditions for generations. We’re looking forward to showing up in Eugene and forming new memories with Ducks fans in the years to come.”
The partnership kicked off Aug. 20 with a Benchmade-style barbecue for the Oregon football team at Autzen Stadium, bringing players, coaches and staff together around food and the grill ahead of the 2026 season. As the season approaches, the partnership allows Benchmade to reach new and dedicated audiences globally through permanent signage above the east tunnel at Autzen Stadium, alongside in-stadium video signage that will run during games.
Oregon enters the 2026 season with the kind of momentum that makes Autzen one of the most electric places in college football. The Ducks went 13-2 in 2025, reached the College Football Playoff semifinal and have won 48 games since 2022. Oregon opens the 2026 season ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press preseason poll, the highest opening ranking in program history.
“We are thrilled to partner with Benchmade, a company that values performance and holds the same high standards as the Ducks,” said Kelly Schukart, Vice President and General Manager, Oregon Sports Properties. “It will be a fun partnership, from highlighting the fans and their tailgates on gameday, to working with our student-athletes on some impactful campaigns.”
The partnership also introduces Benchmade’s first Oregon NIL athlete, wide receiver Evan Stewart. A former five-star recruit, Freshman All-American and All-Big Ten honoree, Stewart enters his fifth year of college football as one of the Ducks’ veteran playmakers and a projected leader of Oregon’s receiving corps. He has been identified by head coach Dan Lanning as a player poised for a breakout 2026 season and is considered a top senior wide receiver prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.
On Oct. 17, Benchmade will bring the tailgate to life with a fan experience featuring renowned chef Matt Groark, giving Ducks fans another reason to get to Autzen early, fire up the grill and make a day of it.
For Benchmade, the partnership is an opportunity to bring the brand into the tailgate, one of the most recognizable traditions in college football. Throughout the season, Benchmade will show up alongside Oregon fans with the products, people and experiences that make game day worth getting there early for.
From the team barbecue to the Oct. 17 fan tailgate, Benchmade is putting its own spin on Oregon game day and making the most of a partnership that brings together football, food and the outdoors.
For more information, media inquiries or additional details about the Benchmade and Oregon Sports Properties partnership, contact Greg Fitzsimmons at [email protected].
About Benchmade Knife Company
Benchmade Knife Company has been designing and manufacturing premium knives in Oregon City, Oregon, since 1987. Family-owned and operated, Benchmade remains committed to American manufacturing and to the dedicated people who make its products combining precision, innovation, and craftsmanship to build knives that are trusted for life.
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- Benchmade Arrives at Autzen Stadium.
- The Tailgate Just Got Sharper.
