Charlie Kirk was remembered at Oregon in other ways.

PublishedSeptember 20, 2025 5:24 PM EDT•UpdatedSeptember 20, 2025 5:48 PM EDT

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The world is still processing the assassination of Charlie Kirk last week, with several professional teams paying their respects to the former conservative activist.

NFL franchises have honored him in different ways, including the Buffalo Bills, who held a moment of silence during their Thursday night game against the Miami Dolphins. Many then wondered if the Oregon Ducks—Kirk’s favorite college football team—would do the same on Saturday.

It’s become clear that, due to a family connection, Kirk was an Oregon fan, thanks to family members attending the school, according to Kirk himself. 

Though they weren't obligated to honor him, it certainly would’ve been a nice gesture by the Oregon Ducks, given the fact that Kirk was clearly an avid fan. 

But OutKick could not find anything on social media related to the Ducks honoring Charlie Kirk prior to the game or during halftime. 

On the other hand, head coach Dan Lanning made his thoughts perfectly clear this past week, multiple times. 

Lanning addressed Kirk’s death several times, stressing that no one should lose his or her life for expressing an opinion.

"I've spoken on stuff like this before, it probably just hasn't garnered the attention before," Lanning noted. "After the Utah game in 2022 we're dealing with school shootings in the world, it just makes me sick. I feel like when you have an opportunity to have a voice, shame on you if you don't use it. I do think there is a lot people can learn from our locker room. 

"So, whether it's an assassination attempt, school shooting, we've got a problem just respecting the human life in this world. It bothers me, right. Especially as a guy with three young kids. It's just a little nerve wracking that we don't respect human life, regardless of who it is, it's wrong. Murder is wrong in every way and I think when you get a chance to speak on it, you need to."

Oregon Doesn’t Hold Moment Of Silence, But Lanning's Words Were Enough

The Ducks ultimately did not hold a pregame moment of silence before their rivalry game against Oregon State. Still, it was clear that Lanning became the program’s voice on the tragedy, speaking directly about the broader issue of violence.

Some may have been disappointed by the lack of a formal pre-game gesture, but when the head coach—the face of the program—speaks candidly about such an incident, that in itself can be enough.

OutKick did reach out to Oregon multiple times this week to see if it had anything planned, and did not hear back from the Ducks athletic department. 

Oregon Ducks Don’t Hold Moment Of Silence, But Coach Dan Lanning Honors Charlie Kirk With Powerful Message

Even so, there have been vigils across the state over the past two weeks, with students organizing their own services in Kirk’s memory. And for many fans, simply tuning into Oregon’s game on Saturday may have been their personal way of honoring him.