Will the inflatable Duck be on Lake Michigan for Oregon's game vs. Northwestern?

In the summer of 2024, the Oregon Ducks made a splash in the Big Ten, quite literally, bringing a massive, 1,600-pound inflatable duck to Indianapolis for the conference media day ahead of their first season as league members. They went on to win the conference and dominate the regular season.

Now, that inflatable feathered friend could be making a reappearance.

On Saturday, the Oregon Ducks will face off against the Northwestern Wildcats in Chicago, on the shores of Lake Michigan. It would be an ideal backdrop for the giant Duck, overlooking the temporary field that Northwestern has been playing on for the past year as its stadium gets renovated.

Fans have been calling for this to happen for quite some time, hoping that they, at long last, get to see the massive display once again. So will this weekend be the return of the quack?

According to head coach Dan Lanning, it's unlikely.

Dan Lanning on whether or not the inflatable Duck will be making an appearance in Lake Michigan this week for the Northwestern game:

"I have no clue. It would be cool to see it out there. Doubtful."— Zachary Neel (@zacharycneel) September 10, 2025

That isn't a definite "no," but fans who were expecting the duck to pop up may be disappointed come Saturday. We will have to wait and see, but ultimately, it may be "The Duck" mascot who has to suffice in the end.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Inflatable Oregon Duck at Lake Michigan? Dan Lanning weighs in