LA GRANDE — After the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the typical sports calendar over the past two years, Blue and Gold Weekend is set to return to Eastern Oregon University and the Mountaineer football team is champing at the bit to host the event.

Head football coach Tim Camp began the event before the pandemic, and it has grown into a university-wide gathering beyond just football. From auctions and community engagement to a sneak peak at the 2022 Eastern football roster, Blue and Gold Weekend is the premier event for the school’s athletic department this spring.

“It’s really turned into something,” Camp said.

The two-day event is centered around showcasing the athletic department to the La Grande community, with a full slate of activities and fundraisers for athletes, alumni and residents. On Friday, May 13, Eastern will host a student-athlete challenge that is open to the public — a DJ will be at the event, as well as spike ball tournaments, a barbecue and other activities.

Alumni involvement is one of the goals of Blue and Gold Weekend. The Eastern athletic department is encouraging alumni to fill out the alumni contact information update on the department’s website, in order for the university to keep up with former student athletes.

On May 14, events will start off with a women’s soccer alumni game at 1 p.m. The men’s soccer alumni game will follow at 3 p.m., setting the stage for the evening Blue and Gold football game. On the community engagement side of things, the Eastern wrestling team will host a cornhole tournament from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The tailgate zone and beer garden will be up and running from noon through 7 p.m. Eastern will host a silent auction benefitting the athletic department from noon to 5 p.m. And a family fun fest is set to take place from noon to 6 p.m.

The Blue and Gold game at 6 p.m. is the main event of the weekend.

“We want it to be a competitive game,” Camp said of the scrimmage. “It’s controlled, obviously, but there’s a certain amount of things I want to see in the game.”

For Camp and the football team, the spring game serves as an integral experience for newcomers and experienced players alike. Camp stated that the team will go through a standard game day routine, from morning walkthroughs to pregame rituals — the scrimmage will be primarily offense versus defense to simulate in-game action. The second half of the game will be more situational, running through special teams plays and other scenarios. Camp said the experience will go a long way particularly for freshmen and players looking to step up into bigger roles this fall.

“Some of these kids haven’t done that, so that’s what I try to use the spring game for,” he said. “It’s good prep for Aug. 27 when Montana Tech is here.”

Camp noted that the team currently has more than 90 athletes on the roster, with 27 students taking part in the upcoming recruiting class.

“Spring is a chance to see a bunch of different guys playing together and seeing who works together well,” the coach said. “As a team, we’re really working together right now. We’re just making sure we get the correct looks and playing good football.”

As for position battles, Camp said that every position is open.

“That’s spring football, there’s nobody really set in stone,” he said. “We do have some performers who I think can shake up the Frontier Conference, but at the same time, they’re going to go out there and fight for the job every day.”

Camp emphasized the role that community engagement plays in the event, as the team’s spring game has grown over his 15 years as head coach. The team has also recently been a part of Arbor Day tree planting, STEM kits for local schools and other community events.

“Getting out in the community is probably the most important thing these kids do,” Camp said, “to be able to give back to Eastern Oregon University and the community.”