EUGENE - Oregon began the 2011 season with its toughest opening-day opponent in recent memory resulting in a 40-27 loss to LSU Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

But none of the Ducks who spoke following Monday's practice said they regretted beginning the season with such a tough challenge. In fact, Oregon coach Chip Kelly said he would gladly start each season against a powerhouse. He just wishes some of them would come to Autzen Stadium once in awhile.

“We want to play the best," he said. "Just tell them to schedule us. We can’t get people to come to Autzen. So, that’s a real tough deal to deal with. We would play the best to open every season, but we aren’t going to be home every season, either.”

Oregon won 48-13 at Tennessee last year but the Volunteers, Kelly said, won't return the favor and come to Autzen Stadium. Other programs from BCS conferences have also declined to visit Eugene.

"We were supposed to play Kansas State, but they cancelled," Kelly said. "We were supposed to play Tennessee, they’re not going to play us. We were supposed to play Georgia, they’re not going to play us.”

Because of the Labor Day holiday, the athletic department at Oregon was closed. But a department official said information on the Tennessee game will be released Tuesday. On Twitter, folks out of Tennessee are insisting the game is still on.

Autzen Stadium, which seats fewer than 60,000, is much smaller than the stadiums at Tennessee, Georgia and most national powers. Still, it wasn't always so difficult to get teams to come to Autzen.

Purdue, of the Big Ten, lost38-36 at Oregon in 2009 but the last perennial national power from a BCS conference to play at Autzen was Oklahoma in 2006 after it hosted the Ducks in 2004. The Sooners lost 34-33, thanks in large part to a couple of controversial calls near the end of the game.

Prior to the Sooners, Michigan came to Autzen in 2003 as the No. 3 team in the nation and lost 31-27. Oregon won at Michigan in 2007. Wisconsin fell to the Ducks in 2000 by the score of 31-28.

In other words, if Oregon were an easy win and Autzen not so darn loud, maybe more big time programs would continue to come to Eugene.

“I don’t know if people don’t want to come here or what the deal is, but if we’re going to play in games it just seems that we have to go on the road to do them," Kelly said. "Number one, that’s not fair to our fans and especially when we have a conference schedule that only gives us four home games. We’re going to have to get someone to come in here. No one right now is really excited about trying to come to this place.”

The invitation is out. Let's see if anyone bites...

--Aaron Fentress

Follow @AaronJFentress