Aug 29, 2024 - News

University of Oregon's inaugural Big Ten season opens Saturday

A general overall aerial view of Autzen Stadium on the campus of the University of Oregon on June 9, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images) — Autzen Stadium on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene. Photo: Kirby Lee/Getty Images

The Oregon Ducks will face off against the Idaho Vandals in their football season opener Saturday at Autzen Stadium.

Why it matters: This is University of Oregon's first year in the Big Ten Conference — a massive change for UO athletes, who will likely travel more often and face a wider range of competition.

Fans aren't too happy about the change.

The big picture: The traditionally Midwestern conference continued a push to the coasts it started 10 years ago, when it went east, by sprinkling in some West Coast flavor in 2024.

The addition of USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon has pushed the Big Ten from 14 teams to 18, making it the largest NCAA conference.
The Big Ten's raiding of the Pac-12 makes it the second-strongest conference in all of college football behind the SEC. For example, last year's national championship game would have been an all-Big Ten affair with today's conference.

State of play: The 2024 AP Preseason Poll includes six Big Ten teams, with No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 Michigan, No. 23 USC and No. 25 Iowa.

Early Big Ten Heisman hopefuls include Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard and Penn State quarterback Drew Allar.
Gabriel tops most early Heisman Trophy odds rankings.

Guide to the expanded Big Ten

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University of Oregon's inaugural Big Ten season opens Saturday

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