The Oregon Ducks finalized their historic move on Friday afternoon, officially leaving the Pac-12 Conference and accepting an invitation to join the Big Ten Conference.
The University of Oregon Board of Trustees met on Friday afternoon and unanimously voted to approve the move.
While jumping to the Big Ten comes with a number of positives, including increased exposure and revenue and prolonged sustainability in college football’s biggest conference, there are some negatives.
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One of those major downsides is the fact Oregon and Oregon State will no longer be members of the same conference. While that rivalry is among the most storied in the history of college football, it’s unclear what the future holds.
A press release from the University of Oregon after the move was finalized on Friday sought to reassure fans who want a continuation of the rivalry formerly known as the Civil War.
“In coming years, the UO will prioritize the long-held traditions, including competition across all sports with Oregon State University,” the university wrote in a press release on Friday afternoon.
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With the Ducks in the Big Ten alongside the Washington Huskies, the future of the Pac-12 is in doubt. The remaining Four Corner schools — Utah, Arizona and Arizona State — are leaving for the Big 12. That leaves Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford and California remaining in what’s left of the Pac-12.
While we don’t know what the future holds for those schools, we can at least feel confident that the rivalry between Oregon and Oregon State will remain.
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