I understand completely why to some fans it is not fair having to fly back to the Midwest or the East Coast for Big10 games 3 or 4 times per year. It is hard to keep from doing that with 9 B10 games on the schedule. There are only 3 other teams on the west coast and you don't play those teams every year. Let's say for this example Oregon played all three west coast B10 teams annually. That leaves 6 games to play to finish the conference. 2 of 3 OOC games are probably at home every year, 1 or 2 of those west coast teams would be home. So there is possibly 4 home games before any other B10 teams are played. IF 3 of those fly to Eugene to play that leaves a possible 7 home games for the year and 3 games "back east" ... so really there isn't a way to get around from playing B10 games "back east" 3-4 times every year.

The big problem I see here while sitting in Indiana ... starting times. For all schools that are flying opposite directions to play conference games. Like Washington in 2024 in Bloomington. That was a BigNoon Fox thing so kickoff is 9am for the Huskies. When IU went to Eugene last fall that was a 3:30pm ET and no problem for an IU team traveling west.

It will aways be advantageous for the other 14 B10 schools traveling west for games. TV tells the conference what games are going to be featured on THEIR times ... while not caring for starting times, where or who they played the previous week. Add that to a B10 office that has had mysterious scheduling in football and basketball every since they went from only 10 teams in the conference ... there isn't much hope for logical B10 scheduling.

How far will Oregon Ducks travel in the 2026 college football season?

at Oklahoma State (Saturday, September 12)

Miles traveled: 1,887

at USC Trojans (Saturday, September 26)

Miles traveled: 861

at Illinois Fighting Illini (Saturday, October 24)

Miles traveled: 2,136

at Ohio State Buckeyes (Saturday, November 7)

Miles traveled: 2,437

at Michigan State Spartans (Saturday, November 21)

Miles traveled: 2,340

Potential Big Ten Championship (Saturday, December 5)

Potential Miles Traveled: 2,261)

In total, without the Big Ten Championship game on the schedule, the Ducks are projected to travel 7,525 miles, which will be among the most in the nation this year.

It's the "cost of doing business" for being in a conference located in the Midwest. I hated to see the Pac12 break up. I couldn't believe the commissioner didn't have a decent tv deal set up. How does a conference with more National Championships won than anyone else do that? 20 years ago I told a fellow college football addict that in our lifetime we would see 64 of the top football teams take their sports and break away from the NCAA, forming 4 different divisions of 16 teams. The teams west of the Rocky Mts would have their own conference.

There’s no crying in Foooootbaaaall! Oregon down right demanded to be a part of the B1G. We wanted the $$$, we wanted the prestige, we wanted the validation for a path to the playoffs by playing Michigan and ‘Ohio’, yeah I said it. It’s a simple extra 3-5 hr flight as well as a 3hr earlier game time.

We play anywhere anytime! Midnight???!! Let’s Go Ducks!! Take Flight!

I've said it in other threads, but the amount of travel that football does is dwarfed by the amount of travel that basically all other team sports in the department have to do. I have zero sympathy for Oregon football, Oregon volleyball? Oregon soccer? I have a lot more sympathy for them since they aren't afforded the luxuries that football get along with more travel.

Here's more on the Ducks twice in three seasons being behind a Big Ten scheduling 8-ball and the demands of traveling twice to the Eastern time zone in November.

Autzen Zoo

Oregon's 2026 schedule demands adjustments in planning, p...

No one has depth anymore, not like the pre-portal days. Oregon lost 30 players to the NIL chase. Texas Tech lost 31.

.

Suck it up and play ball! Fine, but being asked to play 8 Big Ten games in a row, again, is over the line.

3 hours ago, iubhounds said:

I understand completely why to some fans it is not fair having to fly back to the Midwest or the East Coast for Big10 games 3 or 4 times per year. It is hard to keep from doing that with 9 B10 games on the schedule. There are only 3 other teams on the west coast and you don't play those teams every year. Let's say for this example Oregon played all three west coast B10 teams annually. That leaves 6 games to play to finish the conference. 2 of 3 OOC games are probably at home every year, 1 or 2 of those west coast teams would be home. So there is possibly 4 home games before any other B10 teams are played. IF 3 of those fly to Eugene to play that leaves a possible 7 home games for the year and 3 games "back east" ... so really there isn't a way to get around from playing B10 games "back east" 3-4 times every year.

The big problem I see here while sitting in Indiana ... starting times. For all schools that are flying opposite directions to play conference games. Like Washington in 2024 in Bloomington. That was a BigNoon Fox thing so kickoff is 9am for the Huskies. When IU went to Eugene last fall that was a 3:30pm ET and no problem for an IU team traveling west.

It will aways be advantageous for the other 14 B10 schools traveling west for games. TV tells the conference what games are going to be featured on THEIR times ... while not caring for starting times, where or who they played the previous week. Add that to a B10 office that has had mysterious scheduling in football and basketball every since they went from only 10 teams in the conference ... there isn't much hope for logical B10 scheduling.

Good take. Thanks for being on the Forum and for all of the great posts.

Thanks for the heads up on Northwestern playing 11 games in a row. Good luck, Chip. 😉 I was focused on conference contenders. NW will battle, but it is one of the longest shots to contend for a conference title.

In a mega-conference with teams coast to coast, some teams will get the short end of the scheduling stick. Understood.

What isn't right is taxing Oregon for the second time in three seasons, with eight B1G games in a row without a break, including a trip to Columbus on 11/7 and to East Lansing on 11/21.

Like 2024, Oregon is the only Big Ten team playing eight straight without a break.

THIS does not have to and shouldn't happen. It's a competitive disadvantage. Michigan plays seven in a row, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, six straight, Penn State, and UW play 5, and USC, with an OOC opponent still to be named, plays 5.

Just to rub it in, Illinois is off the week before Oregon travels East to play the Illini.

Mercy!

29 minutes ago, spartan2785 said:

I've said it in other threads, but the amount of travel that football does is dwarfed by the amount of travel that basically all other team sports in the department have to do. I have zero sympathy for Oregon football, Oregon volleyball? Oregon soccer? I have a lot more sympathy for them since they aren't afforded the luxuries that football get along with more travel.

Good point.

But the fact that travel is more difficult for other sports does not negate the Big Ten handing Oregon eight games straight without a break, which includes two trips to the Eastern time zone in November.

Twice in three seasons, B1G HQ has Oregon as the only Big Ten team playing eight in a row. This is a competitive disadvantage that should not have happened once, let alone twice.

2 minutes ago, Jon Joseph said:

Good take. Thanks for being on the Forum and for all of the great posts.

In a mega-conference with teams coast to coast, some teams will get the short end of the scheduling stick. Understood.

What isn't right is taxing Oregon for the second time in three seasons, with eight B1G games in a row without a break, including a trip to Columbus on 11/7 and to East Lansing on 11/21.

Like 2024, Oregon is the only Big Ten team playing eight straight without a break.

THIS does not have to and shouldn't happen. It's a competitive disadvantage. Michigan plays seven in a row, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, six straight, Penn State, and UW play 5, and USC, with an OOC opponent still to be named, plays 5.

Just to rub it in, Illinois is off the week before Oregon travels East to play the Illini.

Mercy!

None of it makes sense. Northwestern has to play 11 games in a row including IU, Penn State, Iowa, Oregon, and Ohio State. Then Penn State gets the schedule of the year with a bye after 7 games and not playing Oregon, IU and Ohio State. Besides getting half shares of tv money or some of the new 4 getting more of half shares (I only know they are not full shares of tv money) it is easy to see the B10 Office has decided those 4 teams are going to have to "pay their dues" so to speak to be in the "Mighty Big Ten" ... It really is that obvious.

Thank you for the complement. Like I told Charles yesterday, I was on IU forums back in 1997?, have been on many opponents forums before they were bought out by Rivals/On3 last year and after reading this forum a month or so before joining this is the best forum I go to. Most of the other fans including IU decided to follow those that require a subscription.

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by iubhounds

Ducks road record in two years of BIG Ten schedule: 9-0

Games at Michigan, Penn St, Iowa, Wisconsin, Washington, UCLA, Northwestern, Rutgers, Purdue.

So far where ever or when ever the Ducks show up, it's been the home team's problem.

The Games You Remember are Played in November.

I don't know if there will be snow on the ground in Columbus or East Lansing, but OBD has tough sledding in November.

Oregon Ducks On SI

Toughest Three Game Stretch of Oregon Ducks Football Sche...

The Oregon Ducks’ 2026 schedule is out, featuring a mix of marquee matchups and highly winnable home games at Autzen Stadium. Under coach Dan Lanning, Oregon ha

6 hours ago, iubhounds said:

It's the "cost of doing business" for being in a conference located in the Midwest. I hated to see the Pac12 break up. I couldn't believe the commissioner didn't have a decent tv deal set up. How does a conference with more National Championships won than anyone else do that? 20 years ago I told a fellow college football addict that in our lifetime we would see 64 of the top football teams take their sports and break away from the NCAA, forming 4 different divisions of 16 teams. The teams west of the Rocky Mts would have their own conference.

Its the cost of doing business for a better overall payout, if you reside on the west coast.

Oregon, UW, UCLA, and the Spoiled Chillblains all are financially better off than any other former or "current" PAC teams since the big break up.

This season Northwestern plays 11 after a bye. Oregon and UCLA both have the same bye date and play 8 games after the bye. Though, one of UCLA's 8 is a home game vs Nevada.

Oregon and UCLA will have 5 at home, and 3 on the road.

It could have been 7 if the B1G had scheduled UO and UCLA to play a week earlier while moving the bye date a week later. But, apparently was trying to avoid UCLA having back-to-back road games.

Teams with back-to-back road games that involve flying over time zones, but all have a bye in between like UCLA:

UCLA: Maryland, bye, Oregon

Iowa: Washington, bye, Minnesota

Michigan St: UCLA, bye, Michigan

Ohio St: Indiana, bye, USC

USC: Penn St, bye, Wisconsin

Washington: Purdue, bye, Nebraska

Teams with back-to-back road games and without a bye, but without flying more than one time zones:

Indiana: Rutgers, Nebraska

Maryland: Nebraska, Ohio State

Nebraska: Illinois, Rutgers

Northwestern: Ohio St, Minnesota

Rutgers: Maryland, Northwestern

Wisconsin: Maryland, Purdue

Six programs without back-to-back road games:

Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Penn St, Purdue

3 hours ago, Jon Joseph said:

Good take. Thanks for being on the Forum and for all of the great posts.

Thanks for the heads up on Northwestern playing 11 games in a row. Good luck, Chip. 😉 I was focused on conference contenders. NW will battle, but it is one of the longest shots to contend for a conference title.

In a mega-conference with teams coast to coast, some teams will get the short end of the scheduling stick. Understood.

What isn't right is taxing Oregon for the second time in three seasons, with eight B1G games in a row without a break, including a trip to Columbus on 11/7 and to East Lansing on 11/21.

Like 2024, Oregon is the only Big Ten team playing eight straight without a break.

THIS does not have to and shouldn't happen. It's a competitive disadvantage. Michigan plays seven in a row, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, six straight, Penn State, and UW play 5, and USC, with an OOC opponent still to be named, plays 5.

Just to rub it in, Illinois is off the week before Oregon travels East to play the Illini.

Mercy!

UCLA plays eight straight without a break as well.

1 minute ago, DrJacksPlaidPants said:

UCLA plays eight straight without a break as well.

UCLA plays 8 straight games without a bye, but G6 Mountain West's Nevada is one of the eight. The Bruins do not play 8 Power 4 opponents in a row without a break.

Northwestern plays 11 straight games, but the Wildcats play 7, not 8, B1G games in a row.

OBD is the only Big Ten team playing 8 Big Ten teams in a row.

It's the result of the college football schedule and only one bye this season. Duke plays 8 straight ACC opponents after a bye. Georgia Tech plays 7 then Georgia for No. 8 - gulp. In the Big12, Kansas plays 9 after its bye: Middle Tenn, then 8 straight Big12 opponents.

That's just a couple examples. It's happening in more than just the Big Ten.

Six B1G programs without back-to-back road games:

Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Penn St, Purdue

Win some, lose some, when it comes to scheduling these days.

Wilner: there are just three occasions in which a West Coast team with normal rest faces an opponent that has an extra week to prepare. And two of those are home games: UCLA hosts Wisconsin and USC hosts Ohio State. The unseemly road assignment falls to the Ducks, who host Nebraska, then visit rested Illinois.