With the Oregon Ducks football program set to embark on a new era as it joins the Big Ten in 2024, the commissioner of the Ducks’ new conference was very welcoming to Oregon football during Big Ten Media Days.
Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti took an opportunity to welcome the Ducks (as well as the Washington Huskies, USC Trojans, and UCLA Bruins), highlighting the strength and depth of the Big Ten with the new additions to the conference.
The Big Ten’s leader made it clear the sort of impact that adding Oregon (and the other West Coast teams) to the conference can have.
"I think the fit of the four is across -- obviously, we're here to talk about football. But when you go beyond that, you know, for our presidents and chancellors, the academic fit is really important, if you look at the strength in all other sports that the four new members bring," Petitti explained.
That’s a nice, glowing endorsement that the four West Coast members of the Big Ten got right there. That’s something worth celebrating a bit.
Oregon football: Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti welcomes Ducks to Big Ten with glowing praise
This is all a pretty big deal for the Oregon Ducks football program as it moves from the Pac-12 to one of the most prestigious, stable, and successful conferences in college athletics. The Ducks’ branding, thrilling offenses, and success on the national stage in football helps make them an attractive addition, but it’s clear that Oregon fits in well in other ways, as noted by Petitti.
"So it's a complete match across many different factors," Petitti said. "That's what made the decision to add Oregon, Washington, which was done by my staff, and then the decision that Kevin Warren and his staff did to add USC, UCLA."
Still, the Oregon football program has established itself as a nationally relevant powerhouse over the past couple decades and that’s worth celebrating too. The multiple conference championships and Rose Bowl wins make this a team to watch. And with Dan Lanning at the helm, it sure seems like the Ducks are close to reaching that next level of success.
That should help the Big Ten continue to thrive as it moves forward.
"I see great strength across matchups, the footprint that we'll have going forward. I think we've got to get a lot of things right, but I feel really good about the way we're positioned for the future in terms of the health and strength of the conference," Petitti said.
And the Oregon Ducks are a huge part of that. It’ll be fascinating to see how this season plays out, but it’ll also be thrilling to see how the Ducks do in the future in their new home.