Oregon football vs. UCLA Bruins summer preview: Everything you need to know

As Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks leave the Pac-12 for greener pastures, the Oregon football team isn’t the only West Coast team making the move into the Big Ten. The UCLA Bruins (along with a couple other former Pac-12 programs) are in the same boat as the Ducks.

Which is kinda cool, to be completely honest. In 2024, even though there will be a lot of new for the Oregon football team, the Ducks will still get to face off against a familiar foe (even if the overall circumstances are a bit odd and new) as Oregon and UCLA meet up in an early Big Ten matchup.

This longstanding rivalry between former Pac-12 members gets to continue on in the Big Ten. Let’s start going over everything you need to know about this game.

Oregon Ducks vs. UCLA Bruins: When and where?

• Saturday, September 28, 2024
• Kickoff time TBD
• Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California

Game details: Oregon football vs. UCLA Bruins

For the first Big Ten conference game in Oregon football history, the Ducks get to face off against the UCLA Bruins. This matchup is bringing together two former Pac-12 rivals as they navigate their first season in the Big Ten. That’s pretty cool, all things considered. 

As a program, the Oregon football team heads into this matchup with some momentum after having won four of the five most recent meetings with the UCLA Bruins. But, as of right now, UCLA still has a hold on the overall series win-loss record. Oregon may have won 11 of the last 16 matchups, but UCLA holds a 40-32 overall series advantage.

Meet Oregon football 2024 opponent: UCLA Bruins

With former head coach Chip Kelly leaving to be an offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes, the UCLA Bruins are entering the 2024 season under some new leadership. DeShaun Foster (who is a UCLA alumnus and a former NFL player) is taking control of the program as he steps in as the Bruins’ new head coach. Foster will be tasked with guiding the Bruins into the Big Ten and helping stabilize things following Kelly’s departure.

Three UCLA Bruins that Oregon football fans should know

• Ethan Garbers, quarterback: It’s not certain just yet, but it seems likely that Garbers will be the starter for the Bruins this season. He’s shown some potential despite not having massive amounts of playing time.
• J.Michael Sturdivant, wide receiver: After transferring to join the UCLA Bruins after starting his career with the California Golden Bears, Sturdivant made a significant impact and was a dangerous pass-catching threat.
• Jay Toia, defensive lineman: Experienced defensive linemen can be a problem and it looks like Toia fits the bill on that one. The 6-foot-3, 325 pound lineman could be a problem for Oregon’s offensive line.

Oregon Ducks vs. UCLA Bruins: 2024 summer preview, prediction 

This is an early-season matchup between old Pac-12 teams and it promises to be pretty intriguing as both the Ducks and Bruins adjust to being in the Big Ten. But one of these programs carries over stability and is building upon positive momentum while the other is facing some interesting changes in leadership.

The Ducks, who were really strong in 2023, should be national title contenders in 2024 as Dan Lanning continues to elevate this program. At the moment, it doesn’t seem like UCLA is there. That could change, I suppose, but Oregon seems established right now and it might take the Bruins a little while longer to get there.