It’s official: The University of Oregon is now part of the Big Ten Conference.
The conference announced the change Friday, adding the Ducks as well as UCLA, USC and the University of Washington to its now 18-member roster. It comes almost exactly a year after the UO Board of Trustees voted to sever the school's long-time affiliation with the Pac-12 Conference.
The Big Ten was created in 1896, and sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 each for men and women.
In addition to athletics, members of the Big Ten also work together academically, including by sharing a high-speed fiber optic network and pooling library resources.
Oregon’s first competition as part of the Big Ten will be August 15, when the UO Women’s soccer team hosts Seattle University at 7 p.m. at Papé Field.
Volleyball begins its season August 30 against Pittsburgh at Matthew Knight Arena, and Oregon Football kicks off the following day, playing the University of Idaho at Autzen Stadium.
None of those August opponents are members of the Big Ten, meaning those early games are considered non-conference contests. UO teams in various sports will begin taking on Big Ten opponents in September.
