Why Are Oregon and Oregon State Playing So Early This Year?

The Oregon-Oregon State rivalry will be played before November for the first time since 1945.

Oregon running back Jordan James carries the ball as the Ducks take on the Oregon State Beavers. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

The classic college football rivalry showdown between the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers figures to look plenty different in 2024 than it has in the previous 127 editions of the game.

Formerly known as the Civil War game, Oregon State is set to host Oregon during Week 3 on Saturday, Sept. 14. This marks just the second time in the history of the rivalry game that the two sides will meet before the month of November.

There's plenty of history behind the rivalry game, which dates all the way back to 1894, but this year's edition will feature some significant changes.

Why Are Oregon and Oregon State Playing So Early This Year?

Most notably, with the Pac-12 conference now defunct, Oregon will be representing the Big Ten. That of course, is the main culprit behind the game being played in the early part of the season, rather than occupying its usual slot on Thanksgiving weekend.

After Oregon departed the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten, along with UCLA, Washington and USC, there was some concern that the annual showdown against Oregon State would be pushed to the wayside. That ultimately did not end up being the case, as both teams worked to ensure their arch rivals were on the schedule in 2024.

Because of the changes caused by conference realignment, however, the OSU-UO clash is no longer an in-conference game for either team. Naturally, that created scheduling issues, resulting in this year's game being played in mid-September, as the later portion of the season is typically reserved for conference matchups. The last time the two teams met before November was back in 1945 when the Beavers hosted and beat the Ducks 19–6 in Corvallis on Oct. 13.

Both programs had been members of the Pac-12 (previously Pac-8 and Pac-10) since 1965, so it'll mark the first time in 59 years they meet as nonconference opponents. The two teams will meet again in 2025 as nonconference opponents, though the future of the rivalry game beyond next season is a bit less certain.