Oregon Ducks Coach Dan Lanning Opens Up About 'Challenge' Of Big Ten Conference

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning gets real about his tenure with the football team.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning takes notes during the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game Saturday, April 27. 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

With Big Ten Football Media Days in the spotlight this week, football fans across the country salivating at the dawn of a new era for the power conference, there’s a lot to anticipate from this week’s events.

In a lead up to the Oregon Ducks’ first media day under the Big Ten, we wanted to revisit an interview between Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and Big Ten reporter Rick Pizzo conducted during the Big Ten Spring Meetings on the Big Ten Network.

During the interview, Pizzo refers to a previous conversation he had with Oregon Athletic Director Rob Mullens, to which they label the past several years as “The Decade of the Duck.” 

“Obviously, you know, Oregon is a brand,” Lanning said, “And when I think of the school I think of innovation, how they’re on the cutting edge. It's so fun to be a part of a place like that that’s so forward thinking and has had a lot of success.”

Lanning mentions that success, including the Ducks’ move into the Big Ten, has been pivotal in recruiting throughout the nation.

“It’s great to have a brand that floats from city to city, from state to state. It means something,” Lanning said.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game Saturday, April 27. 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

Speaking of moving, Lanning claimed during this interview his biggest concern was travel for the athletes. He then stated travel for the team will be relatively similar to years past. When asked about which game he’s most excited for, traveling or not, Lanning was coy.

“I’ve got to give you coach-speak here. We’re really excited about Idaho, game one. There's some unbelievable venues I haven’t gotten to be in as a coach or a player so yeah, we’re definitely excited about seeing some of those,” Lanning said.

Along with new foes, old rivals are also in play for Oregon this year. Instead of the treasured rivalry between Oregon and Oregon State University occurring around Thanksgiving, the game will kick off on September 14th. Lanning spoke to the shifting of traditions to accommodate for a constantly evolving landscape of college athletics. The “dream schedule” is a work in progress for the Ducks.

“I think it’s going to be a challenge,” Lanning said, “but that’s why there’s people above me that get paid big bucks. You want to keep the traditions in college football that exist, you know I think we’re really fortunate this year to have some of those storied traditions continue for us and we’ll have to continue to battle through that as we work it out.”

Another topic discussed was the current status of a college football coach. With NIL, the Transfer Portal, media payouts and more, there’s a lot to monitor. Lanning insists that his job is on the field.

“The best thing I can do is be great for our players right here in Oregon,” Lanning said.

Finally, the conversation shifted to locations for the Big Ten Conference Championship and the College Football Playoffs. Currently the Big Ten Championship takes place in Indianapolis. But with the conference expanding to 18 teams, some are debating a new location.

“I think it’s something you have to explore when you have 18 teams and the variety of places that we line up,” Lanning said.

Expansion is everywhere, and as Lanning points out, a new 12-team playoff means new opportunities.

“I think we evaluate it, right? You know, I think it’s going to bring a lot of excitement to college football but it's also going to make some games that used to be important not as important so we have to evaluate what it looks like. The more quality teams you can have competing for a championship at the end of the year, the better the product will be on the field,” Lanning said.