Ducks Finalize Football Agreement to Play Oklahoma
EUGENE -- The University of Oregon and University of Oklahoma have completed negotiations for a home-and-home football series which will commence when the Ducks travel to Norman, Okla., Sept. 18, 2004.
The game will replace Oregon’s previously scheduled road game at Nevada, which the Ducks will return at a later date.
In return the Sooners have agreed to play in Eugene during the 2008 season, with both games in the series slated to be televised on a national network basis. In addition, the two programs will exchange $300,000 guarantees to the visiting school.
“Oregon football is now at a level where we can compete with the best programs in the country,” said Oregon Director of Athletics Bill Moos. “Certainly the University of Oklahoma is one of those."
“I feel we owe it to our players and our fans to make every effort to schedule marquee teams on a home-and-home basis.”
The Ducks will open the 2004 season at home vs. Indiana Sept. 11 and complete the non-conference schedule Sept. 25 hosting Idaho. The school’s Pacific-10 Conference home slate includes games with Arizona State (Oct. 2), Arizona (Oct. 16), Washington (Oct. 30) and UCLA (Nov. 13).
“Intersectional contests like this and previous series with Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin provide quality competition as well as tremendous exposure not only for Oregon football but the entire University as well,” Moos emphasized.”
Future schedules call for Oregon to return this year’s home game with Indiana at Bloomington, Ind., in 2005, return a trip to Ann Arbor, Mich., in 2007 as well as initiate a home-and-home series with Purdue (West Lafayette in 2008, Eugene 2009).
The Ducks defeated the Wolverines last season in Eugene, 31-27.
This would mark the fifth time Oregon and Oklahoma have met on the football field but the first meeting since 1975. The Sooners have won all four previous games but will make their first appearance in Eugene.
“This has been an unusual and complicated process due in part to the lateness of the negotiations and the sensitivity to the University of Nevada,” Moos added. “It was important to me that they received a replacement on their schedule before we signed off on the deal. I also wanted to assure them that Oregon would play at their place at a later date.”
