Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers Continue to Keep Rivalry Alive

Uncertain times throughout college athletics means some traditions go by the wayside, even if those longstanding hallmarks ounce felt untouchable. For the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers, it feels as if their rivalry (started by the football teams in 1894) is more touch-and-go than ever before.

With timing and home advantages being main topics of debate around these two teams converging outside of an annual agreement, it appears yet another sport is finding the rivalry works better on neutral ground.

Oregon guard Keeshawn Barthelemy goes up for a shot as the Oregon State Beavers host the Oregon Ducks Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Moving the Basketball Rivalry to Portland

According to Bracketeer.org owner Rocco Miller, the Ducks and Beavers men's basketball teams will meet at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon for their Nov. 19 matchup, which would mark the first regular-season neutral site rivalry game for this series since 1996's Far West Classic.

The Far West Classic, which was a four-team tournament cooked up in 1956 by the Beavers, moved to the Memorial Coliseum in Portland around 1960 and became an eight team event co-hosted by the Ducks before changing hands to the currently named Moda Center and scaling back to four teams.

That 1996 rivalry matchup (where Oregon won 64-62) is the final Far West Classic, though the Beavers did try to revive the concept in 2015 to a varied degree of success.

This announcement may fuel the fires of nostalgia for Oregon sports fans, this is also the latest in a thread of rivalry-series decisions that point to Portland becoming a fixture in this historic back and forth for multiple sports.

Oregon State catcher Jacob Galloway hits a single as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers on March 3, 2026, at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Northwest Elite Baseball Classic

Back in February, the Ducks and Beavers baseball teams were set to face each other in a neutral site game called the Northwest Elite Baseball Classic at the newly-constructed Hops Ballpark in Hillsboro, Oregon, just outside of Portland.

Due to weather and an unfortunate accident involving a freshman Beavers' pitcher, the game was eventually cancelled. However, tickets for the Northwest Elite Baseball Classic were sold out weeks prior to first pitch, showing an avid interest in seeing these two college rivals duke it out near the Rose City, the first time both teams planned to do so since 2010, when 29,249 fans broke a baseball attendance record at Providence Park (the home of the Portland Timbers).

The Oregon Athletic Department has yet to put out a statement about continuing the neutral site baseball tradition despite its cancellation, but coach Mark Wasikowski's comments prior to the match-up shows that Portland is a destination both sides are favoring more and more.

"We are excited to bring this rivalry game to the Portland area and to a brand-new, state-of-the-art stadium. This event allows us to connect with Duck fans across the state and showcase college baseball at the highest level while supporting the continued growth of our program," said Wasikowski to GoDucks.com.

Sep 20, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. (2) celebrates after scoring a touchdown as Oregon State Beavers defensive back Jalil Tucker (22) looks on during the fourth quarter of the game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Rivalry Is Harder to Maintain For Football

Obviously, putting Portland as the location for the Ducks and Beavers to meet is an easy way to continue a rivalry in several sports without raising concerns for home turf advantage. Sports like baseball and basketball already have facilities set up in the Portland area, making it easy for the transition and for softball and women's basketball to follow.

Trying to get a neutral site game for football feels closer to impossible than anything.

The Ducks and Beavers played each other in football in Portland six times since the beginning of their football rivalry, with their last meeting in the Rose City being in 1952 with the Beavers coming out victorious 22-19.

Currently, the only facility big enough to support the two teams is Providence Park, but the facilities would likely not be able to rise to the needs of both teams. With the announcement in May that Oregon and Oregon State will go back and forth for games in 2028, 2029, 2031, and 2032, there's an obvious push to continue keeping football in both teams' home venues.

However, as other sports continue to find ways of meeting in Portland to keep the rivalry alive, it wouldn't be entirely shocking to see the same idea floated along in the case that Oregon and Oregon State can't find back-to-back years to schedule one of the longest running rivalries in college football.

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