It appears that college football realignment has claimed another pair of future football games.
The Oregon Ducks and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors originally scheduled a three-game football series back in 2014. The agreement called for two games in Eugene, Ore., in 2020 and 2023 and in one game in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 2024.
The first game of the series in 2020 was not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was later rescheduled for Sept. 13, 2031 in Eugene. The series finally kicked off on Sept. 16, 2023 in Eugene, and the Ducks defeated the Rainbow Warriors in that contest, 55-10.
Just over a month before that first game was played, the Oregon Ducks officially announced that they were leaving the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten beginning with the 2024 season.
Fast forward to January 2024 and it was first reported by Brett McMurphy that Oregon had backed out of the 2024 game against Hawaii that was supposed to be played in Honolulu. The cancellation was likely due to a myriad of factors involving realignment and the Ducks’ new Big Ten schedule.
FBSchedules.com later learned, through an open records request to the University of Hawaii, that the two schools agreed to reschedule the canceled game in 2024 for the 2032 season.
With those changes, Hawaii and Oregon were set to play on Sept. 13, 2031 in Eugene and on Aug. 28, 2032 in Honolulu. However, the amended contract featured a number of options for the future series, including canceling the 2024 game only, complete cancellation, convert the 2032 game to an Oregon home game, or any other option that was mutually agreed upon.
According to a copy of the latest amendment to the contract dated June 17, 2024, Hawaii and Oregon have chosen to completely cancel the remaining two games of the series (2031 and 2032). Per the terms of the agreement, Oregon will pay Hawaii a $1 million cancellation fee, and that payment was slated to be made on or before June 30, 2024.
With that, two more college football games have hit the chopping block due to realignment and more will surely follow.
Hawaii is scheduled to open the 2024 season in Week Zero on Saturday, Aug. 24 at home against Delaware State. Oregon opens up its first season as a member of the Big Ten the following week on Saturday, Aug. 31 at home against Idaho.
Football Schedules
Now I wonder who will Oregon schedule for 2029 and beyond in Power 4 terms, their latest Power opponent is Baylor in 2028.
I like to see Oregon, Washington & UCLA to alternate it’s schedule during Thanksgiving weekend during even number years at same time of Notre Dame-USC.
Is Oregon going to change its mascot from a duck to a chicken?
The implication that Oregon is afraid to play Hawaii is laughable. The suddenly find themselves with 3-4 long road trips each season. Make sense to stay closer to home when you can with your noncon games.
Excellent Comment Vegas Saxon.
Reading above, it sounds like the 2031-32 games were booked after Oregon knew it was B1G-bound.
I’m guessing they will now also be looking to bail out of the trips to Okie State and Baylor.
In addition to Portland State, will the Oregon Avians now be teeing up buy games against Western Oregon and the Reed College intramural flag champions?
Oregon rescheduled the 2031-32 games in December 2021. Oregon was not voted into the B1G until August 2023.
Oregon rescheduled the canceled 2020 game for 2031 in November 2021.
The 2024 game was rescheduled for 2032 in February 2024.
It’s going to be more difficult for Hawaii to schedule ex-Pac teams going forward. Like Oregon, most will have multiple long trips every season to play eastern teams and won’t want to take another 5 or 6 hour flight to play in Hawaii.