The expanded Big Ten will provide several matchups between powerhouse programs in college football this season, and one of the most highly anticipated will be Oregon at Michigan on Nov. 2 in the Big House.
As the reigning national champions, the Wolverines drew a lot of respect from Oregon head coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks’ three player representatives at Big Ten Media Days this week.
“Yeah, obviously, a phenomenal team,” Lanning said of Michigan. “There’s a reason they were able to win so many games last year, and they’ve done a great job building a program there. It’s got a storied history. It should be one that we’re really pumped to be a part of.”
Oregon quarteback Dillon Gabriel, who’s entering his sixth season of eligibility after previous stops at UCF and Oklahoma, has played in a lot of big game and big environments during his college career, including at the Cotton Bowl in the Red River Shootout against Texas last year. Gabriel says “it’s been a bunch of fun” playing in games like that, and he’s looking forward to another bigtime matchup against Michigan.
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“Great program, historic,” Gabriel said of the Wolverines. “Obviously, what they did last year was extremely impressive. Just the way they’ve played and consistently doing it. As a guy who’s in college football, you respect it and realize how hard it is to do.”
Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa respects the attitude and mentality that Michigan plays with, and looks forward to the challenge of facing the reigning national champions in Ann Arbor.
“Making that trip is going to be eye-opening, it’s going to be great,” Bassa said. “And I know we play them late in the season, it might be a little bit cold, so we better be — I know we’re going to be ready to buckle up.
“I think [Jim] Harbaugh did a great job last year and Coach [Sherrone] Moore this year is doing a great job coaching that team and leading that team. I know they’re a team that’s built on steak and potatoes. Like, they’re going to tell you that they’re going to run the ball, and their going to run the ball on offense. They might throw the ball here and there, but their mentality is going to be mano a mano, we’re better than you, we want to run the ball, right? So, we’ve just got to buckle up and be ready for that. I know they’re a team built on grit and toughness, so I’m ready to face them.”
Finally, Oregon tight end Terrence Ferguson wants to play against the best players and best teams in the country, and that’s what excites him about matching up with the Wolverines. He’s also looking forward to his first game at Michigan Stadium.
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“It has a lot of history,” Ferguson said. “The Big House is, obviously, huge. It holds a lot of people, it holds a lot of history. Obviously, they’re the reigning champs and that puts a target on their back for everyone. But, I’m just excited to play against them. They have a lot of talented players on defense and offense. So, really just being able to go compete against the best players is what I look forward to. And it’s a cool place to play, so I’m excited.”
While they won’t be on the field at the same time, Ferguson is also looking forward to competing against Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, not only in that game but throughout the season.
“He’s a great player,” Ferguson said of Loveland. “I love his game. He’s a super athletic guy. I think he tracks the ball well, he plays fast. I like him and he’s a great player. I have a lot of respect for that guy.”
– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI –
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The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
