Judges in Oregon and Washington separately blocked a $24.6 billion merger of Kroger and Albertsons on Tuesday. Both rulings found that if the two grocery chains were allowed to merge it would significantly curb competition.

In a 71-page order, U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson found the “evidence shows that defendants engage in substantial head-to-head competition and the proposed merger would remove that competition. As a result, the proposed merger is likely to lead to unilateral competitive effects and is presumptively unlawful.”

The preliminary injunction, which comes after a three-week hearing that concluded in Portland last September, is a win for the Federal Trade Commission along with seven states – including Oregon – and the District of Columbia who sued to block the merger in February. In its lawsuit, the commission asked Nelson to block the deal until an in-house administrative judge at the FTC could consider the merger’s implications.

The deal was also separately blocked by a state court judge in Washington Tuesday.

Despite the rulings, there’s still a chance that the deal could go through. In the Pacific Northwest, Kroger operates Fred Meyers and QFC stores, and Albertsons operates its own branded supermarkets as well as Safeway stores.

“The fierce competition between these two grocery giants has benefited millions of American consumers through lower prices for food and household essentials,” the FTC and states wrote in their lawsuit. “If allowed to proceed, the proposed acquisition would destroy this competition, likely making it more expensive for millions of families to put food on the table.”

In response, Kroger argued the lawsuit was “willfully blind to the realities of current grocery competition” and said the FTC’s “view of the relevant market lacks any basis in the real world.” The grocer argued the merger would allow the company to compete nationally on a scale with retail giants such as Costco, Walmart and Amazon.

In its testimony in Portland, Albertsons warned Nelson that it might have to lay off workers, close stores and even exit some markets if the merger weren’t allowed to proceed. Together, the companies employ around 710,000 people.

Kroger and Albertsons announced plans to merge in October 2022.

According to the filing in Oregon, Kroger operates 2,700 stores across 35 states and D.C. This includes Fred Meyer, which has 51 stores in Oregon and 59 in Washington. Albertsons operates 2,269 stores in 34 states and D.C., including 283 Safeway stores in the Pacific Northwest.

As part of the proposal, Kroger said they would spin off nearly 600 stores in places where their locations overlap.

But Nelson said even that caveat wouldn’t sufficiently address the concern that the merger stifles competition. “There is ample evidence that the divestiture is not sufficient in scale to adequately compete” with a merged Kroger-Albertsons, she wrote.

The ruling is a major decision for Nelson, who was confirmed to the federal bench less than a year ago after a lengthy and distinguished legal career in Oregon.

Henry Liu, director of the FTC’s bureau of competition, called the ruling a win and not just for consumers.

“This is also a victory for thousands of hardworking union employees, protecting their hard-earned paychecks by ensuring Kroger and Albertsons continue to compete for workers through higher wages, better benefits, and improved working conditions,” Liu said in a statement.

Outgoing Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, a Democrat, whose agency helped litigate the case, said the decision will help keep competition.

“Judge Nelson’s ruling confirms our argument that the proposed merger would be harmful to consumers and workers alike,” Rosenblum said in a statement.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, the outgoing chair of the Senate Finance Committee, welcomed the ruling and said it blocked an “ill-conceived consolidation.”

“I’m glad the court has shelved this monster deal because in addition to raising grocery prices for shoppers already tiptoeing on an economic tightrope, it would have made it that much harder for Oregonians to find a pharmacy and for workers at both supermarket chains to seek fairer wages and better working conditions,” Wyden said in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

As the No. 1 Oregon Ducks await their opponent in the Rose Bowl Game in the College Football Playoff, ESPN revealed that Kirk Herbstreit and Christ Fowler will be in the broadcast booth for the Ducks’ game on New Year’s Day. Hebstreit and Fowler will be joined by sideline reporter Holly Rowe.

The 2025 Rose Bowl will be Herbstreit’s 17th year calling the game, and no other analyst has done so more times. In fact, the broadcast booth in the stadium has been named after Herbstreit, and the ESPN analyst is a member of the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.

Before the Ducks play in the Rose Bowl, the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers will face off in Columbus, Ohio. The winner gets a trip to Pasadena, facing Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

ESPN’s team of Herbstreit, Fowler, and Rowe will also be broadcasting the first round game between Ohio State and Tennessee on Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. PT.

Lanning spoke with the media about the opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl and Oregon’s connection to the game as a former Pac-12 school winning the Big Ten Championship in their first year as members of the conference.

Lanning spoke with the media about the opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl and Oregon’s connection to the game as a former Pac-12 school winning the Big Ten in their first year as members of the conference.

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Lanning spoke with the media about the opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl and Oregon’s connection to the game as a former Pac-12 school winning the Big Ten in their first year as members of the conference.

“Being on this side of the country, this is a game you dream of the opportunity to coach in. This is one of the ones that I haven’t gotten to do yet. It’s certainly a thrill for me,” said Lanning. “Phil [Knight] has always told me his number one goal is ‘Can we get to the Rose Bowl?’ So, I’m extremely ecstatic that our team gets to be a part of such a historic game, the Granddaddy of Them All.”

Despite holding the No. 1 overall seed in the playoff bracket, one could argue that Ducks have one of the more difficult routes to the national championship. Oregon coach Dan Lanning isn’t concerned, however.

“The end-all goal, you’re gonna get to face some unbelievable teams in that process,” said Lanning. “So, I’m excited that we get to play against great competition. That’s what playoff moments are about.”

In addition to hosting ESPN’s primetime broadcast team, the Rose Bowl has traditionally been the site of College GameDay for the build-up to the College Football Playoff. As a result, there will be a lot of eyes on Oregon.

Before last season’s semifinal game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan Wolverines, the entire crew of Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Kirk Herbstreit, and Lee Corso made the trip out to Pasadena.

The Oregon Ducks will play either the Ohio State Buckeyes or Tennessee Volunteers in the Rose Bowl Stadium on New Year’s Day at 2 p.m. PT.

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Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel is The Associated Press Big Ten offensive player of the year, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter is defensive player of the year and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti is coach of the year.

Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson and Penn State tight end Tyler Warren were unanimous first-team selections Tuesday by the voting panel of 21 media members who cover the conference.

The first team includes five players from Iowa, four from Ohio State and three each from conference champion Oregon and Indiana.

Repeat first-team selections are Minnesota offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery, Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson and Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins. Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimoloau, a first-team pick in 2022 and ’23, is on the second team.

Gabriel, who transferred from Oklahoma in the offseason, led unbeaten and top-ranked Oregon to the Big Ten championship in its first year in the league. Gabriel averages 274 yards passing per game and has thrown for 28 touchdowns against six interceptions. His 73.2% completion rate is second in the nation.

Carter leads the Big Ten with 19.5 tackles for loss, and his 10 sacks are the most by a Penn State player since Carl Nassib had 15.5 in 2015.

Cignetti has orchestrated one of the great turnarounds of all time in his first season at Indiana. The Hoosiers, who won three games in 2023, have double-digit wins for the first time and will take an 11-1 record into their College Football Playoff first-round game at Notre Dame on Dec. 20.

Ohio State freshman Jeremiah Smith is newcomer of the year. He set school freshman records for receptions (57), yards (934), touchdown receptions (10) and 100-yard games (three).

First-team offense

Wide receivers — Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, freshman, 6-3, 215, Miami Gardens, Florida; Pat Bryant, Illinois, senior, 6-3, 200, Jacksonville, Florida; Tai Felton, Maryland, senior, 6-2, 186, Ashburn, Virginia.

Tackles — Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota, senior, 6-3, 330, Kansas City, Missouri; Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon, junior, 6-4, 315, Seattle.

Guards — Connor Colby, Iowa, senior, 6-6, 310, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, senior, 6-4, 320, Cypress, Texas.

Center — Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State, graduate, 6-4, 305, Buford, Georgia.

Tight end — u-Tyler Warren, Penn State, senior, 6-6, 261, Mechanicsville, Virginia.

Quarterback — Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, graduate, 6-0, 200, Mililani, Hawaii.

Running backs — u-Kaleb Johnson, Iowa, junior, 6-0, 225, Hamilton, Ohio; Kyle Monangai, Rutgers, senior, 5-9, 209, Roseland, New Jersey.

Kicker — Dominic Zvada, Michigan, junior, 6-3, 180, Chandler, Arizona.

All-purpose — Kaden Wetjen, Iowa, senior, 5-10, 196, Williamsburg, Iowa.

First-team defense

Edge rushers — Abdul Carter, Penn State, junior, 6-3, 252, Philadelphia; Mikail Kamara, Indiana, junior, 6-1, 265, Ashburn, Virginia.

Interior linemen — Mason Graham, Michigan, junior, 6-3, 320, Mission Viejo, California; Derrick Harmon, Oregon, junior, 6-5, 310, Detroit.

Linebackers — Jay Higgins, Iowa, senior, 6-2, 232, Indianapolis; Aiden Fisher, Indiana, junior, 6-1, 233, Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson Schwesinger, UCLA, junior, 6-2, 225, Moorpark, California.

Cornerbacks — D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana, sophomore, 5-9, 170, Miami; Xavier Scott, Illinois, junior, 5-11, 190, Riviera Beach, Florida.

Safeties — Caleb Downs, Ohio State, sophomore, 6-0, 205, Hoschton, Georgia; Koi Perich, Minnesota, freshman, 6-1, 200, Esko, Minnesota.

Defensive back — Sebastian Castro, Iowa, graduate, 5-11, 205, Oak Lawn, Illinois.

Punter — Eddie Czaplicki, Southern California, senior, 6-1, 207, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Second-team offense

Wide receivers — Tez Johnson, Oregon, senior, 5-10, 165, Pinson, Alabama; Elijah Sarratt, Indiana, junior, 6-2, 209, Stafford, Virginia; Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State, graduate, 6-1, 205, Steilacoom, Washington.

Tackles — Gennings Dunker, Iowa, junior, 6-5, 316, Lena, Illinois; Hollin Pierce, Rutgers, senior, 6-8, 344, Trenton, New Jersey.

Guards — Emmanuel Pregnon, Southern California, senior, 6-5, 320, Denver; Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State, sophomore, 6-4, 348, Graham, Washington.

Center — Logan Jones, Iowa, senior, 6-3, 293, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Tight end — Colston Loveland, Michigan, junior, 6-5, 245, Gooding, Idaho.

Quarterback — Kurtis Rourke, Indiana, graduate, 6-5, 233, Oakville, Ontario.

Running backs — Jordan James, Oregon, junior, 5-10, 210, Nashville, Tennessee; Woody Marks, Southern California, senior, 5-10, 208, Atlanta.

Kicker — Jonathan Kim, Michigan State, graduate, 6-1, 227, Fredericksburg, Virginia.

All-purpose — Woody Marks, Southern California, senior, 5-10, 208, Atlanta.

Second-team defense

Edge rushers — Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon, sophomore, 6-5, 270, Bellflower, California; JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State, senior, 6-5, 269, Edgewood, Washington.

Interior linemen — Ty Robinson, Nebraska, senior, 6-6, 310, Gilbert, Arizona; Kenneth Grant, Michigan, junior, 6-3, 339, Gary, Indiana.

Linebackers — Cody Lindenberg, Minnesota, senior, 6-3, 240, Anoka, Minnesota; Bryce Boettcher, Oregon, senior, 6-2, 225, Eugene, Oregon; Kobe King, Penn State, junior, 6-1, 248, Detroit.

Cornerbacks — Jermari Harris, Iowa, graduate, 6-1, 189, Chicago; Will Johnson, Michigan, junior, 6-2, 202, Detroit.

Safeties — Jaylen Reed, Penn State, senior, 6-0, 212, Detroit; Lathan Ransom, Ohio State, graduate, 6-1, 210, Tucson, Arizona.

Punter — Rhys Dakin, Iowa, freshman, 6-0, 222, Melbourne, Australia.

Individual honors

Offensive player of the year — Dillon Gabriel, Oregon.

Defensive player of the year — Abdul Carter, Penn State.

Coach of the year — Curt Cignetti, Indiana.

Newcomer of the year — Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State.

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AP All-Big Ten voting panel

Bob Asmussen, Champaign (Illinois) News-Gazette; Colten Bartholomew, Madison.com (Wisconsin); Bill Bender, The Sporting News; Frank Bodani, York (Pennsylvania) Daily Record; Angelique Chengelis, Detroit News; James Crepea, The Oregonian, Portland, Oregon; Scott Dochterman, The Athletic; Dave Eanet, WGN Radio, Chicago; George Gerbo, Washington Times; Andy Greder, St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press; Brenna Greene, KOIN-TV, Portland, Oregon; Zach Hanley, WISC-TV, Madison, Wisconsin; Amie Just, Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal Star; Stephen Means, Cleveland.com; Luke Mullin, Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal Star; Zach Osterman, Indianapolis Star; Jim Polzin, Madison.com (Wisconsin); Dylan Sinn, Fort Wayne (Indiana) Journal Gazette; John Steppe, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette; Darren Wolfson, KSTP-TV, St. Paul, Minnesota; Andy Yamashita, Seattle Times.