The Civil War Rivalry between Oregon and Oregon State can be traced back to 1894. Unfortunately, that in-state rivalry series came under jeopardy Friday.

News broke that the Ducks — along with Washington — were in the process of leaving the Pac-12 behind to join the Big Ten. That makes 4 conference teams, including USC and UCLA, that will officially join the Big Ten beginning in the 2024 season.

The good news is that Oregon has already announced the in-state rivalry series will continue in the future. Here is what the Ducks had to say about playing the Beavers in the official announcement of the move:

In coming years, the UO will prioritize the long-held traditions, including competition across all sports with Oregon State University. The alliance puts UO student-athletes on a national stage, said UO Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Rob Mullens.

“Accepting membership into the Big Ten Conference is a transformational opportunity for the University of Oregon to change the short and long-term trajectory of our university and athletics department,” said Mullens per the press release. “The stability and exposure of joining the Big Ten is of great benefit to the University of Oregon, and we are grateful to the Big Ten presidents and chancellors for accepting our application to join the conference. We look forward to the opportunity for our student-athletes to compete in this conference, which includes many of the best programs in the nation in every sport.”

The ongoing cycle of realignment has been a tough blow to some rivalries and fans. In this instance, it’s nice to see two longstanding and geographically close rivals maintain their series despite ongoing changes.