Dan Lanning: Oregon Ducks ‘playing against the best of the best’ in move to Big Ten

Dan Lanning said there would be “a lot” coming next for the Oregon Ducks.
“So sit back and watch,” Lanning said Monday afternoon.
The next part of the “bold vision” for Oregon athletics that UO athletic director Rob Mullens cited to the school’s board of trustees while presenting Lanning’s contract last week was set on Friday. The Ducks are bound for the Big Ten.
“I think our players are really excited about that,” Lanning said. “I think it’s an exciting opportunity for us. When you talk about what are we looking for at this university and the way that we recruit on a national level, multiple time zones, playing against the best of the best, that’s something our guys were really, really excited about.
“Obviously, it’s not really our focus right now. We’ve got an entire season to play; this is about the 2023 season. That’s what we want to attack. But I think that creates a unique student-athlete experience for our guys moving forward and it certainly sets us up. Really appreciate Rob, administration, all the people at the top that did a great job looking out of for the future of Oregon and I think that really protects us.”
Lanning, who is now under a guaranteed contract worth over $50 million in salary and deferred compensation through the 2028 season, has spoken throughout the offseason about how Oregon was a premier program and department, intent on competing at the highest level and contending for championships.
He said he was confident that the school’s administrators would “make the best decision for Oregon” and that the move to the Big Ten backs that up.
“When you come here, you’re looking for an opportunity to continue to compete against the best,” Lanning said. “I think there’s no secret that there’s really great teams and great competition in that league. I think it’s a league that means more than just football. I think obviously academically it brings a certain prestige. Then the fact that it hits every single part of the United States is big for us because we are a team that is a national brand. We should be seen across the nation.”
Oregon quickly sent out new graphics with the Big Ten logo to recruits Friday night and Saturday morning.
With its conference affiliation set, Oregon is able to provide certainty on the recruiting trail and no longer have to combat the Pac-12′s murky and now perilous future. That was used against UO, particularly when contending for players against UCLA and USC, which were able to pitch their Big Ten futures as a competitive advantage for the last 13 months.
“We have really clear direction right now,” Lanning said. “It’s not the what ifs, it’s not the where are. It’s really clear where we’re going to be in the future and how we’re set up for long term. ... Everybody’s always going to recruit hard against us. Ultimately we’re not really concerned about everybody else. We have a great option to sell here and it’s only stronger now because of what happened yesterday.”
-- James Crepea reported from Eugene.