OSU vs Oregon | Some team rivalries go to the soul of players and fans. They are the rivalries that have not only stood the test of time but also made even more intense with times’ passage.
Such is the basketball rivalry between Oregon State University and the University of Oregon.
OSU vs Oregon Rivalry
Talk about time tested! These teams have played more games against one another than any other basketball rivalry in NCAA history-354. OSU leads in wins with 190 to Oregon’s 164. This is a rivalry where winning THE game can make or break a season, no matter the overall record.
With the campuses in Eugene and Corvallis just 37 miles apart, the impact on local sports fans is deep-seated. That just raises the stakes when these teams play and is that fan fever ever felt by the players, as you are about to hear.
The Players
Lamar Hurd played for OSU from 2002-2006 as a starting point guard all four years. He was an All-Pac-10 performer and a 3-time Pac-10 All-Academic. He came to OSU from Houston and currently is a television analyst for the Portland Trailblazers.
Luke Jackson played at Oregon from 2000-2004. He is the only player in school history to be in the top 10 in 9 different statistical categories and was an NBA pick by Cleveland. He went on to play pro ball and to coach basketball at the college level.
Luke grew up in the midst of this rivalry being born and raised in Eugene. He will tell you about being recruited by both schools and why he chose Oregon. Family feelings about the rivalry matter when making such a choice as Luke will explain.
Lamar will give you an insight on this rivalry from the perspective of one who did not grow up there, but found out quickly what was on the line when these teams met. There is a bit of awe and shock heard in Lamar’s voice in relating his discovery of this rivalry in his freshman year.
Listen to the intensity of their conversation rise up as the podcast progresses. Feel the heat of their memories as they relate stories from their playing days. You will also hear that the competitive intensity still exists with each player remembering when they went head-to-head on the court.
Hurd and Jackson magnificently relate in words what such a rivalry means to those who find themselves in its midst. We leave their conversation with a very real sense that this rivalry’s long history is worthy of being college basketballs most played ever.
Buckle up.
*Note: The athletes in this podcast refer to the rivalry between The University of Oregon and Oregon State University as the “Civil War.” This is a moniker that was previously used by the schools, but since the recording of the podcast, the schools have decided to no longer use this term.
Further Listening:
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If you loved this episode, check out our others:
- The Crawl of Fame | Ep 1
- 1985 American League Championship | Ep 2
- Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry | Ep 3
- 1984 Tigers vs Blue Jays | Ep 4
- 2002 World Series | Giants vs Angels | Ep 5
- UCLA vs Arizona | NCAA Mens’ Basketball | Ep 6
- ACC College Basketball | MD vs VT | Ep 7
- Army vs Navy | NCAA Football | Ep 8
- GM vs Agent | Major League Baseball | Ep 9
- 1988 NLCS | Dodgers vs Mets | Ep 10
- In The Press Box | Nightengale vs Miller | Ep 11
- Reporters | Adamson vs Coakley | Ep 12
- Coaches | Raftery vs Carlesimo | Ep 13
- Pitchers | Blyleven vs Langston | Ep 14
- Public Relations | Horwitz vs Swanson | Ep 15
- Swimming | USA vs East Germany | Ep 16
- 1983 Sugar Bowl | PSU vs GA | Ep 17