Oregon Women’s Basketball Navigates the Rigors of a Fast-Paced Big Ten Journey

EUGENE — As anyone who travels for business understands, hotel breakfasts can become mundane after some time. It may often be complimentary, indeed. And it qualifies as food. However, little else.

Oregon women’s basketball head coach Kelly Graves encountered it personally last week, gazing down at his French toast while the Ducks journeyed for Big Ten away games at Penn State and Ohio State.

“It’s always the same,” Graves remarked. “Sausage and then bacon, pancakes and then French toast. It’s all repetitive. By the end, you just stare at it and think, ehh. And I shouldn’t say that because there are people out there who are starving, but it feels different. The extended trips make things slightly different. More challenging.”

Breakfast wasn’t among the most daunting challenges of Oregon’s longest Big Ten road journey of the season. The Ducks departed earlier than typical, chartering a flight alongside the men’s team on Tuesday, Jan. 7. They dropped the men off in Columbus for their match against the Buckeyes and proceeded alone to State College to face Penn State. Both teams had an additional day before their games, and Graves mentioned that the time needed to be filled with team-building activities and studying to keep the Ducks engaged.

“With that off day, we’ve been aiming to do something,” Graves stated. “For instance, when we were at Ohio State, we attended their hockey game. I believe three-quarters of our players had never been to a hockey game in their lives. … It was quite enjoyable. That’s a fantastic spectator sport. But they always enjoy (team bonding). We’ll do movies, we always have study hall. With that extra day, we need to occupy it. Otherwise, you’re just lounging in the hotel all day. And that doesn’t help at all.”

Both the men and women competed in their initial games of the trip on Thursday, Jan. 9. The women triumphed over Penn State and flew back to Columbus, while the men — recently victorious against Ohio State — boarded the same flight back to State College.

In the meantime, freshman guard Katie Fiso learned about her grandfather’s passing — having already dealt with her father’s sudden death earlier this season. Fiso’s teammates offered love and support, Graves shared, before she returned to Seattle mid-trip to be with her family.

On Sunday, the women’s comeback effort fell short against Ohio State, while the men secured another victory at Penn State before boarding a different, albeit less comfortable chartered flight to return and collect their fellow Ducks in Columbus. It wasn’t until about 9 p.m. ET — approximately six hours after the conclusion of the women’s game — that the men arrived, and the teams traveled back to Eugene together.

The operation was intended to economize expenses for the athletic department, but it inadvertently prolonged an already exhausting road trip for the women’s team with a tighter turnaround before their next game.

Both teams arrived in Eugene on Sunday night at 11:30 p.m. PT, enjoying a necessary day off on Monday. However, the women had only one day of practice on Tuesday before their home match against Purdue on Wednesday. The men will not compete against the Boilermakers until Saturday.

“We left two days ahead for the first game, and there were two days in between. That made for a long, long journey,” Graves noted. “I know our players were extremely fatigued. We got home late Sunday night. Having a prompt turnaround meant we had Monday off and just had today to prepare for a Wednesday evening game. It’s really the worst scenario. … I believe our team is simply thrilled to be back home. Two weeks in their own beds. They missed the entire first week of school last week.”

During the Pac-12 era, the Ducks women primarily flew on commercial airlines for road matches. Now in their inaugural Big Ten schedule, it’s all charter flights, leading to increased costs and challenges of competing in a new conference with opponents dispersed nationwide.

Oregon enjoyed a more manageable journey to Illinois and Northwestern for its initial Big Ten away games on Dec. 28 and 31, and it has two more Midwest excursions planned for this regular season: at Michigan State and Michigan on Jan. 30 and Feb. 2; and at Minnesota and Nebraska on Feb. 16 and 19. The Ducks will use charter flights for both journeys without the concerns of coordinating with the men’s team, alleviating some pressure of this new era.

— Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten Conference. Tune in to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.