Ducks will log essentially the most journey miles of any contender in faculty soccer

The Oregon Ducks introduced Dillon Thieneman in for his expertise.

Oregon’s junior security has seen rather a lot in his two-plus seasons as a Big Ten starter — essential for an Oregon secondary counting on a handful of underclassmen to supply. 

But with the Oregon Ducks embarking on their first of 4 highway journeys eastward this season — this one from Eugene to Chicago for Saturday’s recreation in opposition to Northwestern — Thieneman is coming into unknown territory.

He’s unsure the place his seat is for the 1,800-mile flight.

“I don’t think you get to pick,” Thieneman stated. “I think it’s just like, ‘You’re sitting here.’”

That’s not a serious challenge for Thieneman, who at 6-foot and 205 kilos can cram his approach into any seat on Oregon’s chartered flight. For the 6-foot-5, 318-pound offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon, it’s a distinct story.

“That leg room — I will fight anybody for that leg room,” the redshirt senior stated. “I just try to get an aisle seat and try to reason with the people on the plane. It’s kind of difficult having to sit in a seat in between, or sit in a window.”

Flying will be uncomfortable for anybody, nevertheless it turns into a bit extra urgent when, shortly after flying, an athlete is predicted to compete at their greatest in entrance of a nationally televised viewers.

And no contender in faculty soccer is logging extra miles this season than the Ducks. After making journeys east to Michigan, Wisconsin and Purdue of their inaugural Big Ten season, the Ducks return in season two with this journey to Northwestern, adopted by Penn State, Rutgers and Iowa.

As the fowl flies from stadium to stadium, the Ducks will journey 16,787 miles spherical journey in the course of the 2025 common season — trailing solely Hawaii (29,700 miles spherical journey) and Stanford (23,600).

How does that differ from a few of Oregon’s rivals within the Big Ten?

• Ohio State will journey 6,100 miles round-trip.
• Penn State will journey 7,562 miles.
• Washington will journey 14,100 miles.

How in regards to the SEC?

• LSU will journey 4,200 miles.
• Alabama will journey 3,000 miles.
• Georgia will journey 1,850 miles and the Bulldogs’ longest highway journey — 630 miles spherical journey to Mississippi State — is barely longer than Oregon’s shortest journey: the 502 miles up and again to Husky Stadium in Seattle.

It’s not very best. It’s additionally what Oregon agreed to following its departure from the Pac-12.

“When you get up there, you get some swelling in your legs and stuff, so just making sure you stay active and work that out and stress that it’s a business trip,” Thieneman stated. “You’re not just going on a trip to go on a trip, you’re going on a trip to go to a game.”

The Ducks dealt with their enterprise on the highway in 2024. They thumped Michigan 35-17 on their longest journey of the 12 months, recorded their first shutout in 13 years on the journey to Purdue and noticed few variations in whole offense (451 yards per recreation at house, 444 on the highway) and protection (303 YPG allowed at house, 250 on the highway) enjoying at Autzen versus enjoying on the highway.

Plus, it’s not like that point up within the air is wasted.

“I have a book,” Dan Lanning stated. “Read a bit little bit of a e book. Do a bit little bit of movie assessment, have a look at some scripts for walk-throughs. Some recreation day prep.

“[Make] decisions that are usually getting made on Thursday nights anyway, just not necessarily on a plane.”

The hope for the Ducks is that little time is misplaced in airtime — vital for a workforce whose 11 a.m. native kickoff Saturday comes with a 9 a.m. body-clock time. But with the precise preparation — and hopefully that aisle seat — Pregnon sees himself and the Ducks popping out spry.

“As far as the mentality that you’re coming with, you wanna start fast, so you can build now,” Pregnon stated. “That’s how I’m thinking about preparing for such an early game like that. So when I come out on Saturday at 9 a.m., I’m punching somebody in the mouth right from the jump.”