– Oregon football will enter the 2015 season as the No. 7 ranked team in the nation according to the AP poll. The Ducks are ranked highest of the six Pac-12 teams listed Ohio State, the defending national champion, was unanimously voted No. 1 while TCU, Alabama, Baylor and Michigan State round out the top five.
– Oregon women’s soccer fell 2-1 to LSU to start 2015-2016 season, Friday night. After falling behind 1-0 early, Marlo Sweatman rifled a shot from 30 yards out to tie the game in the 29th minute. The tied wouldn’t last long as the Tigers scored the winner 20 seconds after Sweatman’s goal.
– The Ducks will host a new visitor at Autzen stadium on September 5, 2020. North Dakota State, widely considered the best FCS program in the nation, will travel to Eugene to face Oregon in both teams’ season opener. The Bison are the four-time defending national champions at the FCS level and have already taken down FBS Division I teams Kansas, Minnesota, Kansas State and Iowa State since 2010.
– The Eugene Emeralds’ bad luck continued as they lost for the second consecutive game in extra innings Sunday night. The Emeralds saw a late lead disappear as Salem-Keizer scored two runs in the ninth inning before winning the game 4-3 in the 11th. Even with the losses, Eugene remains in first place in the Northwest League South standings.
– Oregon volleyball faced a bunch of familiar faces in its alumnae game, its last scrimmage of the year, Friday night. Although it’s bad to lose to your alumnae, the Ducks played against three former all-Americans: Sonja Newcombe, Lauren Plum and Liz Brenner. The alumnae won the match 3-2 after taking the fifth and final set by a score of 15-12. The Ducks open the season with a trip to Philadelphia, where they play in the Temple Invitational, August 28-29.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka