Oregon fans can stuff their Hawaiian leis back in the closet, because the Ducks are headed to San Diego for the Culligan Holiday Bowl.
The Bowl Championship Series made its selections during a 12:30 p.m. ABC telecast, and announced that the 10-1 Oregon State Beavers are Fiesta Bowl-bound.
Both Oregon teams’ fate hinged on the BCS bowls, because if Oregon State did not get selected, then it would have been headed to Holiday Bowl and the Ducks (9-2) would be forced to accept an invitation to a probable berth in the Aloha Bowl against a weaker opponent.
Now, No. 8 Oregon will face No. 12 Texas at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif., on Dec. 29 in a game televised by ESPN.
The fifth-ranked Beavers will be playing on New Year’s Day against No. 10 Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz.
The decision also affected both Oregon teams financially, as the Beavers will now receive a $13.5 million payout for the Fiesta Bowl and the Ducks will earn $1.9 million for their Holiday Bowl berth. All Pacific-10 Conference teams will benefit from the selection, as the teams split the money among all conference members.
The Holiday Bowl accepts the No. 2 team from the Pac-10. Oregon played in the Sun Bowl (Pac-10’s No.3) last season, and in the Aloha Bowl (Pac-10’s No. 4) in 1998.
The No. 4 Washington Huskies will take on No. 14 Purdue in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.