Oregon softball has exceeded any expectations any realistic fan could have put on the Ducks going into the 2025 season. Somehow, a group that had to replace seven everyday starter seniors has gotten better — hosting a regional is absolutely not out of the question for Oregon, and frankly, should be the expectation.
There have been faces both new and old contributing, and a lineup that had six newcomers to start its season has often picked up its pitching staff and vice versa.
With all that being said, let’s take a look at where the rest of the conference stands while giving some historical context to some of the Ducks’ new foes.
The contenders — Oregon, Northwestern, Michigan, Nebraska, UCLA, Ohio State
The Ducks easily fall into this category here. Lyndsey Grein (0.98 ERA through her first 93 innings) and four Big Ten Freshman of the Week honorees are a big reason why.
There’s a clear power dynamic in the Big Ten — there are these seven schools, and then everyone else. UCLA and Michigan are the conference’s only champions this decade, with Washington making the championship in 2018. It’s also noteworthy that the Ducks will avoid a good number of these programs in the regular season — Oregon will host UCLA and Michigan at the Jane later this season.
The middle — Washington, Wisconsin, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana, Penn State, Minnesota
Washington is the program most likely to rise a tier here, with the Huskies able to beat up on most of the Big Ten’s lower tier teams. UW gave Oregon its first conference loss of the season and boasts an impressive freshman class that could see the program rise.
It’s worth noting that Minnesota (2017) is the only non-Michigan or Northwestern school to win a conference championship since 2014, so there’s a pretty clear lack of parity between the best and the rest.
The bottom — Maryland, Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois, Rutgers
These are tough times in the cellar for these programs. Rutgers is the one team here that is having an outlier 2025 season — the Scarlet Knights were third in the conference standings a year ago.
It’s notable that Oregon has played both Illinois and Rutgers in two of its first three conference matchups. It’s also worth considering that the Ducks (31-3) have the best record in the conference through their first 34 games.
Overall
While there’s a pretty clear disparity between the best teams in the conference, the world of NIL can change everything quickly in college sports. It’ll be interesting to see whether Oregon or UCLA can top the conference in their first year, or if one of the top dogs can keep or reclaim their championship spot.
