Big Ten Football Travel Distances 2025: Oregon, UCLA Lead Conference in Total Miles

Key Highlights

• Oregon covers the most miles (8,391) in Big Ten play in 2025; Illinois the fewest (2,161)
• Teams traveling over 1,000 miles in 2024 Big Ten games had just a 29.63% win rate
• Oregon has two of the five longest trips in Big Ten play in 2025
• Oregon and UCLA each have four 1,000+ mile games next season, most in the conference

*Note: all data is for Big Ten conference games only

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With the Big Ten now stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic, travel is more than just a logistical detail—it’s a competitive factor. New data from 2024 games shows a significant drop in win percentage when teams travel more than 1,000 miles.

For Oregon, UCLA, and the other newcomers, that’s a weekly reality. Meanwhile, teams like Illinois stay close to home. The conference says this is about national reach. But on the field, travel distance may decide who plays in the Big Ten Championship Indianapolis next December, and possibly even the College Football Playoff. We take a look at how travel could affect the Big Ten in 2025, with a look at how far and how often each team travels in 2025.

Oregon Logs Most Miles in 2025 Big Ten Play, 4x More Than Lowest-Traveled Team

Travel mileage across the Big Ten in 2025 varies significantly by team. USC (5,491) also face heavy travel schedules. These West Coast programs are averaging thousands more miles than most of the conference.

At the other end, Illinois travels just 2,161 miles—less than a quarter of Oregon’s total. Iowa (2,862), Minnesota (2,862), and Northwestern (2,921) also stay local, rarely leaving the central time zone. Illinois makes only one major trip—to Washington—and plays the rest of its games within a 250-mile radius.

The difference between top and bottom is more than 6,000 miles. Over the course of a season, that kind of gap can influence everything from fatigue to game prep to postseason spots.

1,000+ Mile Trips Led to 70% Loss Rate in 2024

In 2024 Big Ten play, teams that traveled more than 1,000 miles (one-way) to play an individual game won just 29.63% of the time. Teams making shorter trips won about 44%. That 14-point difference isn’t subtle. Teams traveling under 1,000 miles were 48.5% more likely to win a game than those traveling over 1,000 miles (44% win rate vs. 29.63%).

Fatigue, time changes, and missed prep time all stack up. Even one long trip can disrupt a team’s rhythm. For West Coast programs now forced into multiple long trips every year, it’s not a fluke—it’s a disadvantage baked into the schedule. Coaches can plan around it, but they can’t erase it. If the 2024 numbers are anything to go by, travel distances matter.

Oregon Faces Two of the Five Longest Trips in 2025

Oregon has the worst travel schedule in the Big Ten by far. The Ducks travel 2,465 miles to play Penn State. No other team has two trips over 2,000 miles. For comparison, that’s almost two and a half times the distance of most other Big Ten road games (913 miles).

These aren’t early-season matchups either—Rutgers comes in Week 8. That timing adds strain when players are already banged up. Add in another 1,500+ mile trip to Iowa and one to Northwestern, and Oregon’s travel grind is unmatched. Talent might get them through some of it, but the miles will take a toll.

Oregon and UCLA Lead the Big Ten in Long-Distance Games

Oregon and UCLA each have four Big Ten games in 2025 that require travel of over 1,000 miles—more than any other team in the conference. USC and Washington are close behind with three each.

For Oregon, those trips include Rutgers, Penn State, Northwestern, and Iowa. UCLA racks up 7,407 miles with long hauls to Ohio State, Michigan State, Indiana, and Northwestern. These aren’t early non-conference one-offs—they’re spread across the season and require frequent coast-to-coast flights.

The volume and spacing of these trips create a consistent logistical challenge. No other programs in the league deal with this kind of travel load week after week.

Newcomers Travel Twice as Far as Legacy Big Ten Teams

The gap in travel demands between the Big Ten’s new and existing is wide. The four newcomers—Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington—average 7,024 miles of conference travel in 2025. That’s more than double the 3,281-mile average logged by the 14 legacy schools.

These extra miles affect recovery schedules, film sessions, and how teams structure their weeks. Cross-country flights reduce prep time and complicate routines. Teams facing this regularly have to adjust their entire operations. The imbalance could shape injuries, fatigue, and win totals across the season.

More Notes From the 2025 Travel Data

• Rutgers is the most-traveled original Big Ten member at 5,226 miles
• Longest one-way trip in 2025: Oregon to Rutgers – 2,465 miles
• Shortest: UCLA to USC: ~12.26 miles

This data doesn’t even for return travel or potential weather-related travel detours in late-season games. Now, we wait and see what kind of effect this has on bowl season.

Commentary

SportsCasting’s Head of News, Nick Raffoul commented on the data:

“These numbers could serve as a warning to the Big Ten teams on the West Coast. When you look at how poorly teams perform after flying over 1,000 miles, and then see how often Oregon or UCLA has to do it, you start to question whether this schedule is fair.

“The Big Ten created a national conference, but didn’t build in protections for competitive balance. You’re punishing some teams before they even step on the field. Travel matters. Coaches know it. Players feel it. And fans will see it reflected in the standings this fall. If a 9-3 team gets left out of the College Football Playoff because they spent half their season on red-eyes, that’s a conference problem, not a team one.”