Sports spotlight: Willamette University defeats Boxers for first time since 2013

The Willamette University Bearcats play the Pacific University Boxers in Salem, Oregon on September 13, 2025. Photo credit to Henry Jensen and Willamette University.

Willamette University football ended a 12 game losing streak against Pacific University on their Sept. 12 away game, defeating the Boxers 6-3 at Hanson Stadium. This marks Willamette's first victory over Pacific since 2013. 

Pacific's football program was discontinued for a period before being restored in 2010, and the Boxers subsequently dominated the recent series, winning 12 consecutive meetings before Saturday's game. 

Neither team managed to score during the first half, as both teams' defensemen repeatedly stopped drives within the scoring range. The teams entered halftime tied 0-0. 

Willamette finally broke through early in the third quarter. Senior quarterback Lukas Hews (’27) rushed towards the end of the field to score a touchdown, giving the Bearcats a 6-3 lead. The team’s defense was particularly notable as they prevented the Boxers from completing a comeback, forcing three Pacific turnovers, including two lost fumbles and an interception. 

Willamette and Pacific have competed against each other in athletics for generations. However, their rivalry now exists alongside an unusual development. Willamette and Pacific are preparing to become a part of the same university. The institutions announced their intentions to merge in December 2025. In June 2026, both governing boards approved unanimously to keep moving forward with the merger, signing a formal plan in July. 

Despite the planned merger, the rivalry on the field is not expected to disappear. Both universities have said their athletic programs will remain separate, with Willamette’s Bearcats and Pacific’s Boxers continuing to compete independently in the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference. Willamette's merger information specifically notes that student-athletes will remain affiliated with their respective campuses and that the athletic programs will continue separately. 

That made the mid-September 6-3 result a notable chapter in the rivalry. While Willamette and Pacific prepare to build an institutional future together, their football teams remain separate competitors.