Nike co-Founder & Chair Phil Knight over the past 20 years has "become the most impactful booster in college sports" due to his association with the Univ. of Oregon, according to a sports section cover story by Josh Peter of USA TODAY. Knight "first grew intrigued with the notion of helping" UO athletics following the school's appearance in the '95 Rose Bowl. While he declined to discuss how much he has donated, a source said that it is "more than" $300M. The money "has been critical to building facilities," with Knight donating an estimated $70M for a "football performance facility," $60M toward the renovation of Autzen Stadium, $60M for an academic center and $100M for a new basketball arena, which was named after his late son Matthew. Knight has "taken an active role in the construction of facilities and consulted with athletics department officials on other matters." He said, "I knew my way around sports and sport management a little bit, and I wanted to be involved. They kept me very much involved, so I've had fingerprints and had the lead in what they were going to do with the money I was going to give them." Peter reports UO "has given Nike a platform to launch its football products -- uniforms, helmets and cleats." The relationship between Knight and UO "has included friction," including Knight in '04 withdrawing "financial support of the track program in protest of the coach." Then-AD Bill Moos "initially resisted firing the coach but later said Knight was right to call for a change." Peter notes Knight "has worn coach's headsets from his double suite at Autzen Stadium during games" and stands "on the field during warm-ups, mingles with the players in the locker room." He even has "pulled signed letters-of-intent off the fax machine" during National Signing Day (USA TODAY, 12/30).
DUCKS' BILLS: In Portland, Jason Quick wrote UO AD Rob Mullens "has heard the masses of the Oregon fan base speak," and they "are tired of what seems like increased ticket prices every year." Mullens said, "We've asked a lot of our fans. And I'm sure you've heard about it as well -- we've raised ticket prices several times over the last couple of years." UO is "finally up to speed with the rest of the nation in paying for, and keeping, elite-level assistant coaches." Mullens said that five years ago UO "ranked 39th in assistant coaches salaries with the school paying" a combined $1.59M; UO now ranks 15th at $3.13M. Only UCLA "has higher assistant salaries" in the Pac-12. Mullens: "Raising the ticket prices has enabled us to move that salary pool from 39th to 15th." Quick noted one way to "help offset the need to raise ticket prices would be to expand Autzen Stadium's 54,000-seat capacity." However, expansion "would likely incur more debt, and it would eliminate the Ducks' leverage in supply-and-demand pricing." UO has "announced sellouts for 103 consecutive games." Mullens: "It's tricky. Demand is important. Arizona and Colorado this season were difficult sellouts. They went right down to the wire. So I don't know. It's a juggling act. We are trying to figure out what's right, and how we can accommodate what the premium seating people want ... all while trying to figure if there's a way to create a lower price that brings back some folks who feel like they got priced out. So it's complicated" (OREGONLIVE.com, 12/27).
