MAIN EVENT: Big money donors at Oregon and Oklahoma State
THE BIG-MONEY IMPACT
Nike founder Phil Knight has helped build Oregon athletics to a level that Oklahoma State hopes to surpass
By George Schroeder, Staff Writer
The jersey — No. 1, of course — hangs in his very own locker in college football’s best locker room. The personal space is Oregon’s way of saying thanks to Nike founder Phil Knight, who has helped transform the Ducks’ facilities and fortunes with an infusion of cash and Q rating.
“His support and giving elevated our exposure and the expectations people had,” said Jim Bartko, a former Oregon associate athletic director.
It kind of reminds Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder of recent events in Payne County. Except if Knight has his own locker, Boone Pickens might soon deserve his own locker room.
“You’ve got to multiply what Phil Knight did (at Oregon) by a lot,” Holder said. “That’s just a tiny glimmer of what we’re doing at OSU.”
Pickens’ $165 million gift caused shock waves throughout college athletics. And after sitting in a hedge fund for six months, it has grown to $267 million. OSU officials estimate the gift’s worth might eventually surpass $400 million.
Whatever the final amount, the impact is huge. And Knight’s relationship with Oregon illustrates what might happen.
Exact figures for Knight’s philanthropy aren’t available. But published estimates suggest Knight and his wife Penny have given nearly $100 million to Oregon athletics. They’ve given at least half as much to the university’s academic side, including major gifts to the library ($27.4 million) and law school ($10 million) and endowed chairs and professorships ($15 million).
But Knight’s tangible impact is dwarfed by the benefit from Oregon’s close association with Knight — and by extension, with the shoe company he founded.
Oregon’s all-inclusive contract with Nike is like several other college programs’. And school officials take pains to explain their association with Knight and Nike are separate.
But they don’t exactly run from the general perception: Oregon is Team Nike.
Check out which of 48 brash uniform combinations (no exaggeration) the Ducks wear this week – think footballplaying Jetsons in green, or highlighter yellow. They were designed by current and former Oregon players working with Nike’s creative minds (many of whom are Oregon alumni).
Note the Ducks’ incredible digs: a $3.2 million, two-story football locker room; a $15 million, 117,000-square-foot indoor practice facility; Autzen Stadium, which underwent a $91 million renovation. Knight’s money helped fund them all.
“(Knight) loves his university, and the fact that his success came within the area of athletics is just frosting on the cake,” Oregon athletic director Bill Moos said. “Having his name associated has been a big benefit to the University of Oregon. He loves to be around the program, and it’s just a real feel-good situation.”
Pickens’ investments don’t provide quite the bully platform as the world’s largest athletics apparel company. But the Cowboys feel pretty good about his impact, too.
And here’s where Pickens’ greater financial gift comes in. OSU officials say their planned facilities — including the stadium which bears Pickens’ name, the athletic village and improved facilities for virtually every other sport — could propel the Cowboys into the upper tier of college sports.
Regardless, officials from both schools said the dividends far exceed the Knight’s and Pickens’ gifts.
Bartko spent 17 years in the Oregon athletic department before leaving recently to become a senior associate athletic director at California. Much of his time at Oregon was spent as a liaison between the school and donors — mainly, Knight.
Bartko said the excitement generated by Knight’s generosity was the catalyst for many smaller gifts by other donors. The assortment of small change — $1,000, $5,000, maybe $100,000 — helped fuel Oregon’s operating budget to the point it’s self-sustaining.
Holder noted Knight’s impact has been years in the making, but said he expects a similar phenomenon to occur at OSU because of Pickens’ donations.
“It’s gonna take time to see the tangible changes,” Holder said. “But when you see things happening, you see a change in attitude and momentum for the department. Everybody understands now the money they give will make a difference.”
So, can Pickens do for OSU what Knight has done for Oregon? Absolutely, Bartko said.
“There’s a window there,” Bartko said. “They can theoretically change the history of Oklahoma State athletics. They’re laying the groundwork for the next 20 or 30 years. It could be the same thing that happened at Oregon.”
Or maybe, much more.
THE BIG-MONEY IMPACT
Nike founder Phil Knight has helped build Oregon athletics to a level that Oklahoma State hopes to surpass
By George Schroeder, Staff Writer
The jersey — No. 1, of course — hangs in his very own locker in college football’s best locker room. The personal space is Oregon’s way of saying thanks to Nike founder Phil Knight, who has helped transform the Ducks’ facilities and fortunes with an infusion of cash and Q rating.
“His support and giving elevated our exposure and the expectations people had,” said Jim Bartko, a former Oregon associate athletic director.
It kind of reminds Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder of recent events in Payne County. Except if Knight has his own locker, Boone Pickens might soon deserve his own locker room.
“You’ve got to multiply what Phil Knight did (at Oregon) by a lot,” Holder said. “That’s just a tiny glimmer of what we’re doing at OSU.”
Pickens’ $165 million gift caused shock waves throughout college athletics. And after sitting in a hedge fund for six months, it has grown to $267 million. OSU officials estimate the gift’s worth might eventually surpass $400 million.
Whatever the final amount, the impact is huge. And Knight’s relationship with Oregon illustrates what might happen.
Exact figures for Knight’s philanthropy aren’t available. But published estimates suggest Knight and his wife Penny have given nearly $100 million to Oregon athletics. They’ve given at least half as much to the university’s academic side, including major gifts to the library ($27.4 million) and law school ($10 million) and endowed chairs and professorships ($15 million).
But Knight’s tangible impact is dwarfed by the benefit from Oregon’s close association with Knight — and by extension, with the shoe company he founded.
Oregon’s all-inclusive contract with Nike is like several other college programs’. And school officials take pains to explain their association with Knight and Nike are separate.
But they don’t exactly run from the general perception: Oregon is Team Nike.
Check out which of 48 brash uniform combinations (no exaggeration) the Ducks wear this week – think footballplaying Jetsons in green, or highlighter yellow. They were designed by current and former Oregon players working with Nike’s creative minds (many of whom are Oregon alumni).
Note the Ducks’ incredible digs: a $3.2 million, two-story football locker room; a $15 million, 117,000-square-foot indoor practice facility; Autzen Stadium, which underwent a $91 million renovation. Knight’s money helped fund them all.
“(Knight) loves his university, and the fact that his success came within the area of athletics is just frosting on the cake,” Oregon athletic director Bill Moos said. “Having his name associated has been a big benefit to the University of Oregon. He loves to be around the program, and it’s just a real feel-good situation.”
Pickens’ investments don’t provide quite the bully platform as the world’s largest athletics apparel company. But the Cowboys feel pretty good about his impact, too.
And here’s where Pickens’ greater financial gift comes in. OSU officials say their planned facilities — including the stadium which bears Pickens’ name, the athletic village and improved facilities for virtually every other sport — could propel the Cowboys into the upper tier of college sports.
Regardless, officials from both schools said the dividends far exceed the Knight’s and Pickens’ gifts.
Bartko spent 17 years in the Oregon athletic department before leaving recently to become a senior associate athletic director at California. Much of his time at Oregon was spent as a liaison between the school and donors — mainly, Knight.
Bartko said the excitement generated by Knight’s generosity was the catalyst for many smaller gifts by other donors. The assortment of small change — $1,000, $5,000, maybe $100,000 — helped fuel Oregon’s operating budget to the point it’s self-sustaining.
Holder noted Knight’s impact has been years in the making, but said he expects a similar phenomenon to occur at OSU because of Pickens’ donations.
“It’s gonna take time to see the tangible changes,” Holder said. “But when you see things happening, you see a change in attitude and momentum for the department. Everybody understands now the money they give will make a difference.”
So, can Pickens do for OSU what Knight has done for Oregon? Absolutely, Bartko said.
“There’s a window there,” Bartko said. “They can theoretically change the history of Oklahoma State athletics. They’re laying the groundwork for the next 20 or 30 years. It could be the same thing that happened at Oregon.”
Or maybe, much more.