Oregon Ducks
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/* Relationship with Nike */
{{Infobox college athletics |
name = Oregon Ducks|
logo = Oregon-O-logo.png |
university = University of Oregon |
conference = [[Pac-10]] |
division = Division I |
director = [[Pat Kilkenny]] |
city = Eugene |
state = Oregon |
stateabb = OR |
teams = 14 |
stadium = [[Autzen Stadium]] |
arena = [[McArthur Court]] |
mascot = [[The Oregon Duck]] |
nickname = Ducks |
fightsong = "[[Mighty Oregon]]" |
color1 = Green |
color2 = Yellow |
hex1 = 006666 |
hex2 = FFCC00 |
pageurl = http://www.goducks.com/ |
pagename = www.goducks.com
}}
The '''Oregon Ducks''' refers to the sports teams of the [[University of Oregon]], located in [[Eugene, Oregon]], [[United States]]. The Oregon Ducks are part of the [[Pacific Ten Conference|Pacific 10]] (Pac-10) conference. The Oregon Ducks are best known for their [[Oregon Ducks football|football]] team and [[Athletics (track and field)|Track and Field]] program, which has helped to make Eugene be known as "[[Track Town, USA]]".<ref name=tracktown>{{cite web|url=http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=243&SPSID=4368&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=30592|title=Track Town, USA|publisher=GoDucks.com|accessdate=2007-08-24}}</ref> Oregon's main [[College rivalry|rivalries]] are with the [[Oregon State Beavers]] (the [[Civil War (college rivalry)|Civil War]]) and the [[Washington Huskies]].{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
==Relationship with Nike==
UO track and field coach [[Bill Bowerman]] revolutionized the [[athletic shoe]] by pouring molten [[rubber]] into a [[waffle iron]], creating a [[prototype]] rubber sole. Bowerman went on to co-found the [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] corporation with UO alumnus [[Phil Knight]], one of his athletes.<ref name=STnike>{{cite news
|title= Nike's Phil Knight resigns as CEO
|first=Anne M.
|last=Peterson
|publisher=The Associated Press
|work=The Seattle Times
|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002095212_nike19.html
|date=[[2004-11-19]]
}}</ref>
Nike has maintained a close relationship with UO ever since, manufacturing all university logo clothing and uniforms for the football team, including research prototypes for high-tech "smart clothes", such as jerseys with cooling systems. Controversy surrounding Nike's labor practices precipitated protests in 2000 led by a group of students calling themselves the Human Rights Alliance. The protests included a 10 day tent city occupation of the lawns in front of Johnson Hall, the main administration building. Protesting students demanded and initially received independent oversight by the [[Worker Rights Consortium]] (WRC) of Nike's overseas factories.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
The University of Oregon joined the WRC but was quickly admonished by [[Phil Knight]] in a scathing letter<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/04/25/MN28628.DTL Nike Chair Cancels Gift to Alma Mater / Sweatshop position irks shoe billionaire<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> resulting in the rescission of a US$30 million dollar contribution to renovate [[Autzen Stadium]], and a pledge for no more future donations should the University continue its membership in the WRC. The University eventually terminated the relationship with the WRC within a year of joining, citing "legal complications." [[Phil Knight]] later reinstated the donation and increased the money to over US$50 million dollars.<ref name=STnike>{{cite news
|title= Nike's Phil Knight resigns as CEO
|first=Anne M.
|last=Peterson
|publisher=The Associated Press
|work=The Seattle Times
|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002095212_nike19.html
|date=[[2004-11-19]]
}}</ref>
The University of Oregon has recently begun plans to build a $190 million dollar University basketball arena. It is the most expensive arena in the country.
==National championships==
Through the fall 2007 sports season, Oregon has won 14 NCAA national championships:<ref name="ncaa">{{cite web
| title =How many NCAA Division I championships has your school won?
| work =NCAA website
| url =http://www.ncaa.org/champadmin/champs_listing1.html
| accessdate =2007-12-06 }} (site not yet updated to include 2007 Cross Country title)</ref>
* [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|Men's Basketball]]: 1939
* [[NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship|Men's Cross Country]]: 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, 2007
* [[NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship|Women's Cross Country]]: 1983, 1987
* [[NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship|Men's Track & Field]]: 1962, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1984
* [[NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship|Women's Track & Field]]: 1985
==Venues==
[[Image:Autzen Stadium.jpg|thumb|right|Autzen Stadium.]]
The Oregon Ducks basketball teams play at [[McArthur Court]] on the campus of the University of Oregon. The Ducks football team's home is [[Autzen Stadium]], just north of the main campus. Track and field events are held at [[Hayward Field]], on the campus adjacent to McArthur Court.
==Rivalry==
The Oregon Ducks have an in-state rivalry with the [[Oregon State Beavers]]. The rivalry has been dubbed the [[Civil War (series)|Civil War]] and for the past nine years has been scored across nine different sports that the two universities share (baseball will be added when Oregon begins play during the 2008-2009 academic year). The series is currently tied 4-4-1.<ref name="Northwest Dodge Dealers Civil War Series">{{cite web
| title =Northwest Dodge Dealers Civil War Series
| work =Civil War Series
| url =http://www.oregonlive.com/sites/civilwar/civilwarseries.html
| accessdate =2008-07-13 }}</ref>
==Football==
{{main|Oregon Ducks football}}
===Achievements===
As of 2006, Oregon has appeared in 20 postseason bowl games and has an overall bowl record of 7-13.<ref name=mediaguide>{{cite web|url=http://www.goducks.com//pdf6/80935.pdf|work=University of Oregon Football Media Guide|title=Bowl Tradition|publisher=GoDucks.com|page=p. 193|accessdate=2007-12-06}}</ref>
The Ducks have been named Champions or Co-Champions of the [[Pacific Coast Conference|Pacific Coast]] and [[Pacific-10 Conference|Pacific-10]] conferences on seven occasions:
'''Pacific Coast Conference:'''
*1919 Co-Champions
*1933 Co-Champions
*1948 Co-Champions
*1957 Co-Champions
'''Pacific-10 Conference:'''
*1994 Champions
*2000 Co-Champions
*2001 Champions
===2005-2006 football season===
[[Image:Picture 045.jpg|thumb|right|Autzen Stadium, South View]]
In 2005, Oregon had success behind senior quarterback [[Kellen Clemens]] and a new spread offense. Unfortunately, during a game at Arizona, Clemens suffered a broken ankle. At that point Oregon was 8-1 (their only loss was to #1 ranked USC 45-13), and still in the hunt for a BCS game. Oregon won their final three games and their success led them into contention for a bid to the Fiesta Bowl. The Ducks finished the regular season with a 10-1 record, their best finish since their [[Joey Harrington]]-led, [[2002 Fiesta Bowl|Fiesta Bowl]]-winning 2001-2002 team. They finished 5th overall in the [[Bowl Championship Series|BCS]] ranking system, which would in many years have been high enough to earn them a bid to a [[BCS Bowl]]. In 2005, however, there were no at-large bids available to Oregon. [[Ohio State University|Ohio State]] finished just ahead of the Ducks, in 4th place, guaranteeing them one of the at-large berths (although they had an inferior 10-2 record). [[University of Notre Dame|Notre Dame]] finished 6th in the BCS, also securing a BCS bid due to a pre-existing clause in the BCS contract. Many college football fans were outraged that two teams with worse records were selected over the Ducks. Moreover, for the second consecutive year, the Pac-10 conference had a team that finished with a one-loss season snubbed by the BCS (the [[University of California, Berkeley|Cal Bears]] finished 10-1 in 2004). It was later demonstrated that Oregon drew the highest bowl ratings in college football, calling the argument that TV ratings hurt the Ducks' BCS chances into question.<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/WSJ_122905_RATINGS.pdf TV ratings for college football bowl games], from [[The Wall Street Journal]], [[2005-12-29]].</ref> The situation (and others like it in recent years) has led to more calls for a playoff system to replace the BCS, which has received widespread criticism from college football fans. Instead of a BCS game, they were assigned to the [[Holiday Bowl]] versus the [[Oklahoma Sooners]]. Playing without their starting quarterback, Kellen Clemens, and combined with a strong showing from the Sooners, the Ducks fell in a close game, 17-14, finishing the season tied for the second-best in school history with a 10-2 overall record.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}(The Sooners were subsequently required to vacate their 2005 season, including the Holiday Bowl win, after their starting quarterback and an offensive lineman were found to be in violation of NCAA rules. The Ducks and other opponents were not allowed to claim wins in these games, however.<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2933008 ESPN - NCAA: Oklahoma must vacate 2005 season; Sooners to appeal - College Football<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>)
===2006-2007 Football Season===
{{main|2006 Oregon Ducks football team}}
===2007-2008 Football Season===
{{main|2007 Oregon Ducks football team}}
The Ducks rose to a national rank of number 2 in the [[Bowl Championship Series]] poll, until an injury to star quarterback [[Dennis Dixon]] led to defeat at the hands of the [[Arizona Wildcats]] on [[November 15]], [[2007]].{{Fact|date=November 2007}} The Ducks lost to Arizona 34-24 in that game. They lost the next game to UCLA in Los Angeles as backup quarterback Brady Leaf was also knocked out of the game. The final score was 16-0. Oregon lost the season finale to rival Oregon State on December 1, 2007 by a score of 38-31 in two overtimes.
Oregon finished the season at 8-4 and qualified for the Sun Bowl in El Paso.
On December 31, 2007 freshman quarterback Justin Roper, making his first start, passed for 4 touchdowns (tied for a Sun Bowl record)and 180 yards as Oregon crushed favored South Florida Bulls 56-21. Jonathan Stewart rushed for a Sun Bowl record and career high 253 yards and a touchdown and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. The 56 points scored by the Ducks was a Sun Bowl record. The Ducks finished the 2007 season with a 9-4 record. They finished with a ranking of 23rd in the final Associated Press Poll.
===Uniforms===
[[Image:Oregon-ducks-four-jerseys.jpg|thumb|right|[[University of Oregon|Oregon]]'s jerseys went through a major remake in 2006.]]
The University of Oregon football team is known for their unique uniform style in recent years, occasionally to the criticism of alumni and football purists. The new schemes are designed by the nearby [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] Corporation, who have the outfitting rights for the Ducks. In the 2005 season, they used nine uniform combinations, including [http://www.registerguard.com/rgn/images/uploads/gallery/houston/2005090212.jpg white jerseys and white pants], [http://www.registerguard.com/rgn/images/uploads/gallery/montana/2005091115.jpg yellow and green], [http://www.registerguard.com/rgn/images/uploads/gallery/fresno_state/2005091807.jpg yellow and yellow], [http://www.registerguard.com/rgn/images/uploads/gallery/usc/2005092404.jpg green and green], [http://www.registerguard.com/rgn/images/uploads/gallery/stanford/2005100208.jpg white and green], [http://www.registerguard.com/rgn/images/uploads/gallery/washington/2005101509.jpg green and yellow], [http://www.registerguard.com/rgn/images/uploads/gallery/arizona/2005102301.jpg white and yellow], [http://www.registerguard.com/rgn/images/uploads/gallery/oregon_state/2005111907.jpg black and black], and [http://photos.signonsandiego.com/gallery1.5/albums/holidaybowl2005/JBholbowlA250116x0075.jpg white and black], which they wore in the 2005 [[Holiday Bowl]] against the [[University of Oklahoma]].{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
New uniforms were introduced for the 2006 season, allowing up to 48 different combinations of jerseys, pants, and helmets. It was announced prior to the beginning of the season that different colored helmets would be used, however these did not debut until the Ducks wore a metallic-yellow colored helmet<ref>http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/061221/061221_BYU_hmed_9p.hmedium.jpg yellow helmets</ref> in the 2006 [[Las Vegas Bowl]]. The Ducks wore the previously announced white helmets<ref>http://img471.imageshack.us/img471/3535/duckswashingtonfootballzf5.jpg</ref> for the first time on [[October 20]], [[2007]] in Seattle, when they played the [[Washington Huskies]].{{Fact|date=December 2007}} They wore the yellow helmets for a second time in the 2007 Civil War.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
==Basketball==
The Oregon Ducks won the first [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|NCAA Basketball Championship]] in 1939, defeating [[Ohio State University|Ohio State]] 46-33.
2002 saw the Ducks attain one of their finest performances ever, going undefeated at home and winning the Pac-10 title. The team went on to defeat [[University of Montana|Montana]], [[Wake Forest University|Wake Forest]] and [[University of Texas|Texas]] in the 2002 NCAA Tournament to reach the [[Elite Eight]] and end their season with a No. 6 ranking.
The following year, the Ducks won the Pac-10 tournament, and received a No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament behind the strong play of Pac-10 Player of the Year, Luke Ridnour. However, they were defeated by [[University of Utah|Utah]] in the opening round of the 2003 NCAA tournament.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
After a disappointing stretch of seasons from 2004-2006, the team regained its composure and kicked off 2007 with an upset of #1 [[UCLA]] on Jan. 6. They attained their best start since 1928, when they started the season 18-1. The Ducks finished the regular season with a 23-7 record and defeated [[University of Arizona|Arizona]], [[University of California|California]], and [[University of Southern California|USC]] to win the 2007 [[Pac-10 Tournament]]. In March 2007, the Ducks entered into the [[NCAA tournament]] with a #3 seed. On March 16th, the Ducks defeated #14 seed [[Miami University|Miami of Ohio]] 58-56.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Oregon continued their run into the 2007 Sweet Sixteen by defeating [[Winthrop University|Winthrop]], 75-61. The Ducks defeated #7 seed [[UNLV|University of Nevada, Las Vegas]] to secure a spot in the [[Elite Eight]] against defending national champions Florida. The Ducks run ended in the [[Elite Eight]], losing to the eventual NCAA National Champions, the [[Florida Gators]].{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
The Ducks were selected as a No. 9 seed in the 2008 [[NCAA Tournament]] in the Southern Region. They lost to No. 8 seed [[Mississippi State Bulldogs]] in first-round play on March 21, 2008, in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]].
==Baseball==
{{main|Oregon Ducks baseball}}
==See also==
*[[List of University of Oregon football bowl games]]
*[[2006 Oregon Ducks football team|2006 Football Season]]
==References==
{{Reflist|1}}
==External links==
*[http://www.uoregon.edu/ University of Oregon homepage]
*[http://www.goducks.com/ Oregon Athletics]
*[http://sportshistory.uoregon.edu Leadership and Legacy]: Athletics and the University of Oregon
{{Pacific Ten Conference}}
{{1939 Oregon basketball}}
[[Category:Sports in Oregon]]
[[Category:Eugene, Oregon]]
[[Category:College athletic programs]]
[[Category:University of Oregon athletics| ]]
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