Is Oregon the new USC?

[Hot Lunch]

In my view Oregon has some ground to cover before becoming the new USC or joining college football's elite.

USC: 769-312-54 .711 - 7 national titles
Oregon: 564-467-47 .547

For reference:
Washington: 663-404-36 .621 - 1 national title
Stanford: 665-452-52 .595
UCLA: 521-356-37 .594
California: 629-482-51 .566

I have to agree with this. USC falls in to that top tier of elite schools where only a select few belong. Oregon still has a ways to go in order to get mentioned in that group.

[Babs]

I could see Oregon being a power for a long time. Pat Knight has dumped 300 million into their football team in the last several years, to the point where a lot of blue chippers visit Oregon just to see the ridiculous facilities even if they don't plan on committing. They have an enormous advantage that way.

17 and 18-year-olds are easily swayed by shiny things, and Oregon's facilities most certainly shine. They're only going to get better too. I have to think that a new or greatly expanded stadium is on the horizon. 54k just isn't bigtime.

See, to me this is the moral of the Oregon storyline. The ESPN commentators were saying last night that Oregon's progression just goes to show what happens when a coach and players really commit to an ideal, but I really kind of think it just goes to show that you can literally buy success for a football program. I'm curious to see if in the next ten years we see the same story arc come out of Stillwater.

[TripletDaddy]

I could see Oregon being a power for a long time. Pat Knight has dumped 300 million into their football team in the last several years, to the point where a lot of blue chippers visit Oregon just to see the ridiculous facilities even if they don't plan on committing. They have an enormous advantage that way.

"You mean I gave all that money to OREGON???? I meant to say TEXAS TECH!!!"

[Paperback Writer]

See, to me this is the moral of the Oregon storyline. The ESPN commentators were saying last night that Oregon's progression just goes to show what happens when a coach and players really commit to an ideal, but I really kind of think it just goes to show that you can literally buy success for a football program. I'm curious to see if in the next ten years we see the same story arc come out of Stillwater.

Oklahoma St. will be a good comparison. So much of a program’s success depends on a great coaching staff (particularly the head coach) that stays with the program. I think OK St. has that in Mike Gundy because of his history with the Cowboy program. I’d be surprised if Gundy left OK St. for a Michigan or Notre Dame.

On the other hand, the longevity of Chip Kelly at Oregon is harder to predict. Sure Oregon could probably match $$$ with other offers but I could see Chip Kelly leaving Oregon for a Michigan, Notre Dame…or Penn St.

It takes more than money to build a consistent winner and stay at the elite level but certainly money helps. It also takes a great head coach and staff that will stay there even when more prestigious programs or the NFL come calling.

[TripletDaddy]

Oklahoma St. will be a good comparison. So much of a program’s success depends on a great coaching staff (particularly the head coach) that stays with the program. I think OK St. has that in Mike Gundy because of his history with the Cowboy program. I’d be surprised if Gundy left OK St. for a Michigan or Notre Dame.

On the other hand, the longevity of Chip Kelly at Oregon is harder to predict. Sure Oregon could probably match $$$ with other offers but I could see Chip Kelly leaving Oregon for a Michigan, Notre Dame…or Penn St.

It takes more than money to build a consistent winner and stay at the elite level but certainly money helps. It also takes a great head coach and staff that will stay there even when more prestigious programs or the NFL come calling.

I think she wasnt referring to coaching as much as all the BP Capital money that T-Bone has been pumping into the otherwise anemic OK State football program. Coincidentally, all of a sudden OK State is relevant in football.

[Paperback Writer]

I think she wasnt referring to coaching as much as all the BP Capital money that T-Bone has been pumping into the otherwise anemic OK State football program. Coincidentally, all of a sudden OK State is relevant in football.

I understood what she was referring to and the money coming into Ok St. (and Oregon). My observation is that money without good coaching isn't going to get "elite" results. I remember when OK St. had success under Jimmy Johnson without the money. In other words, OK St's recent success has as much to do with Mike Gundy as with T.Boone Pickens (in my view).

[LA Ute]

I have to think that a new or greatly expanded stadium is on the horizon. 54k just isn't bigtime.

FWIW, I am told that these days, universities aren't expanding to, or building from scratch, huge stadiums (stadia?) or arenas. The conventional wisdom is that unless you have a population that will fill the thing regularly, the expansion of high-quality TV broadcasts, and the related TV money, make the big venues a bad investment. I have no information to go on other than what I have heard, but there is some logic to that line of thinking. So Oregon might stay right where they are with Autzen, [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autzen_Stadium"]Autzen Stadium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:102707-Oregon-AutzenStadium-ext.jpg" class="image"><img alt="102707-Oregon-AutzenStadium-ext.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/102707-Oregon-AutzenStadium-ext.jpg/325px-102707-Oregon-AutzenStadium-ext.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/1/1a/102707-Oregon-AutzenStadium-ext.jpg/325px-102707-Oregon-AutzenStadium-ext.jpg[/ame].

[Babs]

I understood what she was referring to and the money coming into Ok St. (and Oregon). My observation is that money without good coaching isn't going to get "elite" results. I remember when OK St. had success under Jimmy Johnson without the money. In other words, OK St's recent success has as much to do with Mike Gundy as with T.Boone Pickens (in my view).

Yes, but the two aren't independent. Oklahoma State has world class facilities and the means to pay competitive salaries now. That goes a long way in getting (and keeping) a decent coach. OTOH, Gundy is a man.

[Babs]

FWIW, I am told that these days, universities aren't expanding to, or building from scratch, huge stadiums (stadia?) or arenas. The conventional wisdom is that unless you have a population that will fill the t

I don't think that's true at all. I have no basis for this whatsoever, but it seems to me that recently any program that has a run-in with success expands its stadium first thing. I do think Oklahoma State and Oregon are somewhat analogous, and Oklahoma State expanded theirs. OTOH, it only seated 50k before.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Oregon is not and will never be USC. In 50 years can Oregon have their own tradition and prestige is yet to be written.

In reality I don't really care, I didn't live 50 years ago, and won't be alive 50 from today. Oregon is good now and that makes me happy.

[LA Ute]

I don't think that's true at all. I have no basis for this whatsoever, but it seems to me that recently any program that has a run-in with success expands its stadium first thing. I do think Oklahoma State and Oregon are somewhat analogous, and Oklahoma State expanded theirs. OTOH, it only seated 50k before.

That tends to disprove my (uninformed, speculative) theory. Thinking back, I believe that what I was told was that in highly-populated areas (maybe the speaker was referring to California, the PAC12, or the West Coast generally) universities are not building huge venues because there are so many competing attractions. The Rose Bowl and Coliseum are never filled, except for really big games, and when Stanford had a bigger stadium it was never filled either, I hear. For basketball arenas it's the same. USC's brand new place, Galen Center, only holds 10,250. In fact, I understand Utah's Huntsman Center will be the biggest arena in the PAC12. That's not such a great thing for Utah, it probably just means we're behind the times. College basketball attendance is down nationwide.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

FWIW, I am told that these days, universities aren't expanding to, or building from scratch, huge stadiums (stadia?) or arenas. The conventional wisdom is that unless you have a population that will fill the thing regularly, the expansion of high-quality TV broadcasts, and the related TV money, make the big venues a bad investment. I have no information to go on other than what I have heard, but there is some logic to that line of thinking. So Oregon might stay right where they are with Autzen, Autzen Stadium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

FWIW Oregon opens a brand new basketball arena a week from yesterday, and Minnesota just built a football stadium. So some places are building.

The last expansion of Autzen was in 2002, at the time it included a future plan to renovate and expand the North side also pushing capacity to 70k. I do not believe pursuing that expansion will happen in the next few years.

[TripletDaddy]

FWIW Oregon opens a brand new basketball arena a week from yesterday, and Minnesota just built a football stadium. So some places are building.

The last expansion of Autzen was in 2002, at the time it included a future plan to renovate and expand the North side also pushing capacity to 70k. I do not believe pursuing that expansion will happen in the next few years.

The Galen Center is brand new. Many places are building.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

The Galen Center is brand new. Many places are building.

How could I have forgotten the stat girls!

[LA Ute]

FWIW Oregon opens a brand new basketball arena a week from yesterday, and Minnesota just built a football stadium. So some places are building.

The last expansion of Autzen was in 2002, at the time it included a future plan to renovate and expand the North side also pushing capacity to 70k. I do not believe pursuing that expansion will happen in the next few years.

It's not a matter of whether places are building, it's the size of what is being built that is supposedly changing. (Galen's brand-new and holds only a little over 10K. Didn't Stanford end up with a much smaller staduim too?) It will be interesting to see if Oregon decides that it makes financial sense to expand Autzen to 70K. If they do my theory about smaller college venues will be further discredited!