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Oregon Ducks, Nike Relationship Demonstrated in Latest NFL Uniforms Release

With the Arizona Cardinals becoming the second team to copy one of the Oregon Ducks' iconic uniform designs for their rivalry series, football fans wonder if the future of professional football design comes straight from Autzen Stadium?
Ally Osborne|
Oct 8, 2022; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Oct 8, 2022; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Oregon DucksArizona Cardinals

Is that the Oregon Ducks from 2021 or 2022? Nope, just the Arizona Cardinals releasing their new Rivalry Uniform for their "Thursday Night Football" game against the Seattle Seahawks.

The second NFL "copycat" uniform resembling the Ducks begs the question: is the future of professional football uniform design copying older Oregon pieces?

The "desert sand" speckled uniforms, set to be worn only once by the professional team, look like the brown and cream version of Oregon's "eggshell" black and white speckle design originally released in 2021 for Oregon's game against UCLA. Funny enough, the caption @GoDucks used when releasing the uniform reads, "It is our nature to innovate."

Quarterback Kyler Murray and running back James Conner model the Cardinals' new Rivalries uniforms.
Quarterback Kyler Murray and running back James Conner model the Cardinals' new Rivalries uniforms. | Peter Vander Stoep/Arizona Cardinals

Even funnier, the same uniforms (with different helmets) were used by the Ducks in 2022 for a road game to Arizona.

Oct 23, 2021; Pasadena, California, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Anthony Brown (13) celebrates after scoring on a 43-yard to
Oct 23, 2021; Pasadena, California, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Anthony Brown (13) celebrates after scoring on a 43-yard touchdown run against the UCLA Bruins in the second half at Rose Bowl. Oregon defeated UCLA 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ducks are the blueprint

Though the Ducks originated the speckle print, and both uniforms include minimal embellishments to let the print breathe, the Cardinals did somewhat deviate from the original Oregon release.

First off, Arizona uses red and orange numbers and pants stripes that deviate from Oregon's "mallard green" letters and lack of pant details. The Cardinals also moved logos to the side of the shoulder pads instead of the chest like Oregon, with a large state of Arizona badge glimmering in copper and red on the right shoulder (very similar to the Cardinals' usual logo placement for uniforms).

Arizona's helmet is also slightly different, with the Cardinals opting for a base that matches their jerseys with a smaller speckle print throughout and a red and orange Cardinal logo.

The Arizona Cardinals debut speckled helmets for their 2025 rivalry uniform
The Arizona Cardinals debut speckled helmets for their 2025 rivalry uniform | Peter Vander Stoep/Arizona Cardinals

The fan comparisons say it all

With the release of the Cardinals' new uniforms, many football fans were quick to point out the presumed Duck inspirations. We've gathered a few of the most popular reactions below.

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Social media similarities

Another small detail that links the two uniform releases is the social media makeovers of both teams. Back in 2021, the Ducks replaced their @oregonfootball "X" (formerly Twitter) photo with a speckled white "O".

On Thursday, the Cardinals also released a speckled logo with their uniforms, with the brown and creme pattern behind an outline of the familiar Cardinal logo.

The Cardinals aren't the first to copy the Ducks

Believe it or not, the Cardinals aren't even the first NFL to seemingly borrow Oregon's former designs for this rivalry uniform rollout. The Seattle Seahawks are also facing heat as their rivalry uniforms bear a similar resemblance to the Ducks' "Warp Speed" all-white uniform from the "Generation O" line last year.

Will more teams copy the Ducks?

Yes, is the short answer. Due to Oregon's long-standing partnership with sportswear brand Nike, the company tests out a lot of their designs on Oregon athletes. If there's a new design in football uniforms, chances are, they were first tested in Eugene, Oregon with the Ducks.

"Their performance team could develop [a uniform] from beginning to end in about three years. So that's how we got on a cadence of a new uniform set every three years," said Oregon football equipment administrator Kenny Farr in Oregon's "Rooted in Substance" documentary about Oregon's history with Nike.

"Hey, let's try it with Oregon first. Top secret projects - you [Oregon players] get to wear it first. Now you've got these people that are test pilots at University of Oregon testing the latest great product," said Todd Van Horne, a former designer for Nike and founder of Van Horne Brands.

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Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A born and raised Oregonian, Ally Osborne has a passion for sporting events across her home state. She began writing for Oregon Ducks on SI in 2021. Currently a morning talk show host and sports reporter for KOIN 6 and Portland's CW in Portland, Oregon, Ally is engrained in her community. Finding and sharing stories that highlight the unique culture and connectivity sports creates is a part of her DNA. She frequently contributes sports content to KOIN's broadcast and streaming platforms while hosting talk show "Everyday Northwest" and video podcast "Tower Talk Live" every weekday. With Portland being her third-worked television market (second in Oregon), Osborne brings hard-news and feature-reporting experience to compliment her expertise for sports storytelling. Her journalistic endeavors and art creations (many of which are inspired by the Oregon Ducks) can be found on her social media pages. Ally graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021 after interning for the Oregon Sports Network with experience working on live sporting broadcasts for ESPN, FOX Sports, the PAC 12 Network, and Runnerspace. 

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