Why Oregon Ducks' Relationship with Nike, Phil Knight is Coolest in College Sports

The Oregon Ducks have a special relationship with Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who has donated over one billion dollars to the University of Oregon. As a tribute to Knight and the history of Nike, Oregon is wearing special uniforms that also show off the most unique relationship in college athletics.

Oregon Ducks Phil Knight Nike co-founder Shoe Duck uniforms philanthropy donations Dan Lanning Bryce Boettcher billionare | Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon football is no stranger to show-stopping uniforms - but Saturday’s “Shoe Duck” edition honoring Nike co-founder and philanthropist Phil Knight might just be the most memorable yet. These jerseys are a wearable piece of Oregon history.

Knight's Donations to Oregon

Throughout his history of giving, Phil Knight has donated over $1 billion to the University of Oregon as of 2023, supporting both the school and its athletic department. His connection to the Ducks stands as one of the most unique partnerships in college athletics.

Nike co-founder Phil Knight attends the Texas Tech-Oregon nonconference football game Sept. 9, 2023, at Jones AT&T Stadium. | Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A number of buildings on Oregon's campus are named after family members and friends of Knight, and he has contributed to a number of other projects undertaken by the Ducks. Here are a few:

• William H. Knight Law Center: Phil Knight's father
• Matthew Knight Arena: Phil Knight's son
• John E. Jacqua Center for Student Athletes: Nike board member, friend and neighbor of Bill Bowerman
• Hatfield-Dowlin Complex: Phil and Penny Knight's maternal families
• Casanova Center: former football coach at Oregon
• Hayward Field renovations
• 2.MO: Oregon's brand-new indoor practice facility

The Phil Knight library is named after the Nike co-founder after he contributed to the library's restoration in 1994, and Oregon recently opened the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerated Impact opened in December of 2020 after donating $500 million for the project.

The Serena Williams Building at Nike World Headquarters is the largest building on campus, and it is one of many named after legendary athletes | Charlie Viehl / Oregon on SI

Oregon Campus, Nike World Headquarters Comparisons

Nike's Worldwide Headquarters are centered in Beaverton, Oregon, but the campus has a number of strong similarities University of Oregon down in Eugene.

First, Knight insisted that Nike's offices be called a campus to emphasize that the space is an environment for learning and innovation. The world's largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel, Nike has seemingly tailored everything to its athletes, and the same could be said for Oregon's facilities.

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In addition to the sleek and modern architecture that is featured both at Nike WHQ and Oregon, the different buildings at Nike are also named after people with massive impacts to the brand. The Michael Jordan building is home to Jordan Brand, while other legendary athletes like Serena Williams, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods are few of the many others to have buildings named after them.

Inside Pre Hall, named after Oregon legend and Olympian Steve Prefontaine, is an entire display that tells the history of Nike and the connection to Eugene and the Ducks, highlighted by Bill Bowerman, legendary track and field coach at Oregon and Knight's co-founder of Nike.

The company's headquarters also talks about Hayward Field as the birthplace as Nike, and current employees still refer to Pre as the "soul of Nike."

Artwork of Bill Bowerman inside Nike World Headquarters, made out of thousands of shoelaces | Charlie Viehl / Oregon on SI

Knight and Bowerman are being honored in many ways in Oregon's latest uniform design, including the handshake deal between the two that confirmed them as partners, with Knight holding the majority at 51 percent. Bowerman's famous experiment of the waffle iron pattern is also part of the Ducks' special uniforms.

Before Nike was Nike, named Blue Ribbon Sports, Knight traveled to Japan to meet with Onitsuka Tiger, and those trips were pivotal to the company getting off the ground. Paying tribute to Knight's time spent in Japan, Nike's headquarters in Beaverton has a Japanese garden with footbridges and cherry blossoms.

Shoe Duck Uniforms

Oregon will be wearing a special edition uniform on Saturday against Oregon State, and the jersey, pants, helmet, gloves, and cleats all have elements that honor Knight, Bowerman, and the history of Nike:

• Blue Ribbon Sports Logo - shoulder patch
• Mount Fuji and Mount Hood - shoulder patch
• Original Nike Logo - jersey patch
• Onitsuka Tiger - tiger stripe arm sleeve, pants
• Bowerman's waffle iron experiment - gloves
• Winged Victory of Samothrace (statue depicting Nike, goddess of Victory) - marble texture, helmet wings

Bryce Boettcher poses in the "ShoeDuck" uniform in front of the Jaqua Ranch fireplace. | @oregonfootball

Ducks linebacker Bryce Boettcher and coach Dan Lanning were part of the presentation that revealed the uniform to Knight, and Boettcher spoke about what Knight has meant to him as a native of Eugene.

"My family, and hundreds and thousands of fans, have been impacted by what he's done in Oregon. So it's a thank you from the entire city of Eugene, and the entire state of Oregon," Boettcher said.

"Phil, I don't think we can ever put into words how much you, and our relationship you had a long time ago with your coach, have done for sport and done for football," Lanning added.