Former Oregon Star Geoff Schwartz Weighs in on the Ducks' Ugliest Uniforms Ever

The Oregon Ducks are known nationwide for their innovative uniform designs, often going viral for each release throughout the football season.

From the early 2000's diamond plate steel shoulders, to the carbon fiber wings of the 2010's, to the boundary-pushing callbacks of the "Generation O" 2024-2025 collection, to the first ever marble helmets and tie dye jersey of the 2025-2026 season; uniform design is a major aspect of the Oregon brand. Yes, the Ducks frequently make design wins, but what about the misses?

The “Grateful Ducks” uniforms ahead of the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Wisconsin Badgers on Oct. 25, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Geoff Schwartz Weighs in on Worst Oregon Uniform

Former Oregon Ducks offensive lineman, NFL veteran, and football media analyst Geoff Schwartz threw his opinion into the ring on Monday, with the former Oregon great replying to a prompt on social media asking what was the worst uniform their audiences' favorite program wore.

Easy number 1 for Oregon. https://t.co/CjgfZ3hYXF pic.twitter.com/wiJFYAMAao
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) May 4, 2026

During this particular match-up, Oregon's rival Washington defeated the Ducks in Autzen Stadium with a whopping final score of 70-21, snapping the Huskies' 12-game losing streak to Oregon.

In a discussion with fellow former Oregon tight end George Wrighster III accompanying the original X post from Schwartz, the former lineman explained his distaste for the design.

Oct 8, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; University of Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws the ball in front of University of Washington Huskies defensive back Sidney Jones (26) during the second quarter at Autzen Stadium. The Huskies won 70-21. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

"How did you hate those? I was just talking to somebody who has a hand in the jerseys about when those could come back," Wrighster asked, admitting that the results of the 2016 match-up may be a sign of bad luck surrounding the uniform.

"Why do I hate a uniform that looks like Cal?" Schwartz answered sarcastically.

Oct 8, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; The University of Oregon Ducks take the field before the start of a game against the University of Washington at Autzen Stadium. The Huskies won 70-21. andatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The History Behind the Webfoots Uniform

With Oregon uniforms taking on average three years to create concepts to producing the product itself, quite a bit of thought was put into the "Webfoots" idea, and it roots back to the early days of Oregon's football program and the state itself.

Once used as a slang or derogatory phrase referring to folks that lived in the often soggy New England Climate, the term "Webfoot" became synonymous with those that moved to the Pacific Northwest along the Oregon Trail.

According to a blog from the Duck Store, in the 1800s to the early 1900s, the University of Oregon had visual ties far closer to it's home state, wearing school colors of blue, yellow, and white to honor the shades on the Oregon State flag. In 1902, the term "Webfoot" became the name of the first university yearbook, showing how the once negative term became a sense of pride for the students and community members surrounding the college.

Oct 8, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver Dante Pettis (8) picks up a first down as he is tackled by Oregon Ducks defensive back Arrion Springs (1) during the second quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The football team quickly adopted the moniker, and 100 years after the 1917 Rose Bowl victory of the "Webfoots" beating Penn in the Rose Bowl, 14-0, the modern day Ducks led by coach Mark Helfrich and quarterback Justin Herbert paid tribute to the old team, including wearing the Oregon state flag on their matte black helmets.

The Webfoots uniforms were used once more following that season for the 2016 spring game of the "Webfoots" (wearing the blue jerseys) against the "Mighty Oregon" (wearing a white version of the jersey) before the uniform design became a fragment of Oregon's past. Quarterbacks during the spring game wore a special "no contact" yellow version of the jersey as well.

Dec 21, 2006; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback (10) Dennis Dixon against the Brigham Young Cougars during the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. BYU defeated Oregon 38-8. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Copyright © 2006 Mark J. Rebilas | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Uniform Rabbit Hole

All that history leads to a common thread: with innovation and consistently pushing boundaries, there likely will be a few designs that aren't public darlings. However, Oregon's history of uniform design continues to be a selling point for their brand, with the Ducks being involved in several highly-touted sneaker and apparel drops just this year alone.

Schwartz's comment online sparked a wave of opinions from Oregon fans across the board, all submitting their take on which Duck uniform of the past missed the mark. Below are some of the suggestions with historical context proving some of the least-liked uniforms come from games with not so savory outcomes.

Consider this a treasure trove of historical jerseys that might fetch a pretty penny on resale sites for their (unfortunate) exclusivity alone.

Las Vegas Bowl 2006: BYU Defeats Oregon 38-8

Dec 21, 2006; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end (44) Dante Rosario against the Brigham Young Cougars during the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. BYU defeated Oregon 38-8. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Copyright © 2006 Mark J. Rebilas | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

2015 Against Washington State: Cougars win 45-38

Oct 10, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; University of Oregon Ducks quarterback Taylor Alie (12) scores a touchdown during the first quarter in a game against Washington State University Cougars at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Rose Bowl 2025: Ohio State Beats Oregon 41-21

Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson carries the ball as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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