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Boy is that true, as I anticipated a couple more weeks to the season. To have it end so abruptly--is harsh. But...we will be BACK!

The expression goes, "Leave them wanting more." That was certainly true with our Diamond Ducks. We saw they can clearly compete in the B1G. So now we just have to slog through football and basketball seasons again!

Spot On, 30. SC AD Jen Cohen and SC boosters removed Riley from being the front man for recruiting and portal picking. The front man for recruiting and portal evaluations is the GM hired from Notre Dame at $1 million a year. It was also Jen Cohen and the boosters who instructed Riley to fire the Grinch, who stole defense, and replace him with a capable DC. Riley is being paid $10 M+ a year for being a play caller.

After 3 on 3 basketball, it seems logical...

Hello my Duck-Buddies, My initial suffering, binge, and hangover are now past, and I can step back and be reasonable about the 2025 Baseball Season. We had not won over 40 games in the regular season in a decade until this year, and so many new records shows continued progress, such as the new Home Run record broken again under Coach Waz. Seeing a new attendance record at PK Park is thrilling as well. But something that the coach referred to often in his interviews is how this team has more upside, but is not consistent enough...and that was certainly true. To win a co-championship and a good seed, the Ducks had to win 11 in row, and 16 of 17 at one point. The problem is...they peaked just before the Playoffs. It happens. This was a very good team that did not show their best at crunch time. There was grumbling about Oregon's non-conference schedule as we had four OOC series, and ten conference series. Remember, to make the tournament (64 teams) you have to be in the top 20% in the US out of over 300 D1 Baseball programs. Of the four non-conference series...Columbia made the tournament, and beat No. 16 Southern Miss. Rhode Island was in the tournament, and while Toledo was not, they were in the Tournament Championship game. Our final non-conference series was against Oregon State, of which we swept all four games. Other opponents showed well, such as USC making it to a final regional game before falling to Beavis. (We beat USC three times) St. Mary's beat Beavis in the first round, and we took two from the Gaels. Stunning Playoff Results College baseball was much more balanced this year, as quite a few other national seeds went down in their Regional. The No. 1 Seed, Vanderbilt, lost to Wright State! The No. 2 Seed, Texas, lost to UTSA, and the No. 10 Seed, Ole Miss, lost to Murray State...who advanced! In all, of the 16 national seeds, a total of seven of them lost their regional! Oregon was part of a trend! (Gallows humor) The highly exalted SEC started the Regionals with 13 teams in the tournament, and only advanced four, while the ACC advanced five to the Super-Regionals. In the Future? I See MORE Winning for Oregon Baseball!

FPI's Initial 2025 Top-25 Ranking - Wow! Only 13 SEC teams ranked! Only half of the top 10 from the SEC? Better call Paul! MIA ranked ahead of Clemson and SMU is the 3rd ACC team ranked. The 1st B12 team, K State, is ranked No. 21, with No. 24 ASU being the 2nd B12 team ranked. Yet, ESPN beats the drum for a 5-11 and not a 4-4-2-2-1-3 format? One of the three goes to Notre Dame, but using the 4-4-2-2-1-3 format the SEC, based on this ranking, would grab the other two at large bids and have ten teams in the field reduced by Clemson, the 2nd ACC team, and B12 K St and ASU and a G6 team to result in 6 SEC teams in the field. Maybe the SEC should play with itself? 6-Pack placement for OBD, one of six B1G teams ranked. 81.25% of the SEC ranked. 33.33% of the B1G ranked. Does the SEC play 8 or 4 conference games? Aren't there going to be a few in-conference losses for the 13-ranked SEC schools? It's hard to tell that the F(aulty) P(rediction) I(ndex ) is an ESecPN product. Someone, please tell the FPI software that, including the postseason, the B1G had a winning record over the SEC in 2024-25. Details, right? College Football Rankings: ESPN reveals first FPI Top 25 for 2025 season - On3 WWW.ON3.COM .

Ah, Vandy's a football school. Go Beavis, the Ducks Swept 'em!

Texas Tech and its $1 million NIL transfer pitcher from Stanford, NiJarre Canady, gave up a two-out, two-strike homer to the Sooners 9-spot hitter but prevailed 3-2 in extra innings. They're spending a lot of oil money on NIL deals in Lubbock, Texas. One of the noteworthy football transfers is Stanford DE David Bailey, who transferred to TT for a reported $4.8 million a season. Will CFB be saved from itself? If I'm the DE opposite Bailey and toiling and boiling in the Texas heat and humidity, how happy am I going to be over the guy down the line making millions of dollars for doing the same thing? No wonder the portal is packed with players. One good year in the G6 or P4, and why wouldn't you test the marketplace, if only to get a better deal from the team you are playing for? Charles is spot on - this is not sustainable. If we see the House case settled and NIL deals disclosed, how many 'low payroll teams' will be competitive in their conference and across CFB? The folks in Cincinnati are not bathing in oil money. If I'm Texas Tech, why would I support a B12 private equity deal that gives me the same return as conference mates without the same resources?

I guess Vandy was not bilt for this? NCAA baseball tournament winners, losers: SEC stumbles, ACC surges into super regionals WWW.USATODAY.COM The NCAA baseball tournament regional round was full of surprises. Unexpected teams advanced as favorites fell. A look at the winners and losers. Not a great overall showing from the SEC. However, you put that many teams into the postseason and losses will happen.

No Paige Sinicki, no Kai or Kedre Luschar. Patmon will be gone. But yet, there's a lot to look forward to. Grein is a fighter, so is Sokolski. The Ump for the game against Oklahoma had at best, an interesting strike zone. Oregon got off to a lead, a home run, the 42 times that happened before, the Ducks won. Unfortunately, Oklahoma is undefeated when they hit 3 home runs. It was a tough loss, but the Ducks never gave up. One of my lasting images of Oregon sports is Kai Luschar on deck, hoping that Katie Flannery could get on base, give her one more chance, and if she got on her sister was at bat... Melyssa Lombardi started at Oregon with the program in shambles, tryouts were needed to fill out the roster her first season, and now the Ducks made it to Oklahoma City. Some great talent has left. but I don't doubt for a minute that Lombardi will have a championship level team next season. Rock The Jane!

Hopscotch, pogo stick, hula hoop, tetherball, croquet?

Not worried at all about Dan and his staff being able to compete at a high rate in this nil environment. Not sure what goes on in their recruiting meetings where they select the kids to go after that fit their needs but in Dan I trust. My confidence will only be shaken by a losing season and, that my friends, I don’t see that happening any time soon. Go s

Who could forget the shining moment for Ballooning or Life Saving? Chess and Kite Flying also had their glorious appearances. The Olympics have a long history of the host country getting a shot with some sport that won’t last. This is actually on brand and imo is at least an actual sport. BTW I believe FF is part of the 2028 summer games. 2028 LA just around the corner!

Just posting to highlight how stupid future rankings are, we have only 2 recruits and they are 4*, so we are the No. 6 class. Oregon Football skyrockets up early 2027 recruiting ranks after latest commitments DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM The Oregon Ducks picked up their first two big commitments in the class of 2027 this week, giving them an early jump on the cycle.

4* QB in the mix Fast-rising QB prospect puts Oregon among top schools DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Four-star quarterback prospect Matt Ponatoski has named Oregon among the four finalists for which school he will attend next fall.

Steady progress. Version 7 proof that Oregon is capable of special things under Melyssa Lombardi

Ouch, “I don’t see ‘the other guy’ impressing at all,” Harsh Quote Spotlights Rough NFL Start For Former Oregon Ducks Quarterback Dillon Gabriel OREGONSPORTSNEWS.COM Dillon Gabriel was the kind of NCAA quarterback who stood out. Whether it was deep balls at UCF, gritty leadership at Oklahoma, or an explosive capstone season with the Oregon Ducks, the kid...

Great take here already. Since Carroll, USC has been struggling. They thought Riley was the answer, but then find themselves stuck with him because they couldn't afford to fire him and hire a new coach. So now they throw a lot of $$ at kids. The symbiotic relationship of kid and school is dissolving, the NIL is lot more important to the player, and his family, than the name on the front of the jersey

I like Gabriel's quote, "But this is where I thrive, being in a team environment. That's how you play the game of football." Cleveland Browns' Dillon Gabriel Addresses New NFL Language, Calling Plays In Huddle WWW.SI.COM Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel is adapting quickly to the NFL. The former Oregon Duck star Gabriel is no stranger to change or competition and it's

Unfortunately, Mike, NIL doesn't require proof of value or worth. NIL is set by whatever college supporters are willing to pay for player commitments. What we are witnessing, as I averred two years ago, is the end of college sports as we know it. The strong will get stronger, and the little guys, those in low wealth communities, will be eating mud pies. I agree with you regarding the aggrandizement of legislators, but I fear that there is nothing they can do to limit college NIL payments (essentially salaries). If they were state of federal employees, or deemed essential for the safety of the union, then there could be congressional action to restrict these insane payments. Fortunately, I believe that university club teams will eventually carry the college spirit flag of the soon-to-be past.

I can't believe I'm saying this. 1) continue recruiting kids that WANT to come to Oregon 2) when these 4/5* kids are 2/3rd string somewhere else and aren't playing yet, portal them to Oregon 3) I think you would clean up the stratospheric cost for the unproven High schooler for the hungry Red Shirt Freshman Portal is a reality, and this is the new CFB. NFL only gets ~$1 million per year guaranteed. This is insane!!!

Yes please do. I love reading your takes.

I was writing an article as I was thinking about this exact same thing.... I still might finish it ... but I do think Oregon is ahead of everyone. I also think there is a very real factor that some of the other college football powers are playing massive catch-up. What USC is doing right now is not current NIL practices or even future NIL practices, USC is seriously doing exactly the same thing that Texas A&M was doing in 2022. Throwing money at all the five stars and thinking that is how you build a roster with NIL money. USC is going to land a great class at this rate but is the locker room going adjust to this influx of money in a positive way or is it going to be a TAMU repeat where it implodes? Oregon is built around sustainability and Oregon doesn't have recruiting geography on their side. I'll probably still write that article ... I have more thoughts on this as well.

Great post, makes dollars and cents. I believe the direct payment cap of $21.5 million in the first year of the House settlement will be sustained in court. I also believe the first time a committee of 7 Deloitte accountants determines that an NIL deal is not within 'market value,' will be the last time before their decision is overturned in court. Reviewing all NIL deals $600 and over to determine whether NIL is being used as a recruiting tool sounds good in theory, but it will not withstand a legal challenge. The NFL has a direct salary payment cap, but there is no cap on what an athlete can earn off of his (and her in other sports) Name, Image, and Likeness. Regardless, overspending on untested players straight out of high school is not likely to yield the same ROI as investing in seasoned players. So, a measured approach by Dan and company makes sense. CFB needs restrictions on free agency akin to what we see in the NFL. But I don't believe this can happen before CFB 'management' negotiates with a Players' Union. The House settlement provides for direct payment from schools to their athletes, but this doesn't make them employees, right? The NCAA and big-time college athletics will part company. Not if, but when. Again, a great post. PS - LOL at Finebaum today opining that 'some guy in a Walmart parking lot' is better suited to rule on the House settlement than 75-year-old Judge Claudia Wilkens.

Ever since he arrived, Lanning has appeared to be two steps ahead of being two steps ahead. I have always laughed at the suggestion that he just drops bags of cash on recruits because he seems more about getting the best guys that fit his system rather than the biggest stars out there. Just look at how he absolutely stacked the last two classes as he relied on the portal for high impact players. Now that his team is two to three or four deep at nearly every position, he's set for the next couple years and can just focus on retaining his roster and let the competition spend themselves silly on unproven high school kids. At the end of the day he's made UO a legit destination for legit dudes to come and train for the pros while competing for championships in school.