The proliferation of the transfer portal and the ability for collegiate athletes to make money off of their own Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) has predictably been a major game-changer to all aspects of college sports. Young athletes capitalizing on their own popularity is and will forever be a great development, but my goodness, it has already grown tiring to hear coaches complaining about NIL fundraising and the issues they have with the transfer portal. We get it, life got tougher for you, but in the last two years, each of the ten highest paid coaches in college football have signed deals that will pay them at least $9 million per season. That includes Oregon's Dan Lanning and Georgia's Kirby Smart… two coaches who have spent the last week or so quibbling over NIL funds.
Last week during SEC media days, Kirby Smart noted that after meeting with Nike founder Phil Knight, he was left wishing he could “get some of that NIL money he's sharing with Dan Lanning.” Knight is a graduate of the University of Oregon and is part of the Division Street group that assists University of Oregon athletes with their NIL funds. His allegiance to the Ducks athletic programs has never been in question. But the idea that he's given Dan Lanning and the Oregon football program a blank check is one that Lanning is prepared to push back on.
During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Lanning and McAfee got into the following exchange about Smart's comments and how involved Phil Knight is in providing for Oregon's NIL funds.
“I heard Phil Knight’s just giving you guys an open check,” McAfee said to Lanning.
“I don’t think we’d ever lose a recruiting battle if that was the case,” Lanning replied.
“If that was the case? No I heard that is the case,” McAfee shot back.
“Oh somebody’s got to tell me about that, we don’t have that yet. I think it’s impressive that guys like Kirby (Smart) are signing the #1 class in the nation without any NIL money this entire time.”
Dan Lanning's sarcastic quip back to McAfee not only illustrates the point I made in the intro — every single one of these schools in Power 4 conferences are spending big money to put together the best rosters possible with hopes of contending for a championship — but it's not off-base. During the 2023-24 season, the Georgia football program ranked 4th in the country in estimated NIL funding with a shade over $18 million. Oregon was not too far down the list, coming in at 19th in the country with about $11 million.
Oregon football is thriving under Dan Lanning
Before Dan Lanning took over as the head coach at Oregon in 2022, he served as the defensive coordinator at Georgia from 2019 to 2021. In those three seasons, the Bulldogs compiled a 34-5 record and won their first National Championship since 1980 during Lanning's final season in Athens. To the delight of everyone up in the Pacific Northwest, Lanning brought those winning ways with him to Oregon.
Oregon is 22-5 in Dan Lanning's two seasons with the program, with a pair of bowl victories to boot. The Ducks, now members of the Big Ten, enter the 2024 season as co-favorites to win the Conference Championship along with Ohio State. The Buckeyes will head out west and play at Autzen Stadium on October 12th in what will be one of the most highly-anticipated games of the year. Ohio State, much like Georgia and Oregon, enter the season with championship aspirations and boosters who hope their contributions can get them there.
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