[gailtate]

For all the flash of Oregon, the school has just 34 NCAA championships in its entire history.

And 32 of those 34 are in Track & Field and Cross Country, other than that, one in MBB and one in Women's Golf.

This idea that Oregon is where you go to win championships is simply not supported by facts. Yes, the school is competitive in a lot of sports, but it simply doesn't win national championships as a rule.

Cal has more NCAA championships (39) than Oregon, FWIW.

And yet, for some reason, the chattering classes in college sports seem drawn to this notion of "Duck Dynasty", esp. when it comes to football. Which is really the only sport that the great unwashed out there give a fig about. I mean, they probably think The Directors Cup is something Francis Ford Coppola or Steven Spielberg drink coffee from. Ah, again, there is no justice.

Cal has a boat load of NCAA championships in water polo, and many of those from decades ago.

Track & field is much closer to football than water polo.   More critically, Knight and his company founded on track & field equipment is much more important for football prosperity than anything happening in water polo.

I am pretty confident that everyone can agree Oregon is more likely to appear in more Pac-12 CGs and the CFPs in the next 5-10 years than Cal.   And for a football recruit that is all that matters well that and perhaps NIL money.

I can imagine that football recruits might fancy winning the 4X100, or getting NIL money from Knight, or getting NIL opportunities from all of those sporting goods companies that linger around the University of Oregon each year for the national track and field championships.   Does Cal really have any opportunities for NIL?  Does Cal have any chance at even getting into the CFP conversation?

If Wilcox can be ~.500 at Cal, he can be a ~.700+ coach at Oregon.   And once in that realm a program can win conference titles and possibly get into the CFP with a bit of luck.

+1, for damn sure.

[gailtate]

For all the flash of Oregon, the school has just 34 NCAA championships in its entire history.

And 32 of those 34 are in Track & Field and Cross Country, other than that, one in MBB and one in Women's Golf.

This idea that Oregon is where you go to win championships is simply not supported by facts. Yes, the school is competitive in a lot of sports, but it simply doesn't win national championships as a rule.

Cal has more NCAA championships (39) than Oregon, FWIW.

And yet, for some reason, the chattering classes in college sports seem drawn to this notion of "Duck Dynasty", esp. when it comes to football. Which is really the only sport that the great unwashed out there give a fig about. I mean, they probably think The Directors Cup is something Francis Ford Coppola or Steven Spielberg drink coffee from. Ah, again, there is no justice.

Cal has a boat load of NCAA championships in water polo, and many of those from decades ago.

Track & field is much closer to football than water polo.   More critically, Knight and his company founded on track & field equipment is much more important for football prosperity than anything happening in water polo.

I am pretty confident that everyone can agree Oregon is more likely to appear in more Pac-12 CGs and the CFPs in the next 5-10 years than Cal.   And for a football recruit that is all that matters well that and perhaps NIL money.

I can imagine that football recruits might fancy winning the 4X100, or getting NIL money from Knight, or getting NIL opportunities from all of those sporting goods companies that linger around the University of Oregon each year for the national track and field championships.   Does Cal really have any opportunities for NIL?  Does Cal have any chance at even getting into the CFP conversation?

If Wilcox can be ~.500 at Cal, he can be a ~.700+ coach at Oregon.   And once in that realm a program can win conference titles and possibly get into the CFP with a bit of luck.

+1, for damn sure.