🏈 Gundy calls out Oregon's budget; Lanning: 'We spend to win' - ESPN

[SEC Sports]

Gundy calls out Ducks' budget; Lanning fires back

Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy and Oregon's Dan Lanning traded barbs Monday after Gundy called attention to the Ducks' sizable budget.

www.espn.com

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy and Oregon coach Dan Lanning are unexpectedly giving the Week 2 matchup between their teams some extra juice.

While speaking on his radio show Monday, Gundy said Oklahoma State spent "around $7 million" on its team over the past three years before referring to how much the Ducks have spent on their roster in recent years.

"I think Oregon spent close to $40 [million] last year alone," Gundy said. "So, that was just one year. Now, I might be off a few million."

Gundy made several other comments about Oregon's resources -- he said "it'll cost a lot of money to keep" Ducks quarterback Dante Moore and that he believes Oregon's budget should determine the programs they schedule outside of the Big Ten.

"Oregon is paying a lot, a lot of money for their team," Gundy said. "From a nonconference standpoint, there's coaches saying they should [play teams with similar budgets]."

On Monday night during his weekly news conference, Lanning responded.

"If you want to be a top-10 team in college football, you better be invested in winning. We spend to win," Lanning said when asked about Gundy's comments. "Some people save to have an excuse for why they don't. ... I can't speak on their situation; I have no idea what they got in their pockets over there."

Lanning added that he has "a lot of respect" for Gundy and praised how Gundy has consistently led his team to winning seasons over his 20-year tenure in Stillwater. Both teams are 1-0 this season; the Ducks are ranked No. 7 and are expected to be vying for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

"Over the last three to five years, they've elevated themselves. They have a lot of resources," Gundy said. "They've got them stacked out there pretty good right now."

Last year, Georgia coach Kirby Smart referenced Oregon's resources, saying at SEC media days that he wishes he could get "some of that NIL money" that Oregon alum and Nike founder Phil Knight "has been sharing with Dan Lanning."

"I think it's impressive that guys like Kirby have been signing the No. 1 class in the nation without any NIL money this entire time," Lanning said jokingly in response to Smart during Big Ten media days last year. "Obviously, Coach Smart took a little shot at us. But if you want to be a top-10 team in college football, you better have great support. We have that."

While Smart's and Lanning's barbs had the tone of two coaches who have worked together (Lanning was Georgia's defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021), the back-and-forth with Gundy on Monday was unexpected.

"I'm sure UT-Martin maybe didn't have as much as them last week, and they played," Lanning said of Oklahoma State. "So, we'll let it play out."

 

[24and7]

There is no reason Oklahoma State can't match that spending..

 

[bamafan4ever]

There is no reason Oklahoma State can't match that spending..

Damn! I agree.

 

[TerryP]

There is no reason Oklahoma State can't match that spending..

This isn't something new with Gunday. I'll touch on that in a second.

It's a little different this go around. You'll have to search this out for more details. What I can say is there's an internal investigation going on in Stillwater right now. Something like fifty million was misappropriated or something along those lines. Their house isn't what you'd call, "in order."

When it comes to power conference schools, Okie State ranks around 50th in revenue. Last season when Gundy was on this subject it was estimated they were about the same rank in NIL budgets.

I can't say I've heard anything about Okie State that's been positive in years. I'd guess their last bright spot was all the money T Boone Pickens gave them ... and that was 15 years or more ago.

 

[OldPlayer]

Oregon doesn’t need to spend when they have Phil Knight of Nike bankrolling their uniforms, practice gear and anything else you can put a swoosh on.

 

[TerryP]

Oregon doesn’t need to spend when they have Phil Knight of Nike bankrolling their uniforms, practice gear and anything else you can put a swoosh on.

If Oregon didn't spend like they are where would they be as a program? Pre Rich Brooks is my contention. I believe it's quite arguable based on what we've seen with that program.

Personally, I believe Brooks is one of the most undervalued coaches we've seen. He set the plate for Belotti. Then when he took over UK he left that program winning three of its four bowl games: four seasons above .500 ball.

He had a losing record at both schools and both had a lot in common: no focus on football.

Back to Belotti. He took over that program in '95. Oregon joined forces with Nike in '98. Look at what happened after his first season (racked up nine wins year one after taking over for Brooks who had coached the Ducks to nine wins in '94.)



Oregon, like any school, can be screwed up by a bad coaching hire: Taggart being your best example. It didn't take much for Helfrich to return them to the national picture: with a little help from Nike and their apparel deals.

BTW, the year Oregon went "full Monty" on their alternate uniforms and marketing? 1999.

 

[alabama mike]

Whine, whine, whine. "I'm a man!" Give me a freaking break.

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

Oregon doesn’t need to spend when they have Phil Knight of Nike bankrolling their uniforms, practice gear and anything else you can put a swoosh on.

The rest of College sports should take a hint & walk away from Nike to keep him from lining his teams pockets. Or include a conflict of interest clause that caps his donations.

 

[OldPlayer]

If Oregon didn't spend like they are where would they be as a program? Pre Rich Brooks is my contention. I believe it's quite arguable based on what we've seen with that program.

Personally, I believe Brooks is one of the most undervalued coaches we've seen. He set the plate for Belotti. Then when he took over UK he left that program winning three of its four bowl games: four seasons above .500 ball.

He had a losing record at both schools and both had a lot in common: no focus on football.

Back to Belotti. He took over that program in '95. Oregon joined forces with Nike in '98. Look at what happened after his first season (racked up nine wins year one after taking over for Brooks who had coached the Ducks to nine wins in '94.)

View attachment 31924

Oregon, like any school, can be screwed up by a bad coaching hire: Taggart being your best example. It didn't take much for Helfrich to return them to the national picture: with a little help from Nike and their apparel deals.

BTW, the year Oregon went "full Monty" on their alternate uniforms and marketing? 1999.

Joined forces in ‘98? One of Oregon’s track coaches, Bill Bowerman, was a founder at Nike. Phil Knight was a track athlete at Oregon. The relationship formally goes back to the 70s.
Nike and the University of Oregon - Wikipedia

 

[24and7]

The rest of College sports should take a hint & walk away from Nike to keep him from lining his teams pockets. Or include a conflict of interest clause that caps his donations.

TOO LATE FOR RUSSELL ATHLETIC

 

[TerryP]

Joined forces in ‘98? One of Oregon’s track coaches, Bill Bowerman, was a founder at Nike. Phil Knight was a track athlete at Oregon. The relationship formally goes back to the 70s.
Nike and the University of Oregon - Wikipedia

In '88 Knight donated a lot for a library on their campus. It's the first time I know he, through Nike funds, contributed to UO. Coincidently, that was the same year Bowerman died. He wasn't financially associated with Oregon then the way he is today. He wasn't as closely tied in the '80s as he was in the late '90s, no where near as close close as he became in the late '00's.

In '98 Nike designed the logo for Oregon. I believe it was close to five years after it was introduced that the University adopted as as the "official logo." It was that period when the corporation starting going "all in" on Oregon. (10 years later he balked a bit (Covid) on monies for their stadium.)

Saban was at Bama when he made his first big donation to their athletic department(s.) 100 million, as I recall.

You are right that they supported (Nike) an athlete in the 70's that played at Oregon. The athletic department's support? Like I mentioned; that ball started rolling in the late '90's.

(I'm using Terrypedia here, not Wiki. I trust the former more than the latter.)