Phil Knight (lovingly called Uncle Phil by Oregon students, athletes, and fans), created Nike in 1964 alongside Bill Bowerman (Oregon's track coach at the time).
Ever since, the University of Oregon and the Ducks have had an unbreakable bond with the athletic brand and its founder.
On Thursday, June 6, the Oregon football team shared a sneak peek of a special feature on the relationship between the Ducks, Knight, and Nike.
Engineered for Excellence.
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) June 5, 2024
Rooted in Substance: A look into the historic connection between Nike and Oregon. Coming June 25.#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/ZiEX9ntfMf
The preview includes clips of Knight, football head coach Dan Lanning, and historic footage around Eugene and the brand.
The Ducks have cemented themselves as a national powerhouse as Nike has exploded as a global brand.
While the video that Oregon football shared on social media is just a minute and a half long, the Ducks announced that the feature would be available on June 25, just nineteen days later.
Oregon notoriously has a new uniform combination for every game. Whether it's football, baseball, women's basketball, or track, the Ducks always look fresh with the newest kits on behalf of Nike.
Many doubters and naysayers of the Ducks begrudgingly refer to Oregon as the team with a million uniforms but zero national titles.
Knight frequently attends Duck sporting events and has donated endless money to the university, with multiple buildings on campus in his name.
As of 2023, Knight had donated upwards of $1 billion to the school and its athletic department. Currently, Nike is valued at $144.97 billion and Knight reportedly has a net worth of $39.6 all to himself (and his wife, Aunt Penny, of course).