From novel offensive schemes to modernizing the style of college athletics, Oregon football has consistently found ways to evolve a collegiate game rooted in tradition. In less than three seasons as Oregon’s head coach, Mario Cristobal has already established a new culture in Eugene that continues to usher Oregon down a path to being considered an elite college football program on a national scale.
Although Oregon has moved beyond parts of its Chip Kelly era no-huddle-blur style of play that pushed the program to new heights in the previous decade, the University of Oregon’s national reputation as a top-tier program has not diminished. Crisotbal has implemented his knowledge obtained from both his playing and coaching careers and has brought in much needed renewed hype after the brief and relatively disappointing tenures of Mark Helfrich and Willie Taggart.
Cristobal’s recent off-field success has undoubtedly matched his success on the field. Oregon is on arguably the hottest recruiting tear in program history, with its 2021 recruiting class ranking third nationally. If this current ranking holds, it would be the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history. Additionally, Cristobal has landed three of the program’s five five-star recruits in just three years, signing players from across the nation in areas traditionally dominated by other highly regarded Pac-12 programs like USC.
Not only have Oregon’s recent recruiting classes excelled on the turf, but the upstanding character of the program’s athletes have enhanced the quality of the UO community as a whole. Players are not afraid to speak their minds and have been given a substantial platform due to their talent, which they have certainly utilized in recent months. Premier UO athletes were vocal in their desire for change in the UO community to achieve social justice goals, particularly regarding the renaming of the former Deady Hall. Star safety Jevon Holland is not only a preseason all-american, but a consistent advocate for social justice via social media.
Although the platforms for showcasing personalities and opinions of athletes have increased nationally in recent years, this cultural change within Oregon’s program is significant and a key part of the new era of Oregon football. Athletes committing to play football at UO enter the program knowing they have certain freedoms that may not have been there under past coaching staffs.
The modern culture of UO football is certainly an upgrade from past years, but the true tests for Cristobal and the entirety of the program are ongoing. In recent days, Pac-12 athletes, including several from UO, released a list of demands that they require the conference to meet prior to further participation in football-related activities. Their demands are straightforward and express concerns over the conferences’ ability to protect its athletes in the midst of a global pandemic with no vaccine. Furthermore, athletes are rightfully done being used as cash cows for the NCAA without receiving monetary compensation for their sacrifices.
If Cristobal is to cement his legacy at UO and improve his chances for future recruiting and overall program success, he must support his players during this historic stand for student athlete justice. Handling this situation correctly now by doing everything in his power to adhere to student athletes’ demands will further heighten Cristobal and UO’s position in the national college football scene. Being a players’ coach requires one to cater to the needs of their program’s most valuable members, the athletes.
