If you’re an Oregon football fan, you’ve heard the critics.
Sure, the Ducks have firmly entrenched themselves at the top of the Pacific-12 Conference’s hierarchy, but what about those darn jerseys?
Personally, I’m a fan. But the Ducks’ multiple combinations of green, white, yellow and black have inspired incredulous outrage from many traditionalist college football fans and pundits, longing for the good ole’ days when teams had one home jersey and one road jersey, nothing more.
While some of that scuttle has been silenced with Oregon’s recent success (It’s pretty hard to criticize a championship contender for what they’re wearing), it’s likely that the snide comments will continue into the foreseeable future.
But if imitation truly is the greatest form of flattery, the Ducks have reason to hold their innovative (or wacky, depending on the perspective) jersey styles in high regard.
In the last week, both Arizona State and Washington State have introduced flashy, new football jerseys that seem, at least in part, inspired by Oregon.
“I’m hopeful and truly believe we’re going to move Cougar athletics into a position to be consistently competitive in the new Pac-12 Conference,” Washington State athletic director (and former Oregon AD) Bill Moos told a group of Cougars supporters at the jersey unveiling, according to the Tacoma News Tribune. “In order to do that, we need to be proud of how our appearance is, how we represent the university.”
Then, Washington State’s real intentions surfaced.
“This, folks, is part of the sizzle,” said Moos, according to Cougfan.com. “To have a top-notch athletic program you have to have the steak, and you have to have the sizzle.”
While the Cougars’ football team still has a ways to go to have the “steak,” Moos clearly hopes the “sizzle” will help turn around the struggling program.
Arizona State also got in on the fun fashion by unveiling fresh jerseys to be worn by athletes in all sports. Among the noteworthy features of the redesigned jerseys are an all-black model and a new Sun Devil symbol.
“Recruits want to see new, flashy things,” receiver Gerell Robinson told the Arizona Republic. “I think this brings that to the table.”
Sizzle. New. Flashy.
Sound familiar? It seems other Pac-12 programs have finally realized what Oregon has known all along: Creating a distinctive brand is of the highest importance.
It’s hard to quantify the impact the Ducks’ football jerseys has had on the success of the team, but you’d be surprised how many recruits cite Oregon’s jerseys in their decision to come to Eugene.
And let’s be honest — Eugene isn’t the easiest place in the world to recruit to. Most years, Oregon doesn’t have great in-state talent, and the Pac-12 is full of schools that have a lot to offer, both on and off the field.
In other words, Oregon has natural limitations that the USCs and Cals of the conference don’t. In the past decade or so, the Ducks have overcome those disadvantages through innovation and taking risks.
A small part of that innovation is Oregon’s jerseys, which have helped the program stand out on a national level. But really, Oregon has been at the cutting edge of Pac-12 football programs for some time, in many ways.
Head coach Chip Kelly’s up-tempo practices are gaining steam as a way for teams to be better prepared on game day. Schools across the West Coast — and the nation — are scrambling to keep up with the Ducks’ facilities. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see programs copy Oregon’s tendency to employ lighter, more mobile offensive linemen and to rotate many players on defense to keep them fresh.
If and when they do, Oregon will need to continue to develop and innovate the way it has for the past decade or so. But for now, as long as other Pac-12 schools keep, ahem, “borrowing” from Oregon’s football program, you know the Ducks are in good shape.
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