Do they sell the "Oregon experience" to recruits to get them to come on breadcrumbs? Or do they call admissions and get them a huge academic package? With national class athletes in every event how do they do it?
Do they sell the "Oregon experience" to recruits to get them to come on breadcrumbs? Or do they call admissions and get them a huge academic package? With national class athletes in every event how do they do it?
Anything's possible. It could be like the movie "Rudy" about the kid who dreamed of walking on to the Notre Dame football team (and did).
There was also a book ("An Honorable Run" by Matt McCue)about a kid who read RWTB, then dreamed of walking onto the CU XC team with Mark Wetmore as coach (and did).
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So I'm sure with Vin Lanana, hosting the Olympic Trials in 2008, 12, and 16 in addition to the individual and team accomplishments, in addition to the older history, lots of talented HS runners will apply there and be walk-ons versus scholarship conseration at another school
Lannana was able to find ways around the scholarship limits at Stanford when he was there.. I'll bet there are many SEC football programs that would like to know how he does it as well.
Leticia M wrote:
Lannana was able to find ways around the scholarship limits at Stanford when he was there.. I'll bet there are many SEC football programs that would like to know how he does it as well.
It's really simple. Stanford has great financial aid. All he had to do was to convince kids (and their parents) that it's ok not to be a "scholarship athlete" since the amount of regular financial aid would often be much more than whatever partial athletic scholarship he could offer.
Because everyone and their brother wants to be on the Oregon roster. Must be nice to get low 9:00 min. guys to "walk on" or get books only. You get enough of those types of guys together, you have a greater pool of talent to work with, and it ultimately makes the coach look great. I'd be more convinced of a coach's ability to both coach and recruit by someone who makes something of nothing. The Oregon program sells itself to the best in the country.
Coaching
There are 2 answers to everything. The other answer is money.
This is track/field. So it isn't answer one.
There are a number of HORRENDOUS TX HS FB programs who, all of a sudden, win.
Coaching.
Maybe a weak answer 3 is tradition. But tradition fades over time. Ask USC/ASU baseball. UCLA hoops. Bama FB had a rebirth why? Saban. A real coach.
Oregon has one recent national title for men. They didn't win xc. Most of their projected points come from a couple of athletes. T&FN projects points from a total of 8 athletes with two scoring 36 and 3 scoring 46. Why do you think Oregon is doing something to game the system that no one else is doing? Is it just based on winning last year and having the most qualifiers this year?
Robert Johnson and his assistants.
Vinnie and his maniacal push to have Eugene the center of Track in the world, not just the US.
NOP and Bowerman - world class opportunities nearby and after college.
Phil Knight/NIKE. What else can be said?
Understanding that good athletes will sacrifice to be the best if given the chance at a great program where they have to pay some of or all of their way (if they can) to be great.
There has NEVER been this combination of talent and influence in NCAA T&F history. And I have no problem with it. Why, because it will produce great results. Like it or not, the BEST results are what we want to see.
So many were jealous of John McDonnell at Arkansas for over 20 years. Well, the guy worked harder than his peers. Its as simple as that. These people are driven, and won't accept mediocrity in any form. I'm seeing that at Oregon now. And if I had their clout, I would absolutely use it!
It is 100% not clear, to me, that it will produce great results.
It is not like Oregon is going to get more coaches to provide personal attention to the walk-ons. I just remember the rumors back in NH when Cathy Schiro OBrien gave up on Oregon in the mid 80s. Now most of us thought she should have gone to Vinnie at Dartmouth at the time, but still, Oregon is going to be a rude awakening for many of those ignored walk-ons.
Having said that, they are the ones with all the information needed to make the decision, not me. I wish them the best of luck.
Leticia M wrote:
Lannana was able to find ways around the scholarship limits at Stanford when he was there.. I'll bet there are many SEC football programs that would like to know how he does it as well.
I was about to say that. I sent an athlete to Stanford during the Vin era who got over 50% of everything paid without using an athletic scholarship. Although, Stanford does have the advantage lots of students who don't any assistance at all.
What isn't 100% clear? How many titles have they won between the men and women since Galen joined in 2003? How many Pac-12 Championships have they won since then?
There is no rude awakening for anybody, the reality is simple. Oregon is winning and competing every year for a Championship with a well rounded team based off of many walk-ons. They don't need more coaches. Their roster isn't even as big as some other big D1 schools and the only difference for Oregon is their depth is greater.
I personally ran for a small D2 school and there was always drama from the walk-ons wanting more attention. That is just a part of athletics and the haves and have nots. If you want to be a big fish in a small pond don't go to Oregon. If you want the outside shot of greatness and to be a part of history than go to Oregon.
Results Already wrote:
than go to Oregon.
Looks like you're already an Academic All-American at Oregon....;-)
80% is a full ride at Oregon. (Just like it is at Wisconsin and Arkansas)
For a while there FSU would get British grad students to only count as .5 or .6 of a scholarship when they were on a full.
Each school sets things up different, but at a lot of schools if you only take 12 hours and stay at the cheaper housing they can pay for everything and only have to give 75%
I don't understand this either.
Let's say you are a great runner.
You have the choice to get a free ride to run at almost any school in the country or pay/apply for aid to go to Oregon.
How do so many athletes give up this choice to go to Oregon?
They give athletes they want academic scholarships or other grants when athletic scholarships are not available. The bottom line is Oregon is not going to miss out on someone because of a scholarship limit. If there's someone they want they find a way to get the athlete the money they need whether they are really deserving of an academic scholarship or not.
Don't discount facilities (Hayward, Jaqua academic, Cas treatment, HDC cafeteria) and crowd support (performing in front of thousands at every meet, newspaper coverage, being recognized on the street).
It is a very impressive environment for a parent to see during a visit. Academic tutoring and athletic medicine areas were a big point of emphasis for Mike Bellotti during his tenure and all Oregon programs have benefited from those improvements.
12.6 sounds right to me. Winn didn't do anything worthy of a scholarship until this year so I doubt he's on one. Ivy Leaguers Gregorek and Geoghegan either have money or are getting academic help. High school studs Haney and Leingang are probably on rides, along with Ches and Jenkins. That leaves 8.6 scholarships for Crouser, Skipper, Allen (maybe split with the football team), Chambers, Keys, Delaney and Ferguson. I think I just named every Oregon NCAA qualifier so it seems they have more than enough.
The "Oregon effect", then, is getting those transfers in the first place (Jenkins, Geo, Gregorek). Blame that on Nike if you want to. Also developing a guy like Winn the way they have.
Have a Friend on the Team wrote:
They give athletes they want academic scholarships or other grants when athletic scholarships are not available. The bottom line is Oregon is not going to miss out on someone because of a scholarship limit. If there's someone they want they find a way to get the athlete the money they need whether they are really deserving of an academic scholarship or not.
Wouldn't the NCAA be on to this as a work-around to their fairness rules?
I know my college didn't have a way to get track athletes money other their scholarship budget.
And I know if they could have, they would.
My school was in the hunt for NCAA championships.
I know Arkansas did interesting things to complete their roster back in the day and have well over a dozen or so All America athletes on partial scholarship.
NOBODY at Oregon is on a Full Ride. If you are going to Oregon every athlete knows they will take a pay cut in order to compete there. I was told directly from a multiple time national champion that he was there on a discount.
At Stanford, if your parents make under $125,000 (soon to be $150,000) you basically get a full ride no matter what. That definitely helps all their sports teams..