Oregon has basically told U.S. high-school distance kids, “Don’t bother.” The program that once sold development, patience, and belief now just shops the international aisle for ready-made points. Under Jerry Schumacher and Shalane Flanagan, Oregon Ducks feels less like a college program and more like a bargain-bin pro team chasing instant gratification. If you’re a 17-year-old American kid dreaming of being built into something special, Oregon isn’t dreaming back, it’s asking what you’ve already done overseas. The mystique is gone, the pipeline is cold, and the idea that U.S. kids grow up idolizing Oregon anymore is laughable. They didn’t lose the appeal by accident, they walked away from it.
And no top pro in their right mind wants to live in Eugene to train.
RIP University of Oregon / Eugene
