Oregon has arrived. That isn’t, nor should it be news to anyone. But while they’ve built a program over the last couple of decades on the foundation of winning and more recently a system born at the hands of Chip Kelly, it was Phil Knight, his resources, and his appetite for winning that made what they’ve become possible, in a place most said was impossible.
In the wake of Oregon’s runner-up finish in this season’s inaugural NCAA College Football Playoff, Oregon fans are reluctantly celebrating what was, opposed to lamenting what wasn’t quite there’s following their heartbreaking loss to Ohio State. Thirteen wins, a conference championship, Rose Bowl victory, and the school’s first Heisman Trophy. All things worthy of celebration, and all things currently beyond the reach of Oregon State as presently constructed.
I know, most Beaver fans are stewing at the mere assertion that they can’t win at the sport’s highest level, but the intelligent and introspective members of Beaver Nation understand their limitations and are willing to acknowledge the likelihood – or lack thereof – of making an “Oregon-like” run. Without the allure of facilities like the Ducks, swag like the Ducks, and a brand built over time like the Ducks, Oregon State will continue to be a second-rate program, in a second-rate town, looking up at the first-rate programs contending for conference and national titles.
But I have their answer.
That’s right; Oregon, while now flush with cash from a relatively deep pool of contributing alumnus, are doing so standing on the legs of initial contributions (hundreds of millions of dollars) by Phil and Penny Knight. True, donors like the Knight’s don’t grow on trees, but while there may be only 1 titan of athletic shoes and apparel, there are other fish in the galactically wealthy sea, and it’s Oregon State’s job to net one in the interests of their football program presently circling the drain.
Yes, new Head Coach Gary Andersen is a good start. He brings a track record of success, has gathered a relatively impressive conglomerate of assistants, and has rekindled a fire of interest in a program Mike Riley had been throwing water on for the better part of the last few years. But, even if he were to succeed at the level they’re hoping for, he’d still be operating behind the “eight ball” a town like Corvallis and facilities like Oregon State’s puts him squarely behind.
Enter Wesley Edens.
Yep, he’s the fish Bob De Carolis needs to catch.
For those unfamiliar with Mr. Edens, allow me to learn you (That’s back-woods for teach you a thing or two) on the man holding the Beavers’ golden ticket. The following are positions previously held by the financier:
Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors New York, Fortress Investment Group LLC
Chairman of the Board, Newcastle Investment Corp.
Board Member, Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc.
Chairman of the Board and Director, Springleaf Holdings, LLC
Board Member, Intrawest Resorts Holdings
Chairman of the Board, New Media Investment Group
Chairman of the Board, New Residential Investment Corp.
Board Member, Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc
Board Member, New Senior Investment Group Inc.
Oh, and the current co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA franchise. But most importantly, he holds a B.S. in Business Finance and a BSBA from Oregon State University.
See where I’m going with this?
While not quite in the same stratosphere as Nike mogul Phil Knight, Edens’ net worth sits somewhere between 1 and 2 billion dollars, a more than adequate nest egg capable of providing a certain alma mater with the means necessary to say…finish an unfinished stadium project…replace a rickety and rundown Gill Coliseum…provide a few lavish facilities capable of luring upper-echelon recruits…you know, the types of things necessary to compete in today’s college football landscape.
While Andersen may have the aptitude to win in Corvallis, Edens is the key to unlocking the means necessary to accentuate what Andersen brings to the table. There’s a reason coaches lean on the following cliché: “It’s not the X’s and O’s, it’s the Jimmys and Joes.”
A coach is only as good as the players he’s coaching. Sure, you can do it with a slightly lesser level of talent than your opposition, but there’s a reason that the teams who habitually finish in the top-5 in recruiting, are habitually ranked in or around the poll’s top-5. It’s no coincidence that Alabama, Florida State, and Ohio State were in this year’s playoff. The following is where the aforementioned teams, along with Oregon and Oregon State, finished on average over the previous 4 years in the national recruiting rankings according to Rivals.com (In addition to this year’s current standing):
- Alabama – 1
- Florida State – 4.8
- Ohio State – 5.4
- Oregon – 17.8
- Oregon State – 55.6
Oregon is a bit of an outlier amongst the group of playoff participants, which puts them in my category of “just good enough to compete,” but as you can see, the Beavers average rank of 55.6 with a peak performance of 39th, fails to provide the level of talent necessary to truly compete at the game’s highest level. Edens could change that, similar to how Phil Knight did for Oregon 20 years ago.
The Beavers and their fans want to win. They see what’s been going on in Eugene and want similar success of their own. But while strong desire and quality coaching are necessary ingredients to said success, this game is won and lost in the living rooms of high school seniors capable of making an impact at the sport’s elite universities….and you need the resources to sell them. I know it, Oregon knew it a couple decades ago, and deep-down fans and administrators of and at Oregon State University know it as well.
Now it’s their job to make Mr. Edens a believer of that very thing….a Beaver Believer.
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