First time I’ve ever heard an Utah fan say that he/she has a soft spot for Oregon. If it wasn’t for Knight’s financial doping, the Ducks would be in Oregon State’s place as the second tier program in the state and probably behind Utah as far as ability to recruit athletes. Academically, they’re a mediocre institution and well behind Oregon State. The funny thing is that Oregon State has an alumnus, Jensen Huang, that makes Phil Knight look like one of those people you see pushing a shopping cart around downtown Salt Lake City. Huang, the founder, president, and CEO of NVDIA, has a net worth of almost $120B. He does donate to Oregon State and in a big way, but not to the athletic department.