Mailbag: On Oregon's recruiting spending, Ben Affleck as Phil Knight and so much for the Vedder Cup

Your questions. Our answers.

Happy Wednesday, all.

Took a few days off last week to get out to the coast. Pro tip: Lincoln City has some really nice hotel/motels that are dirt cheap during the offseason. It’s one of my favorite stretches of beach on the coast.

It’s even better when the weather turns out unexpectedly great.

But I’m now back in the saddle in Portland and pretty stoked about some of the stories lined up for the next couple of weeks.¹ Thanks for your patience and continued support.

Now let’s dip into the mailbag before this storm gets here.

I saw a story in USA Today about how Georgia spent $4.5 million on recruiting last season. How does Oregon compare? — Derek E.

What’s the formula for back-to-back national championships? 

For Georgia, it’s been a massive investment in recruiting. How much? That recent USA Today report found the $4.5 million the Bulldogs spent on recruiting in fiscal year 2022 was more than $1.5 million more than any other public football program in the country.

FY2022 recruiting spending:

1. Georgia $4.5 million 

2. Texas A&M $2.98 million 

3. Tennessee $2.92 million 

4. Texas $2.44 million 

5. Alabama $2.32 million 

6. Michigan $2.24 million

Coincidentally, the Bulldogs have signed seven consecutive top three recruiting classes. Kirby Smart wasn’t lying when he said he had better players.

So where’s Oregon? The Ducks weren’t listed in the story. But USA Today noted that no other schools reported recruiting expenses of more than $1.85 million. And after looking at Oregon’s 2022 fiscal year financial report and seeing the Ducks spent $1.83 million in FY2022², you can deduce the Ducks are right in the ballpark of the top 10. 

Again, that’s of public schools. Who knows what USC, Notre Dame and the pesky Harvard Crimson are spending on recruiting. 

Oregon’s spending is notable. The $1.83 million mark eclipses FY2019’s $1.2 million for the most in program history, and returns to the high-spending ways after two sub-$1 million years following the pandemic. 

Oregon signed the No. 16 class in 2022 and the No. 9 class in 2023.

Oregon recruiting spending over the last decade (fiscal year is July-June): 

FY2022: $1,836,865

FY2021: $484,686

FY2020: $697,191

FY2019: $1,266,176

FY2018: $997,019

FY2017: $932,300

FY2016: $786,499

FY2015: $708,675

FY2014: $729,479

FY2013:  $674,755

Something to chew on: Georgia spent $581,531 in FY2013.

Is Ben Affleck too good looking to play Phil Knight? Is Matt Damon not enough of a scumbag to play Sonny Vaccaro? — 20to10 Handicap

To be honest, I’m surprised it wasn’t Damon taking on Knight in “Air,” the upcoming movie about Knight and Vaccaro’s courtship of Michael Jordan. I mean, Damon’s the one who’s actually reached in some of his roles throughout his career and, at 5-foot-10, is closer to resembling Knight’s stature than the 6-foot-2 and sometimes brutish Affleck. I mean, I know Knight likes to dress in all black these days but that doesn’t mean that the guy who most recently played Batman should take him on.

Whispers in Batman voice: Take the deal, Michael.

Personally, I’m a little bummed they didn’t reach for my guy Olli Haaskiviv, who played Knight on an episode of HBO’s Winning Time last season. 

I think he looks the part just a little bit more than Ben. 

What’s your guys’ read on this movie? I saw Oregon fans giving it plenty of love on Twitter when the preview came out — and I did enjoy reading Shoe Dog — but I dunno, this hasn’t moved the needle for me quite yet. 

I would have enjoyed it as an R-rated comedy with Seth Rogan playing Phil. 

Just do it, man.

…What would you think about the remaining Pac-X schools playing in-conference games in LA once the LA schools are gone? Maybe each school plays at least one game there every other year? For local draw, LA probably has the most residents who are graduates of remaining Pac-X schools for any place outside of their home states/areas….It would be a way to help Pac-X schools to continue to recruit SoCal kids, since they would continue to play there at least every other year. It would also help to re-claim at least part of the "lost" 6.9 million television households…

Do you think there are enough numbers there to justify the idea? — DuckNDawg

I’ll give you points for creativity here.

But…