Anything on the line up of Oregon's QB's? If Nix should be unable to play for a quarter or game(s) who is next in line and who after that? Is there anyone on the horizon heading toward the Portal?

Not wishing Nix any bad luck, but a team ai always one play away from needing the back-up.

Former California High School Track Athlete of the year Mia Barnett is transferring from UCLA to UO. She was originally at UVA

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I'm a little delayed here, Aaron had a conflict yesterday and I didn't break free as early as I expected, but here's everything Lanning said about the scrimmage -- which as you'll see wasn't much beyond broad generalities.

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Opening comments ...

"A lot of back and forth today. I think offense came out early and really had a lot of success early with the defense. Today we did some live tackling, to the ground, I think that's a shocker to people at first and our guys were running really hard early and had some early scores. I'd say in the second half of the scrimmage, the defense really came back situationally and performed a lot better in 2-minute and third down, red area. So it was a little bit back and forth, plenty of stuff to clean up. We got to see a lot of reps, got to go back and watch the film to see really what we have as far as the guys that participated today."

You wanted to see the offense play fast and efficiently, did they live up to that?

"I don't know if it was consistent enough at the level that we want. We have really high expectations for what we want. At times, we're really, really good, and at times we weren't. So we've got to be more consistent."

Did you see what you wanted to see pre-snap, operationally?

"Well, at times on both sides of the ball, yes, and then at times definitely not. There were times we weren't lined up properly. There were times we didn't execute properly. It has a little bit to do with who's in on both sides of the ball, but also has a little bit to do with us having a sense of urgency in the way we prepare."

Takeaways, turnovers?

"Yeah, there were some takeaways today. There were three interceptions overall, had a fumble down in the red area that was critical, so we've got to do a better job taking care of the ball on offense. Certainly attacked it at times on defense."

Did the offense have some explosive plays, though?

"They did early on. Yeah, they did early on. Like I said, they came out and they scored pretty much with ease. We didn't punt early on in the scrimmage. We were trying to actually have some punts, and we didn't punt because we didn't stop them. But then on the back end, like I said, defense kind of came back."

How was the punting overall?

"I have to go look at it. It looked like it was good at the time, but I have to go look. I know we had one sky punt situation that we didn't get it inside the 10 so we'll go back and revisit those."

Did you do live returns?

"Tag on the returner."

How were the center-QB exchanges?

"Yeah, no issues. A couple errant snaps, but nothing crazy."

Temperatures are projected in the triple digits this week, how do you balance wanting to get your players used to that but also being smart?

"There's rules and regulations about what we can practice in. The reality is we're going to play in hot games really early so it's probably good for us to get that experience."

How do you see the battles at the two offensive guard spots?

"I've got to go watch this film and see how it looked -- you can't just watch the guards all scrimmage. So I have to go back and see how it looked today. Today is a really good example of what it's going to look like in the future. If you want to do it on Saturdays, you have to do it in practice, so we'll see what it looks like and evaluate it from there."

How did you feel about the freshmen?

"Good and bad. It is generalities, but that's really what it was. You had some positive and some negative, so there's room to improve."

Did Popo and Keyon play today?

"Popo was out there, Keyon was not."

Justius?

"Justius was not."

Are you expecting some positive news the next couple days recruiting-wise?

"We'll see."

How much was red zone today?

"Each group had a series in the red zone. One of our groups actually ended up having two series in the red zone."

Any individuals stand out?

"I don't know if there's anybody that absolutely stuck out one side of the ball or the other. If there was somebody who absolutely just tore it up, I would tell you, but I don't think there was any of that."

How about the physicality?

"It needs to be better at times. I thought we, again, started slow. We operated like we were going to be in thud mode today and then those guys didn't go down -- you've got to tackle them. The only way you get good at it is practicing. Now, it came on and some physicality showed up throughout practice, but we have to continue to take that to another level."

Was that a product of the ball-carriers playing really well?

"Um, yeah, and then this is the first time we've gone tackle to the ground. It was more of a product of that. It takes a little bit more to get a man down with force than just a thud."

How much progress has been made on determining a depth chart?

"Probably know better once I watch the film."

What are you looking to improve on?

"I have to watch the film probably before I can tell you what I need to improve on. We have to take care of the ball better, right? That's an easy one. We've got to tackle better. That's an easy one for defense. We've got to communicate and just operate more efficiently, but beyond that I need to watch the film to be able to tell you guys what you want to hear."

How did the new coaches operate?

"Yeah, that dynamic was good. We've done it this spring as well so it's not brand new."

I have mentioned this multiple times over the past few months. Oregon was offered a deal at around the same numbers that the Big 12 got - and the university presidents declined it (against Commissioner Kliavkoff's recommendation) saying that they believed the brand was worth $50 million per team (AFTER the departures of USC/UCLA).

While Kliavkoff is taking a lot of heat, he made the right call a year ago and the same people that enabled Larry Scott to fail for over a decade killed the conference. Canzano gets the credit for putting it out there, but you guys knew about this a while ago:

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This is make shift but there aren’t a lot of options. It has Rice for the academics … Tulane is also kind of well regarded., but that New Orleans road trip will be a big away game! It is a little bit rag tag but there might be something for everyone.
I like it.

The PAC four is in a tough bind. I hope that they find something that has some positives.

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We went out to see Dakoda Fields at his high school for a video interview about his flip to Oregon.

Jeff McCulloch got the interview for us:


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Aaron will have a full story for us -- he's been doing great on camp reports this month.

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Carlos Locklyn video still to come ...

This Pac-12 season was supposed to fun – even with USC and UCLA heading for the Big Ten next year.

The conference has the best collection of quarterbacks in the FBS – starting with returning Heisman Trophy winner and projected No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. Washington, Oregon and Utah are all borderline top-10 teams, and UCLA. Oregon State and Arizona were intriguing sleepers, and, of course, Deion Sanders arrives at Colorado.

The problem with that? Most of those schools are gone after this year.

MORE: How Washington, Oregon will impact Big Ten, CFP and more

The 2023 season has gone from "Last Dance" to "Last Dirge" in less than two weeks. Colorado left for the Big 12. Arizona followed, and Arizona State and Utah made it Four Corners. Oregon and Washington joined USC and UCLA in the Big Ten. Just like that, the "Conference of Champions" – a Power 5 conference – was obliterated.

When the season is over, those 12 schools will scatter across the time zones into a new chapter of college football dictated by TV money and the new 12-team College Football Playoff. The terms of the proposed Apple TV deal was not enough to compete with the parachute that the Big 12 ($31.7 million per year) and Big Ten (a larger number to be negotiated) had to offer.


The timing is awful because there are so many reasons to watch the Pac-12 in 2023 – starting with those quarterbacks. Six returning quarterbacks – Williams, Washington's Michael Penix Jr., Arizona's Jadyen De Laura, Oregon's Bo Nix, Washington State's Cam Ward and Utah's Cam Rising – passed for more than 3,000 yards last season. Five-star UCLA freshman Dante Moore and transfers in Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Oregon State's D.J. Uiagalelei add to that absurd collection of QB talent. The games on the field will be fantastic as a result this year.

MORE: Who will be where in 2024? A conference-by-conference breakdown

The conference seems in position to possibly break a College Football Playoff drought that extends back to 2016. USC is back on the national radar with Lincoln Riley. It's going to be fun watching teams take their best shots at the Trojans on the way out of the door. And, again, Prime Time is in the conference now.

Instead, the Pac-12 is on life support; only to be saved by some sort of potential merger with the Mountain West Conference and the remaining teams. Get ready for the Pac-Mountain Football. The demise of the Pac-12 has led to a social media outcry of how bad this is for college football and the romanticizing of West Coast football as a whole.

Outside of the hard-core “Pac-12 After Dark" junkies, however, the ugly truth is the Pac-12 wasn't generating enough interest on television or for its star players. Look at the numbers on Sports Media Watch from the 2022 season:

— The Utah-USC Pac-12 championship game – which the Trojans needed to win to get into the College Football Playoff – drew a Nielsen rating of 3.3 with 5.97 million viewers. That ranked fourth among the Power 5 title games; ahead of the Clemson-North Carolina (1.9, 3.47 million) ACC championship matchup that had no CFP implications.


— Only three Pac-12 non-conference games drew a rating of 2.0 or higher in 2022. That was Notre Dame-USC (3.5, 6.68 million), Oregon-Georgia (3.2, 6.2 million) and Washington State-Wisconsin (2.2, 3.92 million).

— A total of 39 Power 5 conference games drew a rating of 2.0 or better. The only two Pac-12 games that made that cut were USC-UCLA (2.2, 4.53 million) and Washington-Oregon (1.93, 3.63 million). Those four schools are headed to the Big Ten now. Why? More people watched Ohio State-Northwestern (2.7, 4.76 million) because the Buckeyes struggled in the first half.

MORE: Big Ten to blame for devastating round of realignment

Eulogize the conference all you want. Did you actually watch those games? The signs for this were everywhere. It's a conference that couldn't get Christian McCaffrey enough exposure to win the Heisman Trophy in a season where he had a FBS record 3,864 all-purpose yards in 2015. Washington made the Pac-12's last CFP appearance in 2016 – a game Alabama won 24-7 then replaced offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin with Steve Sarkisian.

It's a conference whose profile slipped to the point that in 2020 the Trojans had an unbeaten record heading into the final weekend and were ranked No. 13 in the CFP rankings, one spot behind Coastal Carolina.

You can label the TV networks as the baddies, but they are offering more money and eyeballs to Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington. They're going to take it now – and we'll see how they feel later.


There will be reminiscing and regret, no question. There is precedent, too. The Southwest Conference had Texas-only schools play their last season in 1995 – a group that included Baylor, Houston, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Houston, Rice and SMU. Those schools are scattered across four conferences now, and if you gave their fan bases truth serum, how many would want to go back to those days? The Big East played its last season in 2012, but it was on borrowed time after Miami and Virginia Tech left after the 2003 season. Would those schools still prefer to be playing against West Virginia, Pitt, Boston College, Syracuse, Rutgers and Temple? Maybe.

That's the question those Pac-12 schools that leave might be asking when the 10-year lookbacks to this week run in 2033. Look at the track record of the 15 schools that have realigned into Power 5 conferences since 2000. It doesn't work out like you think most of the time, and the fact Oregon-Oregon State and Washington-Washington State might go away it's just another indication of what we already know – the rivalries and tradition are going by the wayside.

Perhaps this last season of Pac-12 play will be glorious. Those quarterbacks are going to play well. Williams could win a second Heisman Trophy. Sanders will get ratings. Moore could be a breakout stud at UCLA. The Washington-Oregon game will be awesome. Whoever wins the conference might make the CFP, but the more likely scenario is one we haven't thought about too much yet.

Will the Tournament of Roses have a parade – or a procession?

Imagine USC vs. the loser of Michigan and Ohio State in the Rose Bowl – the last true Big Ten vs. Pac-12 matchup. All of those memories — from Archie Griffin to Charles White – will be tied into a corporate bow to promote the following season.


They're already thinking about it. A noon kickoff between Minnesota and UCLA, bleeds into the 3:30 matchup between Ohio State and Oregon. That sets up USC vs. Michigan in prime time before a "Big Ten After Dark" matchup between Washington and Wisconsin.

That will be fun, too, but only at the Pac-12's expense.

It was early 2018 when Washington State QB Tyler Hilinski committed suicide, In 2022 Sarah Shulze, Katie Meyer, Jayden Hill, Robert Martin and Lauren Bernett all passed away during March and April. Athletes who, from the outside looking in, may have seemed like they had everything going for them. But away from the field, could have struggled with mental health issues that no one knew about.

As America's education landscape undergoes a transformation due to declining school-age children, colleges and universities are also grappling with declining enrollment. This trend is rooted in various factors, including the aftermath of the Great Recession and changing demographics. Even before the pandemic, cities and states were facing shrinking enrollment in public school systems. The pandemic further exacerbated this situation, resulting in significant student losses across various cities. However, demographic changes, including declining birth and immigration rates, have contributed to the enrollment decline even before the pandemic.

The implications of declining enrollment extend beyond K-12 schools to colleges and universities that rely on a steady stream of students for sustainability. This phenomenon is referred to as a "demographic cliff," signifying the challenges institutions face in maintaining their current structures. Efforts to address this challenge vary, with some jurisdictions considering school consolidation to reduce overhead and create economies of scale. However, such measures face challenges related to local control, community identity, and personalized education.

The decline in enrollment disproportionately impacts vulnerable students, exacerbating educational disparities. As the population ages, concerns arise about diminishing public support for education initiatives, straining the education system further. The need for comprehensive strategies to address the enrollment crunch is urgent, as the decline in school-age children affects even seemingly thriving educational systems. Equitable access to education and community vitality must remain priorities as the education landscape shifts.

Meanwhile, in 2021, Shippensburg University celebrated an NCAA Division II Field Hockey championship while simultaneously facing the enrollment cliff. This crisis, caused by a demographic decline following the Great Recession, is affecting colleges and universities across the country. Elite institutions are better equipped to handle the challenge due to their selectivity and wealth, but regional public universities and small private colleges are experiencing layoffs, consolidation, and closures.

Factors like immigration, economic shifts, and the pandemic have further complicated the situation, but the core issue remains the declining birth rates that set the stage for fewer high school graduates. Historically, demographic trends have influenced higher education, with generations experiencing a two-decade lag between birth and college enrollment. The baby boom era led to educational booms, but subsequent generations faced enrollment declines despite efforts to counterbalance the trend.

This current enrollment cliff presents unique challenges, disproportionately impacting states like Pennsylvania and the Northeast due to migration patterns and fertility rates. While colleges adapt by offering relevant programs and reshaping education delivery, the alignment of higher education with the labor market is inevitable. Colleges will likely use enrollment management techniques to maximize tuition revenue and prioritize programs leading to high-paying careers, potentially compromising academic standards and exacerbating class divisions.

Beyond being an educational challenge, the enrollment cliff has broader social and political implications. It could intensify the urban-rural divide as college-educated Democrats cluster in metropolitan areas, impacting electoral dynamics and deepening societal divides. Despite intermittent upward blips in birth rates, the future remains uncertain. The current generation's choices will shape the coming decades as higher education navigates a period of decline and transformation, reshaping the American education landscape with wide-ranging impacts.

In the realm of college athletics, institutions are also grappling with enrollment issues and using conference realignment to improve revenue generation. As colleges face declining enrollment, they are reevaluating their strategies for sustaining athletic programs. Conference realignment, wherein schools join or switch athletic conferences, has emerged as a strategic approach to enhance revenue generation and competitive opportunities.

This realignment aims to match universities with conferences that align with their financial and competitive goals. High-profile conferences often attract larger audiences, better broadcasting deals, and increased exposure, leading to higher revenue streams for member schools. By joining or switching conferences, universities seek to secure financial stability and enhance their athletic programs' visibility.

Conference realignment, however, presents its own set of challenges. It can disrupt longstanding rivalries and traditions, alienate fans, and raise questions about the true motivations behind the decisions. Additionally, realignment decisions are often driven by financial considerations, potentially overshadowing the broader educational and developmental goals of collegiate athletics.

In conclusion, the convergence of declining enrollment and conference realignment presents a complex landscape for both higher education institutions and college athletics. While colleges navigate the enrollment challenges with strategies to adapt and transform, conference realignment emerges as a way for athletic programs to secure financial viability and competitive advantages. As both realms undergo significant changes, their decisions will shape the future of education and sports in the United States.

Aaron Heisen has a writeup coming …

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We used to have someone post this every year and I've been looking for this. I don't remember who always posted this stuff, but I always found it interesting at the beginning of the year to see the gains and whatnot the players have made. Any idea where I could find that information?

Apologies, I fell asleep super early last night and didn't get Aaron's practice report edited. Here it is, along with the interviews (in the link):

Sounds like there was already one called JUGS, but this one is All Confr.

As a Duck, I’m deeply saddened, and more than a little outraged, by the loss of a 108 year old conference, it’s rich traditions, and regional rivalries. We are all losing more than just the games against rival schools we loved to hate. Our student athletes will be forced to endure ridiculous travel schedules over many time zones - at a time the airline industry is plagued by increasingly common travel disruptions. (When will we hear the hue & cry over the expanded carbon footprint of all this additional & unnecessary travel? Where are the alarmists over burning more jet fuel to fatten the wallets of TV execs? But I digress.) Small town economies in Corvallis & Pullman will be strained, with businesses dependent on the booming flow of visitors for game day likely struggling to survive. Those who work in the ancillary services for major college athletics, and those who staff events, may find themselves no longer a sustainable expense & looking for work. These decisions affect so much more than just student athletes and their fans.

And what of our values and decision making processes? What have our Universities leaders demonstrated as priorities, collectively & individually? When did we cede control of such important parts of our history & communities to media executives in far flung locales for whom our towns, people, traditions, our regional pride, are all reduced to line items on the bottom line projections for some corporate P&L report? When did we decide that their narratives are more important than the banter between people in our own towns & cities, or the stories we tell our children? What are we modeling for the next generations when our institutions of higher learning jump like Pavlov’s test animals to the dog whistle of fatter TV contracts & a brighter spotlight? It all feels like a huge loss to me, a process without a heart, or guiding intelligence. College athletics have become a landscape without good stewards. Cut down the old growth traditions to feed the foreign owned media mills, so we might one day see our team crowned champions in their mythical tournament. In our mythologies of old, when the king became mad with illness, or went missing, the land became blighted & descended into lawlessness. This morning I look across the devastated remains of what was once the Conference of Champions, and I wonder if this grail quest is really worth it. Will this stability that we seek be enduring, or will it be as fleeting as the next media rights deal? Do we believe that the conference leaders in in the Big Ten are wiser, less apt to sacrifice their own for greed & vanity? Do we believe that the television dollars will never dry up, but only deliver more, & more, & MOAR!! What if FOX & ESPN & their ilk can no longer afford to dole out the excesses we now build our foundations upon? What will we fall back on, now that we have sacrificed our past to buy our seat at the table?

There will be a time for excitement in the days to come, but today is not a day I can celebrate. Today I feel our loss, in so many ways. This coming final year of competing in the PAC-12, I hope we will all remember and properly honor what we are leaving behind. There will be no coming back.

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From trackducks:

“Another 400m male freshman recruit has been added to the team. Adren Parker from San Diego California with High School PRs this past year of: 46.48/21.41.”