NCAA Football oregon Ducks

It is really never news when the Oregon Ducks get new uniforms. The Nike fashion template seemingly has variations, alternative jerseys, subtle changes and hundreds of different combinations. So, the announcement of new uniforms being unveiled should have been met with a collective yawn.

It's the claim by Oregon that this is only the "fifth edition of Oregon's football uniform evolution" since 1996 that seems highly implausible.

Yet according to the Ducks, this is truth as long as you only consider the significant changes. Then the timeline goes 1996 Cotton Bowl, the 1999 season, 2003 and then 2006. Things like last year's duck feathers on the shoulders apparently don't count in the way Oregon defines new uniforms in their evolution.

The new uniforms -- which still includes duck feathers as an option -- are again of the mix-and-match combo scheme loved by Oregon and Nike. Between the pants, helmets and jersey choices, there will be some 80 different uniform combinations.

According to the press release, the new uniforms weigh in nearly 25% less than the prior models. They will fit closer. Expect them to have a real slimming effect on the linemen.

Chip Kelly has yet to coach a game for the Oregon Ducks, and in this much-anticipated season, he is already three players down following recent transfers. Kelly took over for Mike Bellotti, who moved on to athletic director after 14 seasons, and the first thing he did was name QB Jeremiah Masoli the starter for next season. That prompted the transfer of Justin Roper, who started the first three games last season before a knee injury against Purdue.

Receiver Aaron Pflugrad then followed Roper out of the door, and Tuesday the school announced WR Chris Harper was leaving to be closer to his Wichita, Kan. home. Harper was a true freshman last season and will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Pity the poor Pac-10; its revenues are barely half of the SEC, Big Ten, and, shudder, the ACC.

As a result, the Pac-10 is exploring a route that has already made it rain on the SEC and the Big Ten, starting their own network. The Big Ten started their own network in conjunction with FOX and netted $66 million from the network last year. Rather than start their own network, the SEC partnered with CBS and ESPN. Beginning this year the SEC will bring in -- wait for it -- $205 million a year just from television rights. Why does that matter? The Pac-10 conference had revenues of just $88.78 million in 2007. Yep, by 2009, the SEC will triple the Pac-10 in sports revenue. That's a huge deal in the arm's race that is major collegiate sports.

Fortunately, as a lover of all things college football, I'm here to help the Pac-10 ensure their network is a hit. How do we do that? Programming, baby, it's all about the programming.

College Football Spring Storylines 2009 looks at the key developments and big news from spring ball.

Since 2002, the Pac-10 has been derisively called USC and the nine dwarves. Its more than a little unfair, but that's the prevailing wisdom. Although the conference is consistently among the deepest and most competitive around, USC's monopolized that top spot. Any chance of that changing this year begins with decisions those programs make this spring.

Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

Was He Even Alive Then? -- Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin dove back to the pre-disco era in describing his football team after a recent scrimmage. "I feel like we're in the '60s right now with our offense. We've got to run the ball and throw play-action right now. That's about all we can do. It's pretty scary right now."

Mercifully football has moved beyond '60s era mundanity, but Tennessee fans might welcome '60s results as the Vols snagged two SEC championships over the decade.

Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

Rejoice! Er, potentially rejoice -- Last week the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported speculation that FOX might extricate itself a year early from its BCS coverage commitments. Besides the rarely disputed notion that FOX's BCS coverage is woeful -- thank you, Thom Brennaman and endless band shots -- the network seems to realize they've been dealt a weak hand for their 2010 games.

Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, Tearing Down The Posts will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

Lane Kiffin As Rasputin -- There's a healthy tag page if you need catching up, but the latest involves Kiffin denying he told recruit Alshon Jeffery he'd end up pumping gas if he chose South Carolina. Assistant Ed Orgeron was summoned to say he was in the room and no such declaration was made. Then Kiffin claimed to have called Jeffery and confirmed with him that Kiffin said no such thing. All the while ESPN's Chris Low is sticking by his story while South Carolina papers allege South Carolina staffers confirmed with Jeffery that Kiffin made the comments.

Breaking news this Friday afternoon as it is being reported Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti is stepping down after 14 seasons in Eugene. In that time he made Oregon a prominent program nationally, finishing with a 116-55 record.

He guided the school to four seasons of 10 or more victories, a pair of Pac-10 championships, a Rose Bowl and a Fiesta Bowl victory over Colorado in 2001 when they arguably should have been playing Miami for the national championship. The announcement was not unexpected, as Oregon said it would name offensive coordinator Chip Kelly his successor and slide Bellotti over to the Athletic Director's desk upon his retirement.

A member of the Oregon legislature plans to introduce a bill that would require the state's public universities, including Oregon and Oregon State, to interview at least one minority before hiring a head football coach.

The law would be modeled on the NFL's "Rooney Rule," which has been in place for six years and has coincided with an increase in African-American head coaches in the NFL.

Aside from having an awesome name for a football player in Oregon, LeGarrette Blount is a physical freak. He's 6'2" and 240 pounds and has surprising speed and athleticism (don't watch this) that allows him to be a back instead of a linebacker. Unfortunately he appears to be skipping team meetings.

Oregon's deliberately vague statement says Blount "has been suspended indefinitely for 'failure to fulfill team obligations.'" So basically we're not talking anything that usually prompts discipline like drug charges, DUI, an arrest, anything of that nature. The indefinite nature of his suspension is intriguing, but probably not worrisome.