In Supwitchugirl's 2010 Oregon Ducks anthem, " I Love My Ducks (Return of the Quack)," they rapped, "Uncle Phil's got our back, putting Swooshes on our feet," but those very limited sneakers have landed two Oregon men's basketball players in serious trouble. Reserve forward Ben Carter and guard Dominic Artis have been declared inelgible to compete by the NCAA for selling their PE sneakers.
The players violated NCAA rule 16.11.2.1, receiving extra benefits, which is a big NCAA no-no. The situation was discovered through internal investigations that the University put in place. It's unsure at the time which sneakers they sold, but it's widely speculated that they hawked their coveted Air Jordan PEs.
The Oregon Ducks have been laced with an insane amount of exclusive Air Jordan PEs including IIIs, IVs, and, most recently, Vs (all of which were originally designed by Oregon alum Tinker Hatfield). And they sell for serious cash online. In fact, a pair of Oregon Ducks Air Jordan III PEs costs roughly the same amount as a 21-credit semester at the University of Oregon.
Nike's Oregon roots go deep. Brand founder Phil Knight went there. So did co-founder Bill Bowerman, the man who designed the waffle sole. And many other Nike employees ran for Bowerman, who was also a legendary track coach at Oregon. It would be a shame if this caused Nike to have to re-think their relationship that has been beneficial for both parties.
[via Sole Collector]
