Once upon a time in the land of Eugene, there was a sprinter named Phil Knight. Now, Phil wasn’t your ordinary alum who sends a stapler back to campus. No, he decided to sprinkle some serious magic dust across the University of Oregon. Knight is the co-founder of Nike and a proud Oregon Duck. He took his passion for running and business to pour over a billion dollars into his alma mater. Let’s be honest, this isn’t just philanthropy; it’s a university glow-up on steroids. His cash flow helped turn the Athletics facilities into a Disneyland for sports geeks. Crunching the numbers from public records and appraiser estimates, ‘Uncle Phil’s’ total giving has likely blasted past the $4 billion mark.
This includes the University of Oregon and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). The Knights have been like a philanthropic Nike swoosh. They powered the Oregon campuses to legendary levels, from revamped sports arenas and libraries to groundbreaking scientific research hubs. Most recently, they dropped a colossal $2 billion gift to OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the transformational potential of this work for humanity,” the Knights said in a news release Thursday. Phil and Penny Knight’s recent $2 billion donation to OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment generosity parade. The big announcement was made during a special gathering celebrating Dr. Brian Druker’s anniversary at the institute.
Dr. Druker, a cancer research pioneer best known for developing Gleevec (a life-changing leukemia drug), has been central to this monumental effort. The gift is massive. It’s the largest single donation ever to a university or academic health center. It surpasses Michael Bloomberg’s $1.8 billion donation to Johns Hopkins in 2018.
Nike Co-Founder Phil Knight Gifts $2 Billion To Oregon Cancer Institute—The Largest University Donation Everhttps://t.co/mal8wn2XtZ pic.twitter.com/ICOaMtirYj
— Forbes (@Forbes) August 14, 2025
With this kind of backing, the Knight Cancer Institute will become a self-governed powerhouse within OHSU, led by Druker himself as its first president. Now, there’s a cheeky bonus as well. This philanthropic blitzkrieg is about to turbocharge Oregon’s entire university ecosystem. Imagine being a student or an athlete, knowing scholarships and grants won’t be the hurdles they once were.
That’s because Phil and Penny’s generosity flows through the system like a sponsorship deal with extra perks. The University of Oregon’s sports programs, especially football, will be turbocharged with seemingly unlimited NIL resources. This means Oregon can dangle top-dollar NIL deals to athletes in ways most other schools can only dream of.
And this happened previously when he was backing Oregon’s athletic recruiting with what insiders call “unlimited NIL funding.” Now, don’t be surprised when you hear Oregon’s football team boast the second-best transfer class nationally. And then they grab high four- and five-star recruits left and right. It’s like a shopping spree in the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Plus, this powerhouse financial backing leverages Oregon’s brand and allure tremendously, not only for athletes but also for students interested in sports marketing and related fields. So this means the institute can operate with real agility. On one hand, the Ducks can attract more student bodies to be a part of this big, hefty fund. And on the other hand, pushing the boundaries of cancer research, early diagnosis, treatment, and comprehensive patient care like never before.
Dan Lanning’s not-so-secret weapon
Phil Knight is really putting the pedal to the metal for Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks. The legendary Nike co-founder and Oregon alum didn’t just toss a few bucks at the program. He’s orchestrated a full-throttle $1.7 million portfolio boost for Oregon’s NIL collective, Division Street, turning it into a recruiting powerhouse. And this one was completely hooked on sports. Division Street teamed up with sneaker giants GOAT and Flight Club to drop the first-ever Nike Air Max 95/97 hybrid sneakers in exclusive Oregon-themed colorways. In Lightning, Thunder, and Storm.
And let me tell you, every cent from this limited-edition drop funnels straight back into Oregon’s NIL operations. It fattens that $1.7 million kitty. And if you think that’s impressive, Division Street’s been on a roll with prior exclusive collabs featuring iconic kicks like Air Jordan 8s and Dunk Lows. All of it is carefully curated to keep Oregon’s NIL bank account rolling. Lanning said, “I don’t really care what people think. I just want to win. There’s not a top-10 program in the nation that’s not funded and in a good position to compete.”
And it worked. The Ducks were sitting on a top-five recruiting class for 2025. It was packed with high-caliber five-star athletes like WR Dakorien Moore and CB Na’eem Offord, flipping from Ohio State, who are now gearing up for the 2025 season. The NIL boost is showing it packs serious recruiting muscle. On top of that, Lanning’s new six-year, $11 million per year contract shows the Ducks are doubling down on success, matching big ambitions with even bigger paychecks.
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