Q1: Phil Knight, a middle-distance runner, won three varsity letters for what Pac-10 school in the late 1950s? Now a businessman, Knight’s high-profile relationship with his alma mater has become far more notable than his time as a runner – among his many dealings with the school include a controversial sponsorship deal made with fellow runner Steve Prefontaine in 1973.
A1: Knight, a co-founder of Nike, Inc., has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to his alma mater, the University of Oregon. UO athletes often serve as guinea pigs for prototypes of hightech athletic clothing and the Ducks’ new stadium expansion was funded by Nike, but the amateur status of students receiving products from Knight’s corporation has been contested ever since “Pre” became the first major athlete to use Nike-brand shoes.
Q2: Following the giant coaching carousel in the NCAA men’s basketball offseason can be tricky, so let’s play fill in the blank. Billy Donlon, an assistant at [A], has been promoted to take over the job of Brad Brownell, who has left for [B] in the ACC, which was left coachless by the departure of Oliver Purnell to [C], which was coached last season by Jerry Wainwright. Can you get all three?
A2: [A] is Wright State, [B] is Clemson and [C] is DePaul.
Sports trivia
