Ducks to Migrate to Big (Far) East?

Rumors out of Eugene claim that Oregon is now researching the idea of playing a game in China against Boise State in 2009. Yes, those wild and crazy Ducks are looking to reach the 1.3BILLION Chinese market and to continue UO's name as a trendsetter.

The push behind this came from Jim Warsaw, who is the founder of the Warsaw School of Sports Marketing at Oregon (one of the nation's best programs). He suggested playing in China, a year after the Beijing Olympics and trying to be the first College American Football Game in the world's most populous nation.

Not really a bad idea--but the Devil is in the details. First, Boise State hasn't agreed to it. Second, there is no money to fund it --yet (you've always got to think that ol' Phil Knight and Nike will step up whenever cash is needed and brand can be promoted). Also, you've got to figure that this game will have to be either an exempted early start type situation---for the sheer time commitment it takes to get to China, practice, see the cheesey touristy stuff, be goodwill ambassadors, yada,yada,yada--but for the all important 'time away from class' argument that academic purists tout. There is no way a team can get to China, play a game, fly back to the US, adjust back to US time and prepare for the next game without it impacting the player's studies and responsibilities.

Yes, Oregon is a trendsetter- not all of them have been good trends either. They have inflated the battle of the budgets and have attracted attention for their crazy/headache inducing uniform combinations--sometimes to the detriment of Mike Bellotti's best asset: he wins and keeps players out of trouble. Being like the professional teams that seek out new markets because 'the US is saturated' is not a positive. It speaks more that the NCAA is becoming more and more corporate (which is it, but at least it goes through the motions of trying to be 'amatuer') and that this really isn't the Ducks wanting to give their players a 'great life experience', but more of the University being a tool for its biggest booster, Nike, and its quest for global domination.

Ironically, the final obstacle may be the largest: As of this time, the Chinese Government, yes that Lighthouse of Enlightenment, Efficiencies and Warm-Fuzzies, has yet to approve anything.