By David Hookstead

Copyright outkick

Oregon will almost certainly be wearing the coolest uniforms in college football this weekend. The Ducks are known for having some of the most impressive uniform combinations in the sport. That’s what happens when Nike founder Phil Knight is bankrolling the situation. Turns out, having a billionaire deeply connected to the program and sports is a great way to find success and skyrocket in relevance. The Oregon Ducks unveil epic uniforms. Well, the Ducks will repay the favor to Knight and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman with the team’s uniforms this weekend against Oregon State. Oregon released the following details on how the uniforms came to be: The uniform’s base color of anthricite, the gold cleats and indeed even the project’s name — “Shoe Duck” — were inspired by the cover of Knight’s book about Nike’s founding, “Shoe Dog.” Former UO defensive back Mattrell McGraw, now a senior product line manager with Nike, conceived of the bright gold cleats, and there are gold highlights throughout the uniform. The gloves bear a waffle print, representing the waffle iron that Bowerman used to make an early prototype of the sneakers Nike would go on to produce. The matte marble helmet includes wings on each side, though it is asymmetrical. Mimicking the tail of Knight’s private jet — which represents his two passions — it bears on one side the classic Duck wing of previous Oregon helmets, and on the other side the wing of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. On the back is a golden Oregon “O” logo, and also a gold bar representing Bowerman’s service with the Army during World War II. Check out the epic uniforms below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com. As a history buff, I love anything that is tied to history. You know what else I love? College football. These uniforms combine both, and anyone who says they’re not awesome is lying to you. Bowerman, while not nearly as famous as Phil Knight when he was alive, lived an absolutely insane story. He fought in Italy in WWII and earned a Silver Star and four Bronze Stars in the war. The dude is a legitimate American hero, and later teamed up with Phil Knight to build a powerhouse sports apparel brand. The money started flowing, Oregon turned into a football powerhouse and the rest is history. Now, fans will get to see that history on display when the Ducks take the field Saturday against the Beavers. What do you think of the uniforms? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com, and props to Nike for the classy gesture.