25 college football programs with the most tradition

19. Oregon Ducks

Check back in another 20 years, and Oregon might rank much higher on this list. The Ducks just don’t have enough history for now. Oregon has been playing football since the 1890s but ranks outside the top-50 on the all-time NCAA wins list. Give it time, however, because Nike is building the Ducks into an unstoppable force of neon-colored jerseys.

Through the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, Oregon football floundered. The track and basketball teams carried the university’s athletic program, and at one point, the football program was actually losing money. In 1983, the Ducks played in the infamous “Toilet Bowl” with Oregon State, a 0-0 tie.

Finally, in 1994-95, the Ducks broke through with coach Rich Brooks and made the Rose Bowl. Though they lost to Penn State, the program was finally headed in the right direction. In 2001, with Mike Bellotti, the Ducks were at the heart of the first big BCS controversy, after they got passed over for Nebraska, but beat Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl

After Bellotti resigned, Chip Kelly took over, and his spread offense vaulted Oregon into permanent national title contender status. The Ducks have won four of the past seven Pac-12 titles and have made two appearances in the national title game.

With a passionate fanbase, and Phil Knight continuing to treat the program like a spoiled grandchild, the Oregon Ducks will only continue to build their tradition in the coming years. Years of mediocrity keep Oregon out of the top 10 on this list, but things have changed for good.