"Oregon's Dan Lanning addresses Kirby Smart's criticism of NIL policies"
Defending the reputation and marketing program of Oregon, following recent remarks from Georgia coach Kirby Smart, Ducks coach Dan Lanning stated that it is an "overstatement" that his program receives significantly more funding than other top-10 teams.
Lanning told ESPN on Thursday, "The truth is, find a top-10 team in college football right now that doesn't have exceptional support. Do we have significantly more than everyone else? I believe that would be an exaggeration or else we would never lose. Right now, everyone else is focused on our ice cream cone, and if I am preoccupied with theirs, that means mine is melting."
Last week at SEC Media Days, Smart - whom Lanning previously coached under at Georgia before taking over at Oregon - jokingly stated that he wished he "could get some of that NIL money (Nike founder and Oregon alum Phil Knight) is giving Dan Lanning."
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Lanning explained that the Ducks' NIL program, which aided in securing key transfers such as linebacker Evan Stewart and quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore, will always provide them with an opportunity to recruit some of the best players in the country, but they are not alone in this.
"I am sure there is a correlation, right?" Lanning acknowledged, pointing out how the defending national champions, Michigan, had 13 players selected in this year's NFL draft. "Is our situation different from other teams in the nation? Absolutely. Is our team's situation different from the top teams in the nation? Probably not. And that is alright. We want to be a part of that group."
While there may be a period of adjustment as Oregon prepares for its first season in the Big Ten, Lanning wants to see his players remain true to themselves.
"We do not want to be a team that follows trends; we want to be a team that sets trends," Lanning told ESPN. "That means studying ourselves and finding ways to improve. It will be a learning experience."
