So you attend a basketball school now. After years of priding yourself on the success of our football team and one impossibly perfect Marcus Mariota, the end of an era has arrived. If you are anything like me, you live for fall term and spending your Saturdays in a stadium where it never rains. Autzen is home to the loudest fans and mightiest men of Oregon.
But oh, how the mighty have fallen. After a devastating defeat in last year's Alamo Bowl, University of Oregon's transition from football to a basketball school was set into motion.
Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator
When our basketball team finished last year's impressive season in the Elite Eight, whispers of "a basketball school" began to circulate. It was not until the 2016 football season that those rumors gained momentum. The emotional (and mostly downhill) roller coaster of a football season we had ended in a 4-8 record and the termination of Coach Helfrich, solidifying the reputation of our university.
It wasn't long after our football team started losing that tweets, Facebook posts, and even Instagram captions began making announcements stating, "we're a basketball school now". The new faith and dependence (or raw talent, who's to say, really) on our basketball team has helped lead the team to a 19-3 record, closely trailing Arizona at the top of the Pac-12. The team has put the university on its back and let the country know just exactly which sport we're going to be known for. Now, if you're in the same position as myself and are struggling to go "into the woods", here are the five stages you can expect when making the transition:
1. Denial
You simply cannot grasp the reality that our school will be associated with a sport other than football. Sure, the golf team won a National Championship which was cool and all, but never posed any serious threat. The basketball team does well in one silly little national tournament and people think they can just disregard our football team? Think again. The team is just in a slump, one less-than-successful season does not define a program!
2. Anger
You are ready to throw hands at the next person who dares call us a basketball school. How dare they disrespect the team that gives them a reason to wake up on fall Saturdays? The football program is the pride and joy of the University of Oregon and no other sport can change that.
3. Bargaining
You think that maybe the two teams could share the school. Perhaps some sort of double threat? Football takes opponents down in the fall while basketball finishes them off in the winter. They can each have the glory for half of the year. Can't the two teams coexist in harmony to represent our school? We pride ourselves on being an inclusive university, after all.
4. Depression
You can't even bear to think about the university's new reputation. Does the 2014-15 football season mean nothing? After all of the money that's been donated to the school because of football, this is how the team is repaid. Just the thought of your team being dethroned is saddening. You're not mad, you're just hurt...
5. Acceptance
You finally decide that the basketball team isn't completely terrible. They did have a commendable season last year and are making U of O quite proud this season as well. Plus, word on the street is that Dillon Brooks is up for an Oscar after one of his latest game performances. That's pretty cool, right? Maybe it won't be so bad to pass the torch off to the basketball team and take pride in being a school known for it. You come to terms with the fact that the phrase "the pit is lit" will now be part of your vocabulary and you're ready to welcome the walk to Matthew Knight Arena. On the bright side, it is closer than Autzen!
After experiencing these stages at your own pace, you are ready to embrace the "basketball school" title and take pride in your university. U of O has made the transition and finally you have too. Besides, Coach Taggart is off on a recruiting frenzy right now. You know that next year is a new season and a new chance to take the school back.
