One has to wonder if Phil Knight and T. Boone Pickens might have a little side bet on Tuesday night's Holiday Bowl between Oregon and Oklahoma State in San Diego.
Knight, 70, and Pickens, 80, have combined to give more than half-a-billion dollars to their universities, most of it going to the football programs. Knight's gifts have helped make the Ducks a perennial contender, with the team averaging more than eight wins a year with only one losing season in the last 15.
Pickens recently forked over another $63 million to Oklahoma State to ensure the stadium expansion project would be completed at his alma mater. He previously gave $165 million to fund athletics at Oklahoma State.
So which one of these cats has more cash? It's not even close.
Knight, the man behind the Nike empire, is worth 10.5 billion and ranks 31st on Forbes' list of the 400 richest Americans.
Pickens has slipped to 131st. The collapse in oil prices and plummeting stock market have hit T. Boone hard in recent months.
Nonetheless, Pickens, who claims to have had Les Miles fired so the Cowboys could hire Mike Gundy, says his plan to turn Oklahoma State into a consistent winner is working. The Cowboys are a win from 10 victories for only the fourth time in team history.
"I’d say we’re a year ahead of where I thought we’d be. I’m happy with the way it’s gone."
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