– University of Oregon President Michael Schill wrote in an email sent campus-wide Tuesday that the university and the survivor of an alleged sexual assault have settled their Title IX lawsuit. The alleged sexual assault involved three Oregon men’s basketball players who were subsequently kicked off the team and banned from campus. The survivor dismissed Oregon men’s basketball head coach Dana Altman from a civil lawsuit on Saturday, according to DuckTerritory.com, the UO affiliate of CBS Sports.
The survivor, Jane Doe, said in a statement, “I am so glad to have this case behind me today and to be able to focus on my studies. I am very grateful for the outpouring of support that I have received from students, faculty, and other organizations. The response from the UO community has been remarkable and I know that the increased awareness around these issues on our campus can only serve to help us.”
Schill said in the email, “I do not believe any of our coaches, administrators, or other university personnel acted wrongfully, nor do I believe that any one of them failed to live up to the high moral standards that we value and that they embody in their work every day.”
– Despite not being enrolled at Oregon yet, Vernon Adams was named to the Unitas Award watch list, given annually to the nation’s top senior quarterback who excels on the field and also exhibits citizenship, character and integrity. Adams’ role with the Ducks is far from solidified, as he must finish one last Eastern Washington math class before enrolling at University of Oregon. Adams told the Register-Guard’s Ryan Thorburn last week that he expects to finish the course by Aug. 13.
– Sports Illustrated ranked Oregon 10th in its preseason college football poll released on Wednesday. Defending champion Ohio State recieved the no. 1 ranking, Auburn no. 2 and TCU no. 3. The Ducks were the second highest-ranked team from the Pac-12, trailing only no. 8 USC. In addition to USC, Oregon will play three other teams this season from SI’s top 25: no. 7 Michigan State, no. 17 Arizona State and no. 18 Stanford. The ranking comes less than a week after the Ducks were ranked fifth in a USA Today coaches poll.
– Marcus Mariota’s Heisman Trophy was unveiled in a permanent display in the lobby of the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex on Tuesday. The trophy sits atop a base designed by Nike that has eight layers, honoring the number 8 that Mariota wore as a Duck and the eight Hawaiian islands. Each layer represents something in Mariota’s life, including his family, his Hawaiian roots, his teammates and coaches at Oregon, and Autzen Stadium, his collegiate home field. The Oregon Athletic Department posted a picture of the display on Instagram:
– Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com, the official website of the Tennessee Titans, wrote about his observations of Mariota during Titans training camp on Monday. In a night scrimmage, Wyatt noted that Mariota once again played “mistake free-football,” giving up zero interceptions. The former Oregon quarterback hasn’t changed his nice-guy persona either. According to Wyatt, Mariota signed autographs for nearly an hour after practice, and later tracked down ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky to apologize for almost hitting him with an errant pass during practice. “I’m thinking that was a first,” Wyatt wrote.
– Olympic silver medalist and former Oregon star distance runner Galen Rupp is scheduled to compete in the Flotrack Throwdown track meet in Portland’s Duniway Park on Saturday, according to Ken Goe of The Oregonian/OregonLive.com. Rupp will run the mile, as will Eugene-based runners Pat Casey, Jordan McNamara and Hassan Mead. Former Oregon runners Mac Fleet and Colby Alexander are also in the field.
– Oregon men’s golf released its 2015-16 schedule on Monday. The Ducks will play in four fall tournaments, including the Nike Golf Intercollegiate at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Ore. on Oct. 5-7. Spring tournament highlights include the Oregon State Invite in Canby, Ore. from March 21-22 and the Western Intercollegiate in Santa Cruz, Calif. from April 11-13. Finally, the Ducks will host the much-anticipated 2016 NCAA Championships May 27 – June 1 at the Eugene Country Club.
Follow Will Denner on Twitter @Will_Denner