Dan Lanning heard Kyle Whittingham’s Oregon NIL jab. His Michigan comeback was ruthless - USA Today
While Oregon football is an uncharacteristically poor 6-3 heading into its Week 11 matchup against Michigan, at least one thing hasn't changed with the Ducks — coach Dan Lanning not letting a slight against his program go unanswered.
During a news conference on Wednesday, Nov. 11, Lanning responded to Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham's comment about Oregon's name, image and likeness budget by taking a shot at the struggling Wolverines, who are 5-4 and just fired their first-year offensive coordinator.
"I've got nothing to say to Coach Whitt other than I think he's an unbelievable coach," Lanning said. "I get it. They're spending more of their money right now on their coaches they're letting go, so maybe it makes it hard to sign players. But I know they’ve signed a couple of guys that we weren’t able to compete with what they decided to do, and maybe a lot of that money is tied up for them in another player. I don’t know. But Coach Whittingham is an unbelievable coach. He’s a Hall of Fame coach. I’ve got nothing but respect for him.”
Lanning's remarks came in response to a comment Whittingham made earlier in the week in which he praised the fifth-year Oregon head coach, but added that "it doesn't hurt that you have $50 million at your disposal to, in essence, to outbid everybody."
According to a report earlier this year from The Athletic, it is believed that Oregon spent between $48 million and $54 million on its 2026 roster. The bottom end of that range ranks it behind only Ohio State. Michigan was 14th on that list, with a projected roster budget between $36 million and $40 million.
As Lanning alluded to, the Wolverines fired offensive coordinator Jason Beck after a dismal nine-game start in which Michigan has averaged just 19.6 points per game. Beck is set to be owed up to $10.1 million by the school, which is believed to be the biggest buyout ever for a college football assistant coach.
In each of the past four full recruiting cycles, the Ducks have signed a top-10 high school class.
It's not the first time a coach of an upcoming opponent has taken aim at Oregon's NIL prowess. Heading into his team's game last year at Oregon, then-Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said the Ducks spent $40 million on their roster and said there are some coaches in the sport who believe programs should schedule non-conference games against foes with similar budgets. Gundy later clarified that his remarks were intended as a compliment. Lanning countered that the Ducks "spend to win" and that "some people save (money) to have an excuse for why they don’t (win)."
Oregon went on to beat the Cowboys, 69-3, and 17 days later, Gundy was fired after 21 seasons at the school.
