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Pay college athletes? Oregon’s taking up the issue again
By KEVIN HARDEN
Oregon Capital Bureau
SalEM — New legislation that
landed in late March in the Oregon
Senate could allow some college
student-athletes to be paid.
Senate Bill 5, introduced March
24 by Senate president peter
Courtney of Salem and Sen. James
Manning Jr., a Eugene democrat
whose district includes the univer-
sity of Oregon, allows student-ath-
letes to “earn compensation for use
of their name, image or likeness.”
that includes royalty payments for
college merchandise sold with the
athlete’s name or image.
the bill also allows Oregon
student athletes to retain a profes-
sional sports agent while in college,
but they wouldn’t be able to sign
contracts for their images or like-
nesses that conflict with school or
team rules.
the Senate Committee on
rules plans an online public hear-
ing on the legislation at 1 p.m. on
thursday, april 8.
Courtney said Oregon’s bill
mirrors legislation in about three
dozen states, like California’s 2019
Fair pay to play act and New york’s
2020 Collegiate athletic participa-
tion Compensation act. Similar
legislation has been introduced in
the u.S. House and Senate.
“i’ve been happy to see similar
bills pass in other states,” Court-
ney said. “it’s time for Oregon to
do the same. We’ve worked with our
student-athletes and universities on
this issue. Senate Bill 5 makes sure
our college athletes are treated with
fairness. i hope to see it pass this
session.”
California’s law put the NCaa
in a bind, requiring a big change
in national r ules governing
student-athletes. in October 2019,
the NCaa Board of Governors
unanimously supported changes
to allow student-athletes to bene-
fit from the use of their names and
images. the board hoped to have
new rules in place by early this year.
UMATILLA
NATIONAL FOREST
See College, Page B2
OREGON FOOTBALL
Ducks start
spring camp
Campground
reservations
now offered
Oregon ducks open
spring with QB
competition, ‘exciting
time’ ahead, Mario
Cristobal says
reservations available
through recreation.gov
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — For the first
time, the umatilla National Forest
is offering online campsite reserva-
tions.
individual campsites can be
reserved through www.recreation.
gov, a trip planning and reservation
service portal. the site includes
information on more than 120,000
recreation areas for 12 different
government agencies. the umatilla
National Forest already uses the
site to provide reservation services
for cabins and this year will also be
including Jubilee lake, Bull prai-
rie lake, North Fork John day and
Olive lake campgrounds.
“We are excited to offer reserva-
tions to our communities for these
popular campgrounds,” said Shane
dittlinger, recreation program
manager for umatilla National
Forest. “recreation.gov provides a
seamless way for people to check
the availability at one of these camp-
grounds and guarantee your spot
before making the trip to the forest.”
Single and double campsites
can be reserved up to six months in
advance of a reservation date. Group
sites can be reserved up to one year
in advance of a reservation date.
Campsites that are not reserved by
midnight each day will become first-
come, first-served for the day.
reservations made through
recreation.gov will include an $8
transaction fee in addition to the
campsite fee. reservations can also
be made over the phone by calling
877-444-6777 between the hours
of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. the umatilla
National Forest will also still offer a
limited number of first-come, first-
served campsites at each of these
four campgrounds.
all other campgrounds on the
forest remain available as first-
come, first-served. Most camp-
grounds charge a fee ranging from
$8 to $24 per night. Other fees may
be imposed for additional vehicles
parked at a single campsite.
in a related legal fight, argu-
ments before the u.S. Supreme
Court were scheduled Wednes-
day, March 31, to decide whether
NCaa rules against allowing
student athletes to be compensated
violated federal anti-trust laws. the
case grew out of the 2015 ruling in
a similar lawsuit brought by uCla
athlete Ed O’Bannon. in that case,
the Ninth Circuit Court of appeals
affirmed most of a lower court
By JAMES CREPEA
The Oregonian
only four girls showed interest.
they were given the opportu-
nity to play on the boys team,
which they took advantage of
this season.
“a lot of girls were seniors last
year,” said perez, who also plays
basketball and track. “there
weren’t many girls left.”
perez said she enjoys playing
on the boys team. She’s a starting
left side defender for the Knights.
“the speed of the game is
faster, there are quicker touches,
and the boys are more physi-
cal,” perez said. “Some guys
try to body me, but that’s where
improvement comes from.”
the Knights (0-7) didn’t win a
game this season, but that didn’t
EUGENE — Oregon’s offsea-
son competition officially began on
thursday, april 1, and though the
pads aren’t on yet, it’s clear all four
quarterbacks are getting an earnest
assessment beginning this spring.
the ducks opened spring prac-
tice outside the Hatfield-Dowlin
Complex with anthony Brown,
Ty Thompson, Jay Butterfield and
robby ashford all getting reps.
there wasn’t an opportunity
for media to view practice, but
newcomers drew the attention after-
word.
“We’re excited about that group,”
Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said.
“there’s a lot of talent in that room.
… if (april 1 is) an indication of
what we’re going to be like, it’s an
exciting time for Oregon because
these guys did a really good job
today. they’re very competi-
tive. We’re going to place them in
competitive situations.”
Brown is the only returning
signal caller to have played last
season or even attempt a collegiate
pass.
But thompson, the highest-rated
QB recruit in program history,
Ashford and Butterfield aren’t going
to make it easy for the senior to keep
the job.
“ty, he looks the part,” Cristobal
said. “We knew he was a great talent
coming in, and in the little that
we’ve seen he hasn’t disappointed.
as well as his competitive nature
him and all those guys they attack
the opportunities that we have.
Whether it be a workout, whether
it be a film session they attack it.
they’ve got the right dNa. We
expect great things from ty, no
doubt.”
Butterfield is the only quarter-
back to have been with the ducks
See BMCC, Page B2
See Ducks, Page B2
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian
Irrigon’s Brianna Perez kicks the ball away from goal as Irrigon goalie Anthony Standley looks on during
a home game on Thursday, April 1, 2021.
FAMILY TIES
Irrigon’s Brianna Perez signs to play soccer
at Blue Mountain Community College
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
irriGON — Soccer has been
a part of Brianna perez’s life
since the day she was born.
Her mom, Gabriela perez, was
a goaltender at Hermiston High
School, and played recreational
soccer for years after she grad-
uated.
perez started playing soccer
when she was 4 years old, taking
a cue from her mom and play-
ing goalie. When she got to
middle school, she switched to
midfielder/defender so the team
could take advantage of her
speed.
this season, perez is play-
ing defender for the irrigon boys
team, as there weren’t enough
girls for their own team.
Her talent and work ethic
landed perez a scholarship to
play soccer at Blue Mountain
Community College.
“i honestly never saw myself
playing college soccer,” perez
said. “i never thought i was good
enough. this is life changing.”
BMCC women’s soccer coach
Jordan Hillmick said perez is
selling herself short.
“She is fairly adaptable when
it comes to playing midfield or
defender,” he said. “She has
a good work ethic and she is
talented. She is a diamond in the
rough — i will take those players.
We are getting the right players
to come in.”
irrigon had a girls team the
past three years, but this year,
SPORTS SHORT
Next up: UCLA gets chance to stop undefeated Gonzaga
By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer
iNdiaNapOliS — Next up on
the long list of wannabes eager to stop,
or even slow, the undefeated Gonzaga
Bulldogs is a team basketball fans
might have heard of: uCla.
In a strange twist that typifies a
strange year, the legacy program with
more national championships than
anyone is a plucky up-and-comer this
time around. the Bruins are listed as
the biggest underdog at the Final Four
in 25 years — 14 points — as they
head into the Saturday night, april 3,
game.
and tiny Gonzaga — enrollment
7,300 with a dozen or so very talented
basketball players sprinkled among
them — is the behemoth nobody can
seem to touch.
UCLA is the fifth 11th seed to reach
the Final Four, and joins the 2011 VCu
squad as the second to get this far after
starting in the First Four, the prelim-
inary round the NCaa added when
it expanded the bracket to 68 teams a
decade ago.
Heading into Selection Sunday, the
Bruins (22-9) were viewed as slightly
better than a bubble team, but the First
Four placement identified them as one
of the last four teams in. that placed
a chip on their shoulders, but with
Gonzaga (30-0) looming, this is no
time for outside motivation, accord-
ing to coach Mick Cronin.
“i give them pointers and try to
be honest and tell them how hard it’s
going to be because of who we’re play-
ing,” said Cronin, who has led uCla
within two wins of the program’s 12th
national title. “i’m not the false-mo-
tivation guy, because none of that is
going to help you when you’re trying
to stop Jalen Suggs in transition.”
Suggs, a freshman who will likely
go in the NBa lottery if he leaves after
one season, is one cog on a team with
the nation’s best offense (91.6 points
per game), the nation’s best shooting
percentage (54.8) and the nation’s most
impressive margin of victory (23.1).
The Zags have won 29 of their first 30
games by double digits.
the winner advances to the
Monday, april 5, final to face the
winner of the Houston-Baylor semi-
final.
Darron Cummings/Associated Press
UCLA guard Tyger Campbell (10) celebrates with teammates
after an Elite 8 game against Michigan in the NCAA men’s col-
lege basketball tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on Wednes-
day, March 31, 2021, in Indianapolis. UCLA won 51-49.