EUGENE — Phil Knight and his wife, Penny Knight, committed a $1 billion donation to the University of Oregon on September 23, 2026. The donation will be used to establish a new engineering college at the university. "This is no time to abandon them," he said.

Bob Guldberg, a vice president and bioengineering professor at the University of Oregon, stated that the new engineering program could help ease the state’s shortage of engineers. Some 2,500 engineering job openings are expected each year in Oregon, but there are not enough local engineers to fill those positions.

The University of Oregon currently offers only engineering minors and graduate programs. The institution already offers a PhD program in bioengineering and applied master's programs in five specializations.

The $1 billion donation will go toward a third building, building new labs, and hiring new faculty at the Knight Campus. The gift brings the couple's total commitment to the Knight Campus to more than $2 billion.

Phil Knight's net worth is nearly $23 billion. The couple has contributed more than $5 billion to higher education.

The arena is named in honor of their late son, Matthew Knight. The law school is named for Phil Knight's father, William W. Knight.

"This extraordinary gift is an endorsement of what higher education delivers," University of Oregon President Karl Scholz said. "It gives us the ability to scale innovation, accelerate impact, and meet the demand for skilled engineering required by the industries of tomorrow, all without placing that financial burden on state taxpayers." "They did it in 2016, and they are doing it again now, at a scale that is genuinely hard to take in," he said. "I am grateful to them, and I am grateful to be here for it," he said.

Scholz added that the donors have a history of supporting projects before they exist. "Phil and Penny Knight have a long history of believing in things before they exist," he said.

Phil Knight, the Nike cofounder, issued a statement regarding the donation. "To make an audacious dream a reality requires more than a vivid imagination," he said.

"It also requires the sort of opportunity that our great American universities, both public and private, have historically provided," he said. "Penny and I are grateful for the chance to invest in our most promising young people’s future in this important way," he said.

Why It Matters

The $1 billion commitment establishes the first full undergraduate engineering program at the University of Oregon, addressing a documented workforce gap in the state. With 2,500 annual engineering job openings in Oregon and insufficient local graduates to fill them, the new college aims to scale education in bioengineering and other high-demand disciplines without relying on state taxpayer funding.

This donation continues a pattern of large-scale philanthropy from the Knights, who have contributed more than $5 billion to higher education institutions. The gift follows recent major contributions to Oregon Health & Science University and Providence health systems, reinforcing the couple's focus on expanding scientific and medical infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest during a period of proposed federal cuts to research funding.

Timeline

Phil Knight graduated from the University of Oregon in 1959. He earned an MBA from Stanford University in 1962.

The couple gave $2 billion to the Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cancer Institute in 2025. They committed $1.1 billion to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and Providence Heart Institute in Portland on September 17, 2026.

It was reported that the donation was identified as the largest gift in the University of Oregon's history on September 23, 2026.

The donation will be used to establish a new engineering college at the University of Oregon on September 23, 2026. The University of Oregon described the donation as the largest gift ever made to a comprehensive public university on September 23, 2026.

What's New

Later reporting confirmed that Phil and Penny Knight have committed $1 billion—the largest gift ever given to a comprehensive public university—to the University of Oregon, with the intention to establish a college of engineering located at the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. Additional details noted that Phil Knight has a long history of supporting the University of Oregon, including a $27 million donation for the school’s library and a $10 million contribution to its law school.

Records showed that the couple has previously donated $27 million to the University of Oregon's library, $10 million to its law school (named for Phil Knight's father, William W. Knight), and $100 million for the Matthew Knight Arena, named after their late son. The $2 billion gift to OHSU occurred in 2025.

The University of Oregon's Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact was established through two prior gifts of $500 million each from the couple in 2016 and 2021.

Bob Guldberg, a vice president and bioengineering professor at the University of Oregon, has been instrumental in developing the university’s bioengineering programs and has spoken about the potential impact of the new engineering college on Oregon’s workforce. It was reported that the donation was identified as the largest gift in the University of Oregon's history.

How Sources Differ

Regarding Penny Knight, uoregon.edu stated that Phil and Penny Knight have committed $1 billion—the largest gift ever given to a comprehensive public university—to the University of Oregon, with the intention to establish a college of engineering located at the Phil and Penny Knight Campus. University of Oregon financial records stated that the couple donated $100 million to construct the University of Oregon’s basketball arena, which is named in honor of their late son, Matthew Knight.

University of Oregon press release stated that Phil Knight and his wife, Penny Knight, committed a $1 billion donation to the University of Oregon.

University of Oregon athletic records stated that Phil Knight ran track for the University of Oregon under coach Bill Bowerman.

University of Oregon press release stated that the donation will be used to establish a new engineering college at the University of Oregon.

University of Oregon press release stated that the University of Oregon described the donation as the largest gift ever made to a comprehensive public university.

University of Oregon press release stated that the new engineering school will be located at the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact.