Hours before the kickoff against Oklahoma State, head coach Dan Lanning is already celebrating a victory. The Oregon coach appeared on ESPN’s College GameDay, where Pat McAfee offered him a big bet. Lanning took the challenge, won it, and walked away with a promise fulfilled for cancer patients.
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It was the third and final attempt for Dan Lanning, who was standing right there at the 15-yard line when Kirk Herbstreit stepped in to help him with where to plant his foot. In an innovative way to raise money for a cancer foundation, $500,000 was on the line.
“Okay, how about this? $500,000 to a cancer foundation of your choosing. We will donate it if you’re able to hit the crossbar,” said Pat McAfee.
Initially, the throw was supposed to be made from the 10-yard line, but after his first miss, Lanning chose to back it up to the 15. This would mean that he had to make a 25-yard throw in total, factoring in the end zone. Soon later, he’d hit gold.
Herbstreit, McAfee, Nick Saban, and the rest of the ESPN College GameDay studio erupted in applause. When McAfee asked Oregon head coach Dan Lanning where he wanted the money donated, Lanning immediately named his Foundation.
But he wasn’t done. Lanning reached into his own pocket and sweetened the pot.
“Boom! Let’s go!” Lanning said in the same X clip before adding some money from his own pocket. “Sam Day Foundation. Childhood cancer research group. Hey, I’ve got $50K of my own to go with it.”
This wasn’t Lanning’s first time stepping up for the Sam Day Foundation. In a recent Cameo challenge, he set out to raise $50,000 for the foundation. The campaign proved so successful that Lanning not only met his target, but set up a new one at $100,000 for the foundation.
For Lanning, the fight against cancer is deeply personal. His wife, Sauphia, battled osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. She was diagnosed back in 2016, while Dan was an assistant coach at the University of Memphis.
She had to undergo various procedures. Finally, she was declared cancer-free a year later, in 2017. It was an incredibly difficult time for the family. That experience is one reason Lanning has remained deeply committed to raising awareness and funds in the fight against the disease.
In 2024, the Lannings helped create the Ducks’ “Heroes” uniforms, honoring cancer survivors, patients, and the medical professionals still fighting the battle.
The latest $550,000 donation is another addition to a cause Lanning has championed over the last few years. And as he smiles after donating, his team will look to give him another reason to smile against Oklahoma State.