Oregon track star Peyton Bair may redshirt this outdoor season

Peyton Bair has won the last three men's combined-event national championships, making him only the second athlete in collegiate history to accomplish such a feat.

But whether he stretches that streak to four straight titles might come down to a decision made off the track instead of his performance on it.

Oregon coach Jerry Schumacher confirmed April 14 that the Ducks' star decathlete might redshirt this outdoor season to preserve a full season of competition in 2027, when the senior Bair would have both an indoor and outdoor season of eligibility remaining. If he competes for Oregon outdoors this spring, he'll have only an NCAA indoor season remaining for next season.

Coach Bill Bowerman watches track field athletes near McArthur Court in the 1950s.

University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman, standing, center, and seven runners from the track team including Phil Knight, standing second from left, in the 1950s.

A competition running shoe made by Bill Bowerman in the 1960s on a scale showing it weighing in at 107 grams.

Then-University of Oregon head track and field coach Bill Bowerman, left, talks to an unknown athlete during practice at Hayward Field in the late '60s.

Bill Bowerman leads a group on a run in the Eugene south hills in the 1970s.

Bill Bowerman acknowledges the crowd during the 1980 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

Bill Bowerman and some of the waffle irons he used to make shoe treads.

A large portrait of Bill Bowerman rests in a basement of the Miner Building in 2015. The current owners say Nike still pays rent for a room in the basement where it used to press shoes.

Bill Bowerman on his ranch in Eastern Oregon in the 1970s.

A larger-than-life bronze of Steve Prefontaine overlooks Lake Nike in the Prefontaine Hall on the Nike Campus in Beaverton in 2018.

A display of Steve Prefontaine memorabilia from his days as a runner at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay on display in the Prefontaine Hall on the Nike Campus in Beaverton in 2018.

A display of Steve Prefontaine memorabilia from his days as a runner at Oregon on display in the Prefontaine Hall on the Nike Campus in Beaverton in 2018.

A display of Steve Prefontaine memorabilia from the early days of Blue Ribbon/Nike coolaboration on display in the Prefontaine Hall on the Nike Campus in Beaverton in 2018.

Phil Knight looks around the newly expanded Autzen Stadium during a visit to the last scrimmage before the 2002 season.

Nike founder Phil Knight talks about his son Matthew Knight and the building of the basketball arena named in his memory on opening night for the Matthew Knight Arena Jan. 13, 2011.

The Pit Crew wishes Phil Knight a happy birthday in 2014.

A copy of Bill Bowerman's practice notes for Bill Dellinger from 1956.

The artwork on the seating area of the new Hayward Field track and field venue, seen during construction in 2020, found inspiration in the practice notes that former Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman kept on his runners.

The entry to Hayward Hall features a quote by Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman on a wall made from bleacher boards from the old Hayward Field in 2021.

Phil Knight watches the USA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene from a suite overlooking the finish line Friday, June 24, 2022.

Fans fill the stands for the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Friday, July 22, 2022.

Phil Knight on the Nike Campus in Beaverton with a room sized image of Bill Bowerman in 2018.

Nike shoe collector Jordan Geller holds a custom pair of running shoes made by Bill Bowerman in 1968 for Oregon steeplechaser Bill Norris.

Artifacts collected by Nike shoe collector Jordan Geller include a custom pair of running shoes made by Bill Bowerman in 1968 for Oregon steeplechaser Bill Norris join other memorabilia at Hayward Hall in Eugene.

The Bill Bowerman Trophy on display at Hayward Hall in Eugene March 7, 2026.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Coach Bill Bowerman watches track field athletes near McArthur Court in the 1950s.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Coach Bill Bowerman watches track field athletes near McArthur Court in the 1950s.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman, standing, center, and seven runners from the track team including Phil Knight, standing second from left, in the 1950s.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

A competition running shoe made by Bill Bowerman in the 1960s on a scale showing it weighing in at 107 grams.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Then-University of Oregon head track and field coach Bill Bowerman, left, talks to an unknown athlete during practice at Hayward Field in the late '60s.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Bill Bowerman leads a group on a run in the Eugene south hills in the 1970s.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Bill Bowerman acknowledges the crowd during the 1980 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Bill Bowerman and some of the waffle irons he used to make shoe treads.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

A large portrait of Bill Bowerman rests in a basement of the Miner Building in 2015. The current owners say Nike still pays rent for a room in the basement where it used to press shoes.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Bill Bowerman on his ranch in Eastern Oregon in the 1970s.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

A larger-than-life bronze of Steve Prefontaine overlooks Lake Nike in the Prefontaine Hall on the Nike Campus in Beaverton in 2018.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

A display of Steve Prefontaine memorabilia from his days as a runner at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay on display in the Prefontaine Hall on the Nike Campus in Beaverton in 2018.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

A display of Steve Prefontaine memorabilia from his days as a runner at Oregon on display in the Prefontaine Hall on the Nike Campus in Beaverton in 2018.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

A display of Steve Prefontaine memorabilia from the early days of Blue Ribbon/Nike coolaboration on display in the Prefontaine Hall on the Nike Campus in Beaverton in 2018.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Phil Knight looks around the newly expanded Autzen Stadium during a visit to the last scrimmage before the 2002 season.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Nike founder Phil Knight talks about his son Matthew Knight and the building of the basketball arena named in his memory on opening night for the Matthew Knight Arena Jan. 13, 2011.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

The Pit Crew wishes Phil Knight a happy birthday in 2014.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

A copy of Bill Bowerman's practice notes for Bill Dellinger from 1956.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

The artwork on the seating area of the new Hayward Field track and field venue, seen during construction in 2020, found inspiration in the practice notes that former Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman kept on his runners.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

The entry to Hayward Hall features a quote by Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman on a wall made from bleacher boards from the old Hayward Field in 2021.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Phil Knight watches the USA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene from a suite overlooking the finish line Friday, June 24, 2022.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Fans fill the stands for the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Friday, July 22, 2022.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Phil Knight on the Nike Campus in Beaverton with a room sized image of Bill Bowerman in 2018.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Nike shoe collector Jordan Geller holds a custom pair of running shoes made by Bill Bowerman in 1968 for Oregon steeplechaser Bill Norris.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

Artifacts collected by Nike shoe collector Jordan Geller include a custom pair of running shoes made by Bill Bowerman in 1968 for Oregon steeplechaser Bill Norris join other memorabilia at Hayward Hall in Eugene.

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Photos tell the story of Nike, an iconic American brand

The Bill Bowerman Trophy on display at Hayward Hall in Eugene March 7, 2026.

"'So, we're trying to make that decision right now," Schumacher said. "Redshirt, not redshirt?"

Bair is not entered in the Oregon Team Invitational taking place April 17-18 at Hayward Field, the first home meet of the season for the Ducks.

Bair swept the NCAA indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon titles in 2025 while at Mississippi State. He transferred to Oregon last summer and went on to repeat as NCAA indoor heptathlon in March, when he broke Ashton Eaton's school record with a 6,503-point performance.

Eaton is the only athlete with more consecutive NCAA combined-event titles than Bair. The former decathlon world-record-holder won five straight between 2008-10 — two in the heptathlon and three in the decathlon.

Schumacher said the season-ending injury suffered by Oregon men's discus world-record holder Mykolas Alekna last month is playing a role in the conversation about Bair's possible redshirt.

Alekna tore his pectoral muscle last month and needed surgery to repair the injury, delivering a blow to the Ducks' chances of contending for a team title when the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships come to Hayward Field in June.

"The ultimate goal is to win a national championship, and national championships are hard to win," Schumacher said. "Obviously the loss of points (due to Alekna's absence) mean's we're looking at our board and trying to figure out what is best."

Oregon's Peyton Bair competes in the heptathlon 60-meter hurdles March 14 during the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Arkansas. Bair has won three straight combined-event national titles but might take a redshirt for the outdoor season this spring.

Getting a healthy Alekna back on a team with a motivated Bair coming off a redshirt would make the Ducks immediate contenders in 2027.

Of course, Alekna, a senior from Lithuania, has not announced his intentions for next year nor publicly expressed any desire to take a medical redshirt and compete collegiately again in 2027.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed," Schumacher said. "He's obviously a superstar on the world level as well, so he's got a lot of options and opportunities. But we'd love to have him come back next year. He likes it here ... him and (Oregon throws coach Brian Blutreich) have a great relationship, so yeah, we're gonna keep our fingers crossed."

Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: 3-time NCAA champ Peyton Bair may redshirt Oregon's outdoor season