random facts, tidbits, articles and most importantly my thoughts about things that i find while aimlessly surfing the web...
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Architecture, College Football, Baseball, Hockey, March Madness, The Economy, Corporate Corruption, Incomptent Leadership, Tulane, Atlanta, Florida, etc.
|
|
|
|
travacado's thoughts
or at least "others'" thoughts that I find interesting...
|
|
| |
Friday, May 30, 2003
Vote on TU athletics postponed
NEW ORLEANS -- A decision on the future of Tulane athletics was postponed to June 10 after the eight-member ad hoc committee briefed the full Board of Tulane on Thursday.
"Money is obviously a concern; a win-at-all-costs approach is incompatible with any academic institution," Board chair John Koerner said after the meeting. "We understand the importance of academics in the community and are sensitive to that. We want to make the best decision for everyone.
"This is a very sensitive matter that has the potential to affect the future of Tulane University for years to come," Koerner said. "The board needs more time to study this very complex matter. We want to make sure we have learned all we can before we draw any final conclusions to ensure that we make a decision that is in the best long-term interest of everyone at the university."
The committee's responsibility is to recommend one of the following options to the full board:
Maintain Tulane's status in NCAA Division I-A in a manner that reduces the athletic department's multi-million-dollar annual deficit;
Drop to the less expensive NCAA Division III in football and remain I-A in all other sports;
Drop football and remain I-A in all other sports;
Drop athletics altogether.
"Any decision of this complexity must be made after much deliberation and consideration from all perspectives," Tulane president Scott Cowen said in a statement released by the school.
The committee has spent six months reviewing the Tulane athletics program and debating what direction it should take in the future. The committee has failed to reach a consensus as the disposition of the football program has become the central issue.
Athletic director Rick Dickson, who launched a "Think Green" ticket-selling and fund-raising campaign May 2, said he is encouraged by the response and will intensify the effort through June 10.
"We're still alive and kicking," Dickson said at an afternoon news conference. "We're winded, but we're getting our second wind.
"What I've found in the last few weeks is what I expected when I came here -- that there's a real passion for Tulane and Tulane athletics that had been very dormant for a lot of years and decades."
Dickson released figures on five-year commitments the department has received since May 2. In that time the campaign has yielded: 1,555 football season tickets, 103 season tickets for women's athletics, 100 "business plan" ticket packages, 90 men's basketball season tickets, 66 baseball season tickets and $881,000 in donations to the Tulane Athletics Fund.
Dickson also received commitments that pushed the athletics department's endowment to $13.5 million, $1.5 million more than the goal for 2003-2004.
Dickson returned to New Orleans early Thursday morning after spending three days in the Northeast securing commitments from Tulane alumni.
"We don't have to be Big Ten, Pac 10, Big XII, SEC level resources to fulfill our niche and our mission," Dickson said. "But we do have to have what's representative of I-A and I'm totally convinced that this institution and its constituents can provide that."
Dickson, who made a presentation to the committee last week on his goals for making Tulane more financially viable in I-A, said the university must take the time to make the right decision.
"I think maybe in hindsight when we do get through this we'll look back and say this was the defining moment for Tulane athletics." (By Les East, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate)
TIDAL 9:42 PM
Tulane delays decision on athletics
Board vote likely to come June 10
The Tulane Board of Trustees on Thursday deferred a decision on the fate of Green Wave athletics until June 10, saying its members need more time to digest all the information.
"There's a lot of information to chew on," said John Koerner, board chairman.
After two days of meetings, the ad hoc committee formed to analyze Tulane's position in college athletics did not make a recommendation to the full board. However, the committee presented its findings, showing the pros and cons of staying in Division I, dropping the football program, or moving all sports to Division III.
But the board said it needs more time, and scheduled another meeting on the issue for June 10.
"This is a very serious, significant decision for the institution," said Tulane president Scott Cowen, who also has a vote on the board. "There were 20 board members or so that came to the conversations (Wednesday) night and (Thursday) who really just got thoroughly briefed on everything. They need some time to digest what they heard, sort through their own thoughts about it."
The full board "really heard the information presented and discussed for the first time (Wednesday) night. To turn around and make a life-lasting, historic decision in a 24-hour period is probably unreasonable," said Tulane athletic director Rick Dickson, who has been continually traveling the country on a fund-raising mission. "You go back and forth here. You want to end the difficulty as quickly as possible, but you can't get sidetracked by the fact that we've got to stay focused that the right decision is made. So it's understandable. And I'm encouraged to hear a decision is going to be made shortly."
Tulane athletics, while enjoying recent success on the field in many sports, faces financial woes, with an annual cash deficit that runs about $7 million, Tulane officials said. The financial burden athletics poses to the university is inescapable as college sports becomes more competitive without significant financial backing.
The athletic department is confident its recently launched "Think Green" campaign will boost fund raising and ticket sales enough to reduce the annual deficit to $2 million, which Cowen has said the university could handle.
"I'm very confident we presented a plan that allows us to do that," Dickson said.
The board will analyze the range of options over the next 12 days. The athletic department will continue to raise money and sell tickets in an effort to show the board its campaign is producing results.
Dickson, who on May 5 dubbed the drive a "call to action" for Tulane supporters, has labeled the next few weeks his "call to action, the sequel."
Dickson said Tulane has seen a tremendous response in ticket sales since early May, with season-ticket revenue up 30 percent compared with last year's total. In the past month, Tulane has sold 1,814 new season tickets, 1,555 of them in football.
Last season Tulane sold 8,222 season tickets for all sports, 5,277 for football. Not all of last year's football season tickets have been renewed, Tulane officials said, so it's not possible to compare overall numbers, Dickson said. The "Think Green" campaign set a goal of 11,000 football season tickets sold for the 2003 season, with an additional goal of 5,000 season tickets sold for other sports.
Dickson said for the fiscal year, Tulane athletics has exceeded its goal of $10 million for its endowment, which stands at $13.5 million.
But Dickson stressed, "I only receive back five or six cents on the dollar for endowment when you receive the interest, and today's interest is 5, 6 percent. . . . I've already surpassed what we said was next year's goal. Probably by the end of the week, we'll be at the five-year goal. . . . I want to turn the attention back to the tickets and the Tulane Athletic Fund, because we receive 100 percent of every dollar there."
Of the surge in overall support, women's basketball coach Lisa Stockton said, "What we've been able to do in 20 days has been really amazing." (By Benjamin Hochman, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune)
TIDAL 6:21 AM
Thursday, May 29, 2003
The Role of Intercollegiate Athletics at Tulane University
Board Postpones Decision on Tulane University Athletics Program
May 29, 2003
The Board of Tulane today received a briefing from a special Ad Hoc committee established to review the university's athletics department and agreed to defer its decision.
The board will reconvene to make a decision at a special meeting to be held on June 10.
Today's committee report to the Tulane Board comes after an intensive six- month review of the university's athletics program by the committee. The athletics review is the conclusion of a process started five years ago by President Scott Cowen to develop an institutional vision and academic plan for the future of Tulane University.
The review has included public forums as well as discussions of the role of athletics at Tulane by the Board of Tulane and the university's senior administrative leadership, including leadership in the Department of Athletics.
"This is a very sensitive matter that has the potential to affect the future of Tulane University for years to come. The board needs more time to study this very complex matter. We want to make sure we have learned all we can before we draw any final conclusions to ensure that we make a decision that is in the best long-term interest of everyone at the university," Board Chair John Koerner said.
Cowen also said the delay is necessary. "Any decision of this complexity must be made after much deliberation and consideration from all perspectives."
In its review of the athletics department, the Ad Hoc committee's central question is: Given the changing landscape of Division I-A intercollegiate athletics and the academic mission, goals and resources of Tulane University, what type of intercollegiate program is in the best long-term interests of the university?
The eight members of the Ad Hoc committee are Phillip Greer (chair), William Goldring, Linda S. Wilson, Douglas J. Hertz, James W. Wilson Jr., William A. Slatten, James M Lapeyre Jr. and James J. Reiss Jr.
The committee will continue to review feedback from the community, which is being collected by email and from a special athletics comment line (1-877-862-8020 or 862-8020). A special website has been established which includes background information, comments collected via e-mail and the transcripts from two public meetings.
As developments occur, information will be posted on http://feedback.tulane.edu
Tulane Delays Decision on Athletics Dept.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Tulane has postponed its decision on the future of the school's athletic department.
The university's board, which had been expected to announce its decision Thursday, said it will decide on June 10 if the Green Wave should remain in NCAA Division I-A, drop to a lower-budget program in Division III or drop football and remain in Division I-A in other sports.
Chairman John Koerner said he wanted the board members to have time to consider all the options. He said he also wants a majority of the members to support any decision that is made.
Tulane athletics loses about $7 million a year and spends another $7 million a year on athletic scholarships. However, Tulane president Scott Cowen said the decision involves more than money.
``It's about where we want to be as a university 10 or 20 years from now,'' Cowen said.
The athletics review is the final part of a school-wide assessment that began five years ago to determine how each department could best meet the university's overall plan.
Opinions have been strong -- and mixed -- about what should be done to the school's athletic program. Cowen said the school has received more than 13,000 e-mails, phone calls and letters about possible changes.
Tulane's 100-year-old athletic department is coming off one of its most successful years.
The football team finished 8-5 and beat Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl. The men's tennis and women's golf teams were in NCAA regionals. The baseball team is playing in the NCAA tournament this week. The women's basketball team went to the NCAA tournament for the ninth straight year.
An effort to increase season ticket sales and financial support intensified this spring. Athletic director Rick Dickson set five-year goals of 15,000 season tickets for football, 2,500 for men's basketball and 2,000 for women's basketball.
The school has not released sales figures, but Dickson said endowments are up and football season ticket sales are up 25 percent compared to last year at this time.
The board is also studying the cost of making changes. Coaches and athletes with scholarships should not worry, Cowen said.
``If a decision is ever made that affects the student-athletes here, we would honor our promises to both them and the coaches,'' Cowen said.
Tulane will not make changes this year, said Cowen, who stressed that scrapping athletics altogether is out of the question.
``Whatever option we should approve, we will never get out of intercollegiate athletics,'' Cowen said. (By The Associated Press courtesy of The New York Times)
TIDAL 10:44 PM
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Riverwalk revival: Mavs rally to stay alive
Dallas outscores Spurs, 29-10, in fourth quarter to extend series
SAN ANTONIO – This Mavericks season has been a lot of things. On Tuesday night, it was like a James Bond movie.
Die Another Day, to be exact.
Rescuing themselves from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter, the Mavericks pulled out one of the most gutsy and unlikely victories in franchise history as they dominated the San Antonio Spurs in the fourth quarter for a 103-91 victory at the SBC Center.
Michael Finley led a courageous comeback that started in the third quarter and hit a crescendo with a sensational fourth quarter at both ends of the floor. The Spurs shot 3-of-17 in the fourth quarter, when the Mavericks outscored them, 29-10.
"It was one of those games you hope for," coach Don Nelson said. "We got a little hot and they went a little cold."
That was an understatement. The Mavericks did everything right in forcing Game 6 Thursday night at American Airlines Center. They still trail the best-of-7 Western Conference finals, 3-2. But with Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Bradley missing their second consecutive game, it was an outrageous show of heart.
They got 31 points from Finley and 21 from Nick Van Exel. But there were strong showings all over. Eduardo Najera came off the bench with 11 points and eight rebounds.
The Spurs got 23 points from Tim Duncan, but this was all about the Mavericks stepping up. (By Eddie Sefko, The Dallas Morning News) View the entire article
Thank goodness for my girl's favorite player Michael Finley stepping up last night! That gives us one more chance to enjoy Ms. Jennifer Swift and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks Dancers! See the Mavs Dancers featured on 20/20
TIDAL 7:43 PM
Saturday, May 24, 2003
Tulane AD pleads case to committee
Tulane athletic director Rick Dickson made a three-hour presentation to an ad hoc committee of Tulane's Board of Trustees on Thursday, explaining his reasoning for keeping the financially struggling athletics program in Division I.
Committee member James Reiss said that Dickson's presentation was "terrific," and that the committee could have a proposal ready for the full board by its scheduled meeting May 28 and 29, contrary to the committee's postponement announced four days ago.
"We thought he made a great presentation, and there may be a possibility that we'll make a decision next week," Reiss said. "We still have our options open. . . . It's still under discussion."
In attendance at Tulane's Gibson Hall were seven of the eight members of the committee -- local members Reiss, Bill Goldring, James Lapeyre and Billy Slatten, as well as Philip Greer of San Francisco, Calif., James Wilson of Montgomery, Ala., and Linda Wilson of Walpole, Maine. Doug Hertz of Atlanta, Ga., was present via conference call. Also in attendance was Yvette Jones, Tulane's senior vice president for external affairs.
The committee, chaired by Greer, is analyzing the role of Tulane in Division I athletics. The committee could recommend to the full board that Tulane drop to a more financially feasible Division III, or drop its football program and remain in Division I in other sports. It also could decide to maintain the status quo.
At the presentation, Dickson explained why no changes should be made to the athletic program, and answered questions from committee members. Dickson elaborated on his goals to double season-ticket sales and the Tulane Athletic Fund by next year, in addition to building a larger fan base in the region.
"Today was my opportunity to make our case," Dickson said, sporting an olive green and sky blue tie. "A lot of the work and study they've done over the last several months was focused on the national landscape and the industry itself, so today was specifically Tulane and our program. And I feel good about being able to make that case. . . .
"They were certainly receptive, attentive, and had many questions. I feel very good -- as good as one can in a three-hour presentation. I think all in all we were able to make our case, and I feel very good about it."
School officials say Tulane loses close to $7 million annually and is unable to profit from the lucrative BCS. But the school has been increasingly successful this year on the playing field. In 2002-03, Tulane won a football bowl game and sent numerous teams to postseason play.
But with low fan support, notably at football games, and a desperate need for an increase in donations, Tulane faces a tough challenge.
"I think . . . the committee, full board, everyone, believes we are the right model," Dickson said. "Certainly we understand . . . Tulane has to increase its level of support. And I hope this will serve as a wakeup call to all that it is the case." (By Benjamin Hochman, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune)
Wave will thrive well if review isn't long
There is a lively heartbeat, just you wait and see.
In the end, there will be a future for Tulane athletics.
In the end, there will be no hand-wringing, no downsizing to Division III.
In the end, Green Wave athletics will be much the better for having faced -- and withstood -- the scrutiny of a stern university review.
I say this based on two things. One is an observation. The other is a qualification.
The observation first, while putting aside for a moment the lack of attendance and support at Tulane sporting events, which is as obvious as it is abominable.
There simply is too much good going on in the Green Wave athletic department to ignore. In that sense the Green Wave is healthier now than perhaps any time in its 113-year history in intercollegiate sports.
Tulane is graduating its athletes at the astonishing rate of 78 percent. The grade-point average among its athletes is an enviable 3.01. Therefore the university is enriching the learning experience of its young people. That makes Tulane a beacon of academic light in what has become a cesspool of higher education, as far as big-time athletics are concerned.
What's more, the Green Wave is achieving on the field as well as in the classroom. Thirteen of its 14 programs produced winning records in the 2002-2003 school year.
The football team is building momentum under head coach Chris Scelfo, thanks to two winning seasons in its past four, culminating in that memorable victory in the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas night. His record over the past four years is quite an accomplishment, considering the Green Wave has enjoyed just nine winning seasons in its past 42.
The baseball team is firmly established as a consistent contender in Conference USA and beyond. The men's and the women's tennis teams qualified for the NCAA tournament. Ditto the women's golf team.
Get the picture?
It is bright. Again, except for the attendance blight.
That blight is being addressed with the "Think Green" drive aimed at reducing the sizable financial drain athletics has become on university coffers. While short-term goals are modest, there is no denying reports of response for increased support have been extremely favorable. Tulane is reconnecting with its widespread alumni base as well as the citizens of New Orleans.
Now here's the qualification: Provided the end of the review is near.
Monday the university's ad hoc committee said it planned to postpone making its final recommendation on athletics to the board of trustees, which it initially was set to do at a May 28-29 meeting. But Athletic Director Rick Dickson's presentation Thursday may have put the committee back on track to go ahead and make a decision. That should be welcome news.
While I am in no way suggesting a rush to final judgment, any dragging of feet in this matter will retard the across-the-board progress made by Tulane's 14 athletics programs, at least for the short term. That, in turn, could stifle the necessary spike in support. Anyone who thinks otherwise simply does not understand the inner workings of college recruiting.
Here's what happened immediately after word leaked about a possible plummet into the scholarship-less world of Division III.
It put a serious damper on enthusiasm and momentum built by the successes of the season. It had Tulane coaches rushing hither and yon in an effort to extinguish brush fires throughout their programs. They had to answer athletes' questions about the possibility of transferring. They had to re-recruit their freshmen and sophomores. And they really had to work hard to convince incoming freshmen -- as well as the parents of incoming freshmen -- that there was no reason for widespread panic.
Should the deliberations over Tulane athletics' fate continue into September, the Green Wave can kiss goodbye the prospects of a solid recruiting season.
That's because of opponents. Develop a hangnail and the opposition will no doubt put concern about Tulane's fiscal health in the minds of recruits. So think of how a possible drop to Division III can -- and will -- be used against the Green Wave.
Here's what a Division I football coach told me this week: "If I was recruiting against Tulane, it would not get a player I wanted."
That's as good a reason as any for the ad hoc committee to put in a little overtime and reach the conclusion -- at next week's meeting -- that status quo is the way to go. (By Dave Lagarde, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune)
Please finish this thing next Thursday! I cannot go through this until September...
TIDAL 8:04 PM
Saturday, May 17, 2003
The Role of Intercollegiate Athletics at Tulane University
A Message from President Scott Cowen -- May 14, 2003
We have now completed two public briefings (Friday, May 9 and Monday, May 12) on the topic of athletics. Hundreds of people took the time to come and share their thoughts with us. I was especially gratified by the large number of students who attended the sessions, particularly the one Monday night. The feedback from the meetings, combined with the input we have gotten from your e-mails, phone calls and letters, are of great assistance to those of us involved in the review process.
The transcript of the Friday meeting is posted on this website. The transcript from Monday is being prepared and will be posted in a day or two. I encourage those interested in the topic to review the transcripts.
Let me emphasize and clarify some important points I made in my opening remarks at the briefing sessions.
We will announce when the board is ready to make its decision.
An intercollegiate athletics program will exist at the university under all options being discussed. The board has never entertained an option to eliminate intercollegiate athletics altogether at the university.
The board is guided in its decision-making process by what is in the best long-term interests of the university, i.e., academically, financially and in terms of community building; understanding that reasonable people may have differences of opinion on what is best for the university. This is why the board, which represents all of the university’s constituencies and has a fiduciary responsibility, is the most appropriate group to make decisions of this kind.
As I am sure you will all understand, this has been a difficult process for everyone concerned--our alumni, our friends in the community, the athletics department, the board and the administration. But, it is an absolutely essential process to go through as we continue to build this university.
When other new developments regarding this important topic occur, I will provide more updates.
Tell Us What You Think
If you would like to share your comments, opinions or questions about intercollegiate athletics at Tulane University with us, write to feedback@tulane.edu or call (504) 862-8020 (toll-free 1-888-862-8020) and leave a message.
Tulane alumni and fans donating to drive
Response to campaign encourages organizers
The Tulane athletics program is not going down without a fight.
Newspaper, radio and television advertisements, billboards, yard signs and stickers remind fans to "think green." About 32,000 e-mails and 40,000 direct mail pieces have done the same, urging supporters and alumni to not only think green, but donate green.
The athletic department has been receiving millions of dollars each year in school subsidies while competing in Division I. An ad hoc committee of the board of trustees is considering dropping the Green Wave to more affordable Division III. That committee could make a recommendation to the board at its May 28-29 meeting.
Meanwhile, the athletic department is using various tactics to boost donations and ticket sales, which could make it more feasible for the Green Wave to stay in Division I.
The response has been encouraging.
Tulane has received hefty donations from numerous corporations, for which it can use to buy bulk season tickets for any sport. Tulane has sold about 1,050 new football season tickets -- up 20 percent from last year's total of 5,277 -- and season tickets across the board are up 15 percent.
On May 6, Tulane announced the 5,277 season tickets sold for football last season. The goal is to have 11,000 sold by the end of next season. Not all of the 5,277 tickets have been renewed.
Also, the Tulane Athletic Fund is up 17 percent from this point last year.
"This is a great start, but we still have a significant way to go to reach our goals," Dickson said.
"From our fan base locally, from alumni to current season-ticket holders and donors, and even further, we've had a good response," said Associate Athletic Director Scott Sidwell, who oversees marketing and ticket sales.
"It's kind of like when you're a kid at a baseball game and you start to clap," Sidwell said. "One person starts clapping, and the next thing you know the whole stadium's clapping. That's what we're doing. We're standing up and we're clapping. The next thing you know, the whole city of New Orleans is going to be clapping, and we're going to raise the level of support for this program through tickets and donations."
Every night next week, Cox Sports Television is airing "Green Team Week," with special programming of recent Wave sports highlights, including the 2002 ConAgra Foods Hawaii Bowl and the 1998 Liberty Bowl. During breaks, Tulane coaches, student-athletes and former student-athletes will ask fans to "join the green team." Operators will be standing by to take calls of donations.
"It will be like a telethon," Sidwell said.
In the past month, Tulane supporters have responded in different ways. Nearly 1,100 supporting e-mails have been sent to talk@tulane.edu.
On Thursday, the City Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution in support of the program.
And at two public forums, alumni and students have aired their concerns for University president Scott Cowen.
Several students and alumni said Division I sports make Tulane more prominent than similar academic institutions such as Emory and Washington University. Student Julia Mott asked: "Who won the Division III national football championship last year?"
Cowen knew the answer (Mount Union), but said, "I just happen to be a sports buff, so I know that."
Alumni such as David Browning and Tim Scandurro spoke about the importance of Division I athletics for the next generation. And student Kelley Bagayoko said being in Division I helps diversify the student body.
Numerous members of the ad hoc committee have said they are pleased to see the outpouring of support. Committee member James Lapeyre was at Monday's forum.
But is the support too little too late?
"I'm just terribly heartened by the outpouring of support the people both within the university and the community have shown for the athletic program," said Gary Roberts, deputy dean of law and faculty athletics representative. "It's touching in many ways. Whether or not it will be sufficient to deal with a very deep-seeded, structural problem that involves millions and millions of dollars -- every single year -- is one that I just don't know about."
The supporters of Division I athletics plan to keep fighting.
"Don't ever tell a coach they're not going to win," women's golf coach Sue Bower said. "I'm not giving up hope."
Athletic Director Rick Dickson will appear before the ad hoc committee at its May 22 meeting. (By Benjamin Hochman, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune)
C-USA officials mulling Tulane exodus
League gauges effect; some skeptical of drive
Tulane athletic director Rick Dickson listened attentively as NCAA president Myles Brand talked to Conference USA's top administrators during the league's spring meeting earlier this week in Destin, Fla.
Brand was extolling the virtues of academic reform, institutional control and putting college athletics in its proper role.
And when he had finished, Dickson pointed out to Brand and the rest of the group just how proud he was to represent a program, albeit an embattled one, that was meeting every one of those standards.
But later, when asked about the upcoming vote by Tulane's board of trustees that could result in Green Wave athletics being reduced to Division III status, Brand didn't endorse Tulane remaining in I-A.
"Tulane is facing up to some hard decisions they have to make based on financial considerations," he said. "I don't know and I don't think they know which direction they'll go in, but I give them a lot of credit, and particularly President (Scott) Cowen for raising the issue by addressing what it costs to run the athletic program and comparing the priority with other priorities he has on campus.
"Each institution has to decide how much of its funds it wants to invest in athletics. Tulane is making a policy judgment between whether they want an athletic program of a certain kind or to make more of an investment into its academic program."
So it went during the meetings. While Dickson's fellow C-USA athletic directors and other officials offered words of support, many of their public comments spoke more of Tulane's athletic past than its future, and some of their private comments took on a less positive note.
"That's bad, really bad," one athletic director said of Cowen's public neutrality. "That's the one person you really need out there on your side. It could make all the difference."
A faculty athletic representative at another school added, "Tulane has never done a good job with athletic fund raising. Now they're trying to come up with some really big commitments in a short period of time. I just don't think they can do it."
Cincinnati athletic director Bob Goin said he hopes the Tulane board of directors takes the school's 110-year athletic history into strong consideration.
"There's a lot of shifting sands out there and everybody's struggling to pay the bills," he said. "I've got my fingers crossed that they will get this behind them and be able to move forward."
But some had more optimistic views.
"I think that after all the presentations have been made the board and the president will see fit to continue the program at Tulane and really support it," said DePaul athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto. "There's so much attention in our business about generating revenue or at least breaking even, and that's not what it should be about."
"Well, there are departments that generate money and some that operate for the greater good. I've seen that Tulane's deficit is about $5 million. I don't think that's that significant."
Southern Miss football coach Jeff Bower said that losing Tulane would be "a blow to the league."
"We need them in this league, and it's especially important to us because we're natural rivals," he said. "Tulane also is an important part of the future of this conference."
For Tulane to go from I-A to Division III in one fell swoop would be unprecedented in modern times. Nothing similar has occurred since Carnegie Tech chose not to restore its programs to what was then called major college status after a three-year World War II hiatus. Sewanee and Chicago leaving, respectively, the SEC and Big Ten in 1940 are the only truly relevant examples.
And not in recent memory has a school even publicly come to such a fork in the road.
"It's very disturbing," said Charlotte athletic director Judy Rose. "It's all being driven by economics and these days athletic departments are being regarded as needing to be on a self-sustaining basis, but we know it means more than that."
C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky praised the job Dickson has done in his three years at Tulane and at the effort he is leading to attempt to save the program.
"Rick Dickson is a great leader and a great asset to this league," Banowsky said. "Tulane, like any institution, is going through a period of reflection from an organizational perspective, and we'll see how that develops. But they have to have great confidence in their leadership and this could result in a positive and healthy thing."
Banowsky said he had been in close contact with Cowen and Dickson over the past few weeks, but did not see it as his role to intercede with the board.
"Scott Cowen has a really good grasp of college athletics," he said. "At the end of the day, I have every confidence that he has the best interests of the university at heart."
Dickson, who left the four-day meeting early to resume his fund-raising efforts, said he was buoyed by the support he's received.
"It's really been overwhelming," he said. "It's good to know that you are considered important to your fellow conference members. They know what kind of program Tulane is and what it represents." (By Ted Lewis, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune)
On Thursday, I received a call from someone in the Tulane athletic department in response to the letter that I sent to Dr. Cowen, AD Dickson and Dean Gatzke. They appreciated my support and asked me in what way would I like to support. I told them that I would like to help financially but that it would take me sevral weeks to come up with the neccessary funds. They worked things out with me and were extremely grateful because I was not a former athlete. So, therfore I am now on the record with my support to Save the Wave! Are you?
Think Green website
TIDAL 5:59 PM
Monday, May 12, 2003
GREEN WAVE, RED INK
Tulane's athletic program is in financial trouble, but AD Dickson aims to show it can stay afloat
Rick Dickson was sitting at local restaurant, his untouched hamburger staring him in the face, when the truth hit him: Tulane athletics, his baby, was in trouble.
For years, the Green Wave had faced hurdle after hurdle, and not just on the field. While fans are focused on victories, Dickson, the athletic director, knew there is one place Tulane consistently loses -- financially. But so much good comes out of the program, he thought. The graduation rate for athletes is 78 percent, and their overall grade-point average is 3.01 -- a level of achievement Dickson said he's never seen in a college program.
Tulane has so many good kids playing sports, how could anything be truly wrong, he thought?
But that evening last summer, Dickson was reminded that green is vital to the Wave. The program, which Tulane President Scott Cowen said is running an annual cash deficit of about $7 million, was about to face scrutiny. Over dinner, Cowen told Dickson that the Board of Trustees, as part of a five-year review of all facets of the university, was about to put athletics under the microscope. The central issue under review would not be the quality of the program, it would be the lack of money to pay for it.
Nine months later, the fate of Tulane athletics is in the hands of the board, which may rule on its future at a May 29 meeting. And the fears of Wave faithful are real -- among the options are dropping football, which is the most costly sport but also the one that comes closest to paying its own way, or converting the entire athletic program to Division III. Any changes would not affect the program for the academic year that begins this fall.
Dickson hopes it never changes. Two weeks before the full board meeting, he'll make a presentation to the board's eight-person ad-hoc committee conducting the study. Dickson's presentation, which one board member called "vital," will be the athletic department's sales pitch of its plans to preserve Division I athletics at Tulane.
It will need to be convincing.
"We're not going to eat that loss," said John Koerner, the chair of the board, about athletics' loss of money. "We've got to get that loss down. I don't care how we do it, whether it's sell more season tickets, whether it's eliminate the program, we are not going to project that loss. You take that loss over 10 years, it's a $60 million (debt). You tell me you're going to want to write a check for $60 million to support the next 10 years of Tulane athletics? Nobody wants to do that. . . . We've got to find a way to either cut expenses or raise revenues, in order to make that loss less, so that we can absorb it some kind of way."
Facing reality
But if Tulane has lost money for years -- and the majority of Division I college programs are running annual deficits -- why change? The answer is best seen in the current state of big-time college athletics, where costs and spending have grown out of control. While Tulane was able to follow the tailwind of the movements of NCAA sports in the past, many currently involved feel if changes aren't made, Tulane and other schools in similar predicaments cannot keep up.
"I think the world of Division I has changed drastically in the last 10 years," Cowen said. "I'd say that's the single biggest factor. There have been trends there that have accelerated in the last decade unlike anything we've seen in prior decades."
There has been the increase of NCAA regulations, such as elevations in the number of athletic teams a Division I program must have (16) and the mandatory actual attendance at home football games (15,000). There's the looming presence of Title IX, which for all it's done positively for women's sports, has forced costly changes to some athletic programs. There's the commercialization of college athletics, which Cowen said is "entertainment-centric. It's a business."
And then there's perhaps the biggest single factor -- the BCS. The Bowl Championship Series, which segregates Notre Dame and 63 schools in the power football conferences from the other 53 Division I football programs, has created haves and have-nots by monopolizing big-bowl money. Of all bowl revenue, about 95 percent of it goes to BCS schools. Tulane competes in Conference USA, which is not a BCS league and does not have a television contract.
"The problem is that we are trying to survive in an environment that makes it almost impossible for schools like Tulane to be able to afford it," said Gary Roberts, Tulane's deputy dean of law and faculty athletics representative. "As I say, the BCS cartel is about to claim its first victim. And I went in front of Congress in 1997 and said this is going to be the death knell of Division I college sports as we know it. . . . Structuring football postseason in a way where (64) schools take all of the benefit and share it, and exclude everybody else, is destined in the long run to shrink Division I-A to (64) schools. I think that's illegal, I think it's an antitrust violation, and I've been saying that for years. And I told Congress, in 10 years, you're going to start seeing schools fall by the wayside. Well, it's now seven years later, and you're about to see the first one fall."
"Tulane just simply can't keep up in the arms race, given the structure of Division I as it currently is."
Despite Tulane's efforts, the deficit keeps building. And Tulane will be adding a sport -- women's swimming -- next year. Moreover, the school expects it will have to devote more money to academic counselors and tutors, because Division I academic eligibility rules are tightening.
"As Tulane looks down the road, all the trends suggest that our expenses are going to continue to skyrocket as the big schools continue to jack up what it costs to be part of Division I," Roberts said. "Now, if we didn't care if our kids graduated, we wouldn't have to do that. But that's the point Tulane refuses -- and I think absolutely correctly -- we refuse to have the program run the wrong way. . . . To do that, you have to invest a lot of money. And the amount that's going to need to be invested is just increasing by leaps and bounds. . . . The board of administrators, with the fiduciary obligation to see that the primary educational mission of the institution is being met, you've got to make some decisions about that."
Competitive success
Meanwhile, a sad irony is that 2002-03 has been one of the most successful seasons for Tulane athletics. Tulane's football team enjoyed its second winning record in the past three seasons and won a bowl game. The baseball team is nationally ranked and poised for a run at the College World Series. The women's golf, as well as men's and women's tennis, advanced to the NCAA regionals. In women's basketball, for the ninth straight year, Tulane went to the NCAA Tournament.
"It's not like we're just flattening out, we're kind of on an rise right now," quarterback J.P. Losman said. "Our football team is only getting better . . . Most guys are taking it like it's unreal. Like they can't see how they can possibly (make changes)."
Dickson is responsible for many of the successes seen on Willow Street during his three years as athletic director. His passion for Tulane is contagious and has kept him, as well as numerous Wave coaches, from accepting other jobs. His innovations and effervescence led Tulane to ventures such as an outdoor homecoming football game at Tad Gormley Stadium, the creation of the "Big Easy Classic," which pitted Tulane against Southern, a men's basketball game against powerhouse Kentucky at New Orleans Arena and the lucrative football home-and-home series with Texas.
"He thinks out of the box," Koerner said.
"I've got great confidence in Rick Dickson," said women's golf coach Sue Bower, Tulane's longest-tenured coach.
Dickson's latest challenge is his most paramount: Get students, alumni and fans to upgrade their support by donating money and buying tickets. Since talk of potential changes to the athletic program surfaced, there has been tremendous response from Tulane faithful via e-mails, phone calls and signed petitions. But those inside Tulane know the support can't only be verbal.
"Unfortunately, a lot of people think they're Tulane fans, but they only go to one game a year," Koerner said. "We need to get those people coming more consistently. . . . Right now, attendance has been kind of crummy."
Ad-hoc committee member Billy Slatten, a lifelong Tulane fan and board member since 1990, said: "Like John Koerner said, what are we doing all this for? If nobody goes to the games, students don't go to the games, why are we losing all this money? It doesn't make any sense."
Last week, Dickson made public the goals he has set, which if accomplished he said would make the Tulane athletic department "solvent," although it still would need a $2 million annual subsidy from the university that Cowen calls "allowable."
The highlights of Dickson's plan include a short-term goal to increase season-ticket sales for the 2003-04 year, as well as a five-year effort that will showcase supporters' solid commitment to the program. For instance, 5,277 football season tickets have been sold. By the end of next season, the goal is to have 11,000 sold. In five years, 15,000. In men's basketball, 842 season tickets have been sold, and Tulane hopes to get that number to 1,500 by 2003-04, and to 2,000 in five years.
"This is very doable," Dickson said. "If we don't do this, maybe we shouldn't be at this level."
Donations also are a crucial element of Dickson's plan. The annual Tulane Athletic Fund had donations of $1.1 million this year, but Dickson wants to increase that to $2.3 million by next season and to $3.5 million in five years.
The athletics endowment is presently at $10 million. Dickson wants it at $12 million in 2003-04 and at $20 million in five years. Dickson said the school uses the first 5 percent of interest earnings each year to help with operating expenses, returning any additional return to the endowment to build the principal.
Dickson and his staff have been rigorously trying to gain financial support of late, traveling around the state and country, as well as spreading word by direct mail and e-mail.
"When the wolf gets at the door, sometimes you have to take drastic actions," Slatten said.
Finding a consensus
Everyone from the quarterback to the president, from the athletic director to the board member, wants what's best for Tulane. But who determines what is "best?" The answer ultimately is the Board of Trustees. Its ad hoc committee, which is working diligently on compiling research and facts on the scope of athletics, is the board's engine. And Dickson will get his chance to rev the engine with his presentation.
While Dickson wouldn't divulge his presentation -- "the group needs to see, hear and react first" -- he did say that "it has to be, and will be, a plan that I believe addresses and accomplishes the charge the committee was given."
The ad hoc committee will take Dickson's presentation very seriously.
"It's totally vital," Slatten said. "If he sells it, he'll get time. If he doesn't sell it, we'll finish next year, and that'll be it. I'd say it's very vital, and it's got to be figures that are doable and believable. It can't be Disney World. . . ."
"I'm an optimist. . . . I really think we'll see what the goals are that Rick set forth, we'll see if that agrees with the board, and they might get one last shot at it. And I think they probably will."
Others feel the financial situation is such a burden that finding a solution to keep Tulane a viable Division I program is almost overwhelming.
"Rick Dickson is trying to come up with one. Let's hope he can," Roberts said. "But it's no easy task. I can't say that I'm optimistic. But I sure hope that he can."
Upon hearing Dickson's presentation, and after all the research and debate ceases, what could the ad hoc committee do?
A variety of things.
"This committee was formed to figure out how to reduce the deficit of athletics and what it will take to move the program forward," said Bill Goldring, a member of the ad hoc committee.
Said Cowen, "I think the options that would seem to be the ones that get the most attention are, one, do nothing but realizing that we would continue to have increasing deficits. Another option would be to continue what we're doing right now, but jettison football. Football is the largest sport and requires the largest amount of resources. We would continue to be Division I, but we would not be I-A. That is certainly a possibility. The only other option that has some viability, when you think about it both academically and financially, is Division III."
In Division III, there are no athletic scholarships. Dickson said an elite Division III program can be run on $5 million a year, compared to $21 million Tulane spends to compete in Division I.
At the May 29 meeting, the ad hoc committee could say it needs more time. Or a pivotal decision could be made.
But a consensus is what many, including Koerner, feel is necessary if a bold move is to be made.
"A board, such as Tulane's, should not work on a tight, one-vote difference," Koerner said. "They should try to build consensus. If you can't build consensus, perhaps you put off the vote for another day."
Overseeing it all is Cowen, the forward-thinking president caught between his passion for the Green Wave's sports teams and his promise to make the university an academic stalwart.
"I understand where people locally who support and love Tulane athletics, as I do, would be upset we would (make changes)," said Cowen, who has a vote on the board. "But if you sit back and look at what's happened generally to intercollegiate athletics, especially the impact it's having on schools in non-BCS conferences, you'll see that everybody has to be thinking about these particular issues. Either that, or prepare to lose millions of dollars every year with no end in sight.
"What I keep focused on all the time is making sure that we follow a process that's really dispassionate, objective and based on facts. And where we reach a conclusion, that is in the best long-term interest of Tulane University, whatever that is, I'll be able to support that decision, and I will personally feel OK about it. . . . When you're president of a university, that comes with the territory that decisions have to be made, and those decisions are linked with you.
"So the thing I have to be guided by, and the board has to be guided by, is being comfortable that we are looking at this at 10,000 feet and not at ground level. And doing what we believe is in the best long-term interest." (By Benjamin Hochman, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune)
TIDAL 8:30 PM
Thursday, May 08, 2003
The Role of Intercollegiate Athletics at Tulane University
A Message from President Scott Cowen -- May 7, 2003
In the two weeks since I first wrote you about the board's review of Tulane Athletics a lot has happened. Before I begin, however, I would like to personally thank all those who we've met with and heard from for their understanding and thoughtful feedback. We have received hundreds of e-mails, phone calls, and letters on this subject. In an effort to share the conversation with everyone, to include as many opinions as possible, and to keep you up-to-date, the university has established a web site at http://feedback.tulane.edu/. This site contains important information that will help increase your awareness of the complexity of this issue.
Here's where we are in the process: the Ad Hoc Committee has yet to finalize its report to the board. When the board completes its review of the Ad Hoc Committee's findings, and all other input we have received, the board and I will publicly discuss the process and outcomes.
In the last few days, Yvette Jones, Senior Vice President for External Affairs, and I have held briefing sessions with several external groups, including the Louisiana Council, the Liberal Arts and Sciences Advisory Board and the Tulane Alumni Association Board, including many of the chapter presidents. Here is a summary of the key points made at those sessions:
Tulane University operates a model Division I-A program in terms of the quality and performance of its student-athletes and teams. Our coaches and staff embrace the academic values of the institution and the role athletics should play at Tulane.
We are exceptionally proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff. On-the-field performance has been impressive; Tulane's student-athletes lead the conference in grades and are among the national leaders in graduation rates.
The timing of this review was envisioned several years ago when the university initiated its comprehensive academic planning process.
This review of athletics must be at the level of the Tulane Board because it is the governing body of the university and the only group who has access to and oversees all aspects of the institution. In its decision-making process, the board represents the long-term interests of all of the university's constituents.
The Ad Hoc Committee of the Board has focused most of its efforts on understanding how the changing requirements (Bowl Championship Series, NCAA regulation, Title IX and the commercialization of intercollegiate athletics) of Division I-A have, and may in the future, impact Tulane's ability to achieve its academic mission and goals given its resources. These changing requirements have resulted in the athletics department's expenses exceeding its revenues by $5 million dollars per year, excluding scholarship costs and an existing allowable subsidy.
Additionally, the economic model driving Division I-A athletics puts Tulane at a disadvantage in comparison to schools such as Duke, Vanderbilt, Stanford, and Northwestern, which belong to conferences affiliated with the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and have more resources, in terms of endowment income, to fund all parts of the university.
A number of academic institutions are currently in a similar situation as Tulane University and need to evaluate their intercollegiate athletics program. In the last few weeks alone, a number of universities have announced similar reviews or have decided upon changes to their athletics programs.
As the university continues this process of review and evaluation, I can assure you that we are looking at every aspect of the situation. This is a sensitive and complex issue that touches all parts of the university. Judging from the correspondence I have received, which I believe represents every possible viewpoint of how Tulane University should proceed, I see how seriously and thoughtfully our community is engaging in this discussion.
In order to hear even more feedback, the university will hold briefings for faculty, staff, students, alumni and other interested parties. We have scheduled two meetings in the Dixon Annex on campus. The first meeting is Friday, May 9th at noon. The second meeting is Monday, May 12th at 5 p.m.
Today, Tulane University is a much stronger academic and nationally known institution than at any time in its history. Yet, athletics is facing conditions, many of which are beyond its control, that are constantly changing. The board and administration's task is to analyze and understand all of these changes and to decide what is in the best long-term interests of Tulane University in the context of its mission and aspirations. This is the ultimate goal we must keep in mind throughout our deliberations.
Tell Us What You Think
If you would like to share your comments, opinions or questions about intercollegiate athletics at Tulane University with us, write to feedback@tulane.edu or call (504) 862-8020 (toll-free 1-888-862-8020) and leave a message.
Public Meetings in Dixon Annex, Uptown Campus
Friday, May 9, noon
Monday, May 12, 5 p.m.
TIDAL 11:15 PM
Saturday, May 03, 2003
FSU looks into sale of items by players
Recent reports and allegations that Florida State football players may be exchanging memorabilia for cash didn't catch athletic department officials by surprise this week.
Compliance officials were already familiar with the rumors that Grady C. Irvin Jr., the St. Petersburg attorney who represents former FSU quarterback Adrian McPherson, made public Wednesday morning outside a Tallahassee courthouse. Irvin said he heard that players received cash for signed memorabilia at R&R Truck and Accessories in Tallahassee. That allegation was followed by a media report Thursday that Collector's Attic Inc., a company that shares at least two corporate officers with R&R, successfully auctioned the ACC championship rings of two players, including current defensive end Willie Jones.
Florida State president T.K. Wetherell said he is interested in what information Irvin may have regarding the R&R allegations. FSU, which is investigating the rumors, has sent a letter to Irvin asking him to provide any information regarding the issue, according to Wetherell.
FSU athletic department officials were criticized by local law enforcement officials for the way they handled gambling allegations regarding McPherson. Wetherell, as the new university president, appears to be hands-on regarding the latest rumors.
"We assume A.D. is telling him all kind of things, so if that's happening, we want to know that, too," Wetherell said. "Then we need to substantiate it or not. That's where we are."
"What (Irvin) is trying to do is move the debate from whether his guy is guilty or not to any other problem. Maybe there is another problem; maybe there isn't. I don't know. It seems to me his issue is defending his client, not casting stones. I think it was more a news conference than a court pleading." (By Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
The Role of Intercollegiate Athletics at Tulane University
A Message from President Scott Cowen -- April 21, 2003
Five years ago, Tulane University began an ambitious university-wide process to develop an institutional vision and academic plan for the future.
After several years of making important progress in all academic areas of the university, it is now time to review the role of intercollegiate athletics at Tulane.
For the last several months, the Board of Tulane and the university's senior administrative leadership, including leadership in the Department of Athletics, have engaged in a broad discussion of the role of athletics on campus. This type of discussion is commonplace within the university, where every school, college, department and center is reviewed periodically. In fact, all of the university's schools and colleges have been reviewed in the past four years.
The board's discussion and study of the university's intercollegiate athletics program have centered on the following strategic question: Given the changing landscape of Division I intercollegiate athletics and the academic mission, goals and resources of Tulane University, what type of intercollegiate athletics program is in the best long-term interests of the university?
In answering this question, the board and senior university leadership are being guided by what course of action most effectively allows the university to fulfill its academic mission and goals.
The board has formed an eight-member committee to help with research and fact-finding. The committee will present its findings to the board on May 29.
Tell Us What You Think
If you would like to share your comments, opinions or questions about intercollegiate athletics at Tulane University with us, write to feedback@tulane.edu or call (504) 862-8020 (toll-free 1-888-862-8020) and leave a message.
Tulane athletics closely watched
Someone once made the shrewd observation that no publicity is bad publicity, a theory that may be proving true at Tulane this week.
Tuesday it was reported that Tulane was examining its options regarding its athletic program, including but not necessarily lowering the program from its current Division I-A status to an undermined level. Undetermined, but definitely with a lower public profile and lower budget.
"I'm an optimist," Tulane athletic director Rick Dickson said. "I don't think that's going to happen."
Dickson has reason for his optimism. By noon Tuesday, he said, the school was receiving calls of tangible support.
"Our ticket office and our Tulane Athletics Fund office started getting calls," Dickson said. " 'Double my donation.' 'Give me more tickets.'
"Maybe it's a jolt in the right direction. Maybe people are beginning to realize that there is some urgency to it."
There is definitely an urgency to Dickson's message. It's why he was in Baton Rouge Wednesday night for the local stop of the Tulane Athletics Fund (yes, it's called TAF, too) Spring Tour. The event, a chance to rub elbows with Tulane's A.D. and coaches like Chris Scelfo (football), Shawn Finney (men's basketball), Lisa Stockton (women's basketball) and others was held, appropriately enough, in The Green Room at the Fox and Hound restaurant and bar.
Tulane is in the midst of one of its most successful athletic years in recent memory. Tulane's football team went 8-5, capping the season with a Christmas Day present of a 36-28 victory over Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl. Tulane's women's basketball team made it to the NCAA Tournament and the men had a winning season. The Green Wave women's golf team has come from the depths to a top 20 national ranking. And Tulane's baseball team is in the thick of the Conference USA title chase and has bid to play host to an NCAA sub-regional and super regional.
If you think having a visible and viable athletic program doesn't count for much, think again. Dickson said he did an interview recently with a reporter from Tulane's student newspaper, a student who told him that he first heard of Tulane and decided to go there because of the Green Wave's 12-0 football season in 1998.
"Athletics is the front porch of a university," Scelfo said. "With our graduation rates and success, I feel we're doing things the right way." (By Scott Rabalais, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate) View the entire article
Division III good fit for Wave
Maybe nothing will come of the study of Tulane's athletic program, other than the conclusion that the program deserves a renewed level of support. But the message sent by gauging the viability of moving some teams down from Division I is that there's trouble.
There's no sense clinging to a Division I label if it carries too much weight. If, financially, it's as burdensome as one must assume it has become to Tulane, more harm than good will result from holding on and delaying the inevitable.
That doesn't mean anyone wants to see the Green Wave move down, perhaps to Division III in football (and let's face it, when there's talk of moving a program down, we're mainly talking football).
The athletic program has had great times as a Division I member. The current year has been prosperous for three of the four major sports -- in football, there was a bowl victory; the women's basketball team made an NCAA Tournament appearance; the baseball team appears headed for a regional.
But at what cost?
No one knows. Publicly, Tulane doesn't share information on its finances, but you needn't be an accountant to figure out this one.
Tulane is a proud university. To grasp that, all you have to do is experience the venom of the faithful few when they feel that a Wave team has been slighted. The study seems to be the equivalent of an admission that, perhaps for some time, this hasn't been working. And that, maybe, drastic steps must be taken to fix it.
"It might sound like a cliché, but you've got to have faith," women's basketball coach Lisa Stockton said.
Stockton, in her ninth year at Tulane, recalls a similar study during her first year, under Athletic Director Kevin White. The result was positive; the value of athletics was reinforced.
"I do believe Tulane has done things right," she said. "We're graduating; we're competing. You have to believe that, because we've done things right, there won't be any changes. I think football is tremendously important to Tulane."
But is it important enough to continue to exist at its current cost and level? And, really, is there a sufficient level of interest in most Tulane programs to make the argument in favor of maintaining the status quo? And will the university really experience an identity crisis if, indeed, the decision is made to vacate Division I?
To call the collective fan support of the major sports minimal is an understatement. (By John DeShazier, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune) View the entire article
Opinion of the Hullabaloo
Tulane deserves its division 1A status
April 25, 2003-- For many Green Wave sports fans, President Cowen's letter to faculty and students confirming rumors about an athletic evaluation was just the latest chapter in the long unhealthy history of Tulane athletics. The purpose of the letter was to temper fears that the athletics programs' Division I-A status was on the chopping block to shave costs off the University's budget. Instead, the letter sent Wave fans banging down the door of President Cowen's office demanding explanations.
The need of the evaluation made little sense, coming at a time when Green Wave athletics is enjoying its biggest upswing in years. Football earned a Bowl bid and its ensuing cash payout; basketball recorded its first winning season in three years. Baseball is a perennial powerhouse, and the Olympic sports routinely battle deep into the C-USA championships. Above all, the average GPA of Green Wave athletics is one of the highest in the nation. Competitively and academically it is one of the soundest Division I-A programs in the nation. Yet with the mere mention of an athletic evaluation, Green Wave fans were up in arms. Why, in this blooming athletic renaissance, are Tulane fans still scared to lose their sports teams?
The administration's penchant for secrecy is one problem. Instead of stating months in advance that the administrative board was going to assess the athletics program, they remained silent. Wave fans eventually caught wind of rumors, allowing their imaginations quickly to run amok. Uncontrolled by the administration, the rumor reached a boiling point. Instead of keeping everything tidy, Cowen was forced to address the situation by sending a "Special Tulane Talk" letter to calm fears. Even after Cowen offered up his vague explanation, questions were still left unanswered. Why wait till now to inform us instead of when the evaluation began? Why weren't alumni sent letters as well? What's the deal with the May 29 Board meeting date for the evaluation to be presented; during a time when students have long since left for the summer? Clearly Cowen and company need do to take a remedial course in healthy public relations.
The main cause of concern though, is the athletics programs' dire financial situation. If the President of Stanford sent a letter to students and alumni stating that the athletics program was in the process of reevaluation, Cardinal fans wouldn't bat an eye. The same goes for other peer institutions Vanderbilt, Northwestern and several other private institutions. All these institutions are financially secured by Bowl Championship Series money and reasonable endowments.
Green Wave sports exist on life support from the University. Every year Tulane antes up a considerable sum to keep the athletics program up and running. Presumably, at any moment the school could pull the plug and Tulane athletics would cease to exist.
In order to continue as a healthy Division I-A program, the Athletic Department must wean itself from the administration. Athletic Director Rick Dickson has done an admirable job so far trying to make the athletic self-sufficient. He created the Tulane Athletic Fund, an endowment that has collected over $10 million. The football program has booked large regional teams such as the Texas Longhorns, which bring in big paydays. The big events such as men's basketball versus Kentucky and baseball games against LSU have been promoted heavily. Special food and give away promotions have brought out the students as well.
The next step is to bolster regional support. One of Tulane's biggest drawbacks is that most of its alumni live outside Louisiana. In order to fill stands with paying customers, Dickson and his crew must promote the program regionally. The team must represent not only Tulane, but also the city of New Orleans. Children from Uptown to Metairie to the Ninth Ward should want to watch and play for Tulane athletics. Also, give alumni more concrete goals to attain with ticket sales and attendance. Make them know that the Green Wave constantly needs its help. Growth in ticket sales, regional promotion, and alumni giving would all work toward the ultimate goal of self sufficiently.
Division I-A athletics prove that your school is in the big time, yet for some reason certain factions at Tulane continue to treat the program like a parasite. Rick Dickson and his program are on the right track, and with a full student and faculty body backing the department there is no limit to the programs, growth potential. The administration has only one choice: Commit to Division I-A athletics, help nurture the program to self-sufficiency and above all, be honest with the Green Wave fans. They'll appreciate it. (Tulane Hullabaloo editorial)
This has been a bad week in the sports world for one travacado. The hometown Magic evidently forgot about the "Laker Rule" and thought the series was done when they took a 3-1 lead on the Pistons. (Thank you Commissioner Stern!) The same can be said for the Dallas Mavericks and their series aganist Portland. (Thanks again Commissioner Stern!) The NBA Playoffs without the hometown team and the gorgeous Dallas Mavericks dancers will lead me to what I normally do this time of year -- watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Atlanta Braves baseball.
But, let me get back to what today's blog is really about. The team that I have supported my entire life has become an embarassment. Bobby Bowden should've retired after the 2000 Nokia Sugar Bowl and FSU's second National Championship. Now, he will be run out on a rail with AD Dave Hart like Larry Eustachy, Mike Price and Hal Moore. It is time in Tallahassee to admit that they have lost control. Meanwhile, my alma mater is debating the significance of intercollegiate athletics at the Division I level. It deeply saddens me when Tulane starts considering dropping athletics. Most of the glorious memories of college took place on Freret Street or on trips to Orlando and Memphis, etc. If fact my best friends from college (the one's that I keep in touch with) were the one's that I watched Tulane sporting events with!
BTW, Notice the three opinions above. Why is it that The Advocate always put a positive spin on Tulane and The Times-Picayune takes the negative point of view? I will post my opinion on the debate in the near future...
TIDAL 1:35 PM
|
|
| |
|
|
|
