Funding athletics

Gary Walters, athletics director

Princeton University

Los Angeles Times

Discussing NCAA President Myles Brand’s comments during his State of the Association speech that athletics departments should not shy away from revenue generation:

“For him to come out and to defend revenue enhancement in a straightforward way is totally consistent with the business of academia. We’re not walking around apologizing anymore.”

T. Boone Pickens, alumnus

Oklahoma State University

Associated Press

Discussing his recent $165 million contribution to Oklahoma State:

“What I keep coming back to is we’re in the Big 12, and it’s a tough conference. I want us to be competitive. How it impacts me? My name’s on the stadium.

“I don’t know what else they could do. I guess they could put it on each one of the seats.”

Recruiting

Isaac Collins, defensive coordinator

The Citadel

Charleston Post and Courier

Discussing the benefit of dead periods in the football recruiting calendar:

 “Ten or 12 years ago, there was a lot more time involved and you didn’t have as many dead periods. When I first got into coaching, it really ran you into four to six weeks straight of recruiting on the road.

“Now, they have a lot more dead zones in there, especially around the holidays, to get (coaches) off the road a little more. I think a lot of wives around the country are happy about that. ...

“I remember one time when New Year’s Day fell after the dead period was lifted. My head coach at the time said, ‘We’ve got to be in this kid’s house.’ So it’s bowl season, these people have celebrated New Year’s the night before, and I’m sitting there on New Year’s Day watching a bowl game with the recruit. You’re trying to get that edge, because the bottom line is, if you are not doing it, somebody else will be. ...

“Nothing is official until they sign and send in that letter of intent. So coaches are out there beating the bushes on the guys who are committed. And you also are making sure there is not some other coaches sitting around the corner, trying to sneak in at the 12th hour.”

Technical fouls

Rick Majerus, former head men’s basketball coach

University of Utah

USA Today

Discussing the idea of “strategic” technical fouls to inspire the home team or crowd:

“When I got them it was because I lost my emotions. I never wanted to get into the calculated technical. That wasn’t me. The coaches who tell you they take strategic technicals, most of them really don’t. They get T’d up and they win and later they want to say it was strategy, when they really just lost it.”

Barbara Jacobs, former head women’s basketball coach

Syracuse University

USA Today

“I always wore high heel pumps and a nice dress or skirt for games. My guard was going down the floor and she got tripped by a defender and fell to the floor, but the official called traveling. And I tried to explain to the official that she got tripped by using a kick motion with my foot.

“And as I’m doing that my shoe flew off and it just kind of flew in the air. I remember thinking, come back. It was like the whole world stopped and it was flying in the air and, sure enough, it hit the official right in her butt. And she turned around and very calmly gave me a technical.

“Then she made me go out on the court and pick up my shoe. It was a long walk.”

Ruth Riley, former basketball student-athlete

University of Notre Dame

Durham Herald-Sun

“It’s kind of like a dating game. All these coaches are throwing their best foot forward at you. It’s hard for a high school kid to tell a university ‘No.’ ”

The student-athlete experience

Dawn Rogers, director of athletics

Xavier University

Athletics Administration

Discussing how her participation as a student-athlete at Ithaca College prepared her for a career in athletics administration:

“I learned so much about myself through athletics, so I value the experience enormously. I credit athletics with developing most of the skills I use every day in my role as athletics director. ...

“The biggest change (in the student-athlete experience in the last decade) has been the time commitment today’s student-athlete must make at the Division I level. Student-athletes are in season virtually all year long. We also want them to participate in SAAC and community service, as well as help in the campus recruiting process.”