Seems as if the Texas approach is 180 degrees from what Merten wanted for Mason -- or am I wrong on that?
Athletic Director Tom O'Connor Announces Retirement
- Thread starter JBiggs
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Seems as if the Texas approach is 180 degrees from what Merten wanted for Mason -- or am I wrong on that?
Also fascinating that Patterson talks about growing Texas' brand internationally.
Obviously, Texas football is on a whole different level because of revenue and fan interest, but I can't think of any American universities more engaged than Mason in establishing their brand overseas.
Maybe, just maybe, Cabrera will free our athletic department to tell Mason's story to a whole new audience.
Let me know the next time the Texas football coach goes on ESPN to talk up their physics departments research into superconductors.
I think it's sort of ridiculous for a school like Texas to make a statement like that or UVA or Penn State or USC -- meaning every kid in the state (and most likely the country) knows who they are.
That's why he's talking about marketing Texas football outside the U.S., where it can be introduced to a whole new, untapped market.
You're obviously a smart guy, so you know as well as I do that the Texas football coach doesn't have to "talk up" the physics department to make a positive impact on the school's academics.
Just as the number and quality of applicants to Mason increased dramatically following the Final Four, by traveling abroad Texas can generate interest among foreign students who are intrigued by American football culture.
How is that a bad thing?
Nothing wrong with it. I just question the efficacy of such a practice trying to target international students via a basketball or football, especially when you are sacrificing a traditional college rivalry to do it.
I mean, seriously, "does it make business sense to play Texas A&M again? I don't know." Should a college AD be thinking "branding" and "business opportunities" all the time? I don't know about that either.
What I'm saying is, this has nothing to do with attracting a better brand of international student, but recruiting them to be loyal Longhorn consumers -- Longhorn hoodies, t-shirts, sweats, shorts, Crocs etc. It has nothing to do with raising the academic profile of the University of Texas at Austin.
I say no thank you to Texas style athletics.
I mean, seriously, "does it make business sense to play Texas A&M again? I don't know." Should a college AD be thinking "branding" and "business opportunities" all the time? I don't know about that either.
What I'm saying is, this has nothing to do with attracting a better brand of international student, but recruiting them to be loyal Longhorn consumers -- Longhorn hoodies, t-shirts, sweats, shorts, Crocs etc. It has nothing to do with raising the academic profile of the University of Texas at Austin.
I say no thank you to Texas style athletics.
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College ADs today most definitely need to be thinking about "branding" and "business opportunities."
The alternative, as has been noted at the vast majority of schools, is to burden students who are already carrying noxious levels of debt with ridiculous fees to fund football and other athletic programs. How is that any better?
Texas hss one of the few fully self-sustaining football programs in America. It funds all of the other sports besides men's basketball, as well, and that frees up university resources -- money that many other schools spend on non-revenue sports -- for research and other academic endeavors.
The success of that football program, while in itself not raising the academic profile of the university, also allows Texas to market itself to a much wider and deeper pool of potential applicants than most schools.
Hopefully our next AD will be an aggressive and creative fund-raiser, with a much better plan for pursuing "branding" opportunities than we had under TOC.
Cabrera has stated publicly that he's not interested in raising student fees, and I salute him for that stance. But the fact remains that, in sports and life, money makes the world go 'round -- and we need more of it for our basketball program to compete at the top of the A10, not less.
KAOriginal
All-American
Texas knows and is reacting to what the rest of academia is not talking about.
They are running out of students. Despite all the loans you could ever get, we've maxed out the college student in the US...based on pure academic ability and desire. Anyone who can and will go to college does. The only ones left are the ones who don't need to be there. So you have to move out of the borders and bring more foreign students in. Therefore more cash.
Also selling jerseys doesn't hurt either....
Universities are just money machines now. They need cash...but they like to couch it under "education"...instead of "how do we keep these posh jobs and nice buildings?"
They are running out of students. Despite all the loans you could ever get, we've maxed out the college student in the US...based on pure academic ability and desire. Anyone who can and will go to college does. The only ones left are the ones who don't need to be there. So you have to move out of the borders and bring more foreign students in. Therefore more cash.
Also selling jerseys doesn't hurt either....
Universities are just money machines now. They need cash...but they like to couch it under "education"...instead of "how do we keep these posh jobs and nice buildings?"
That's actually incorrect. The U.S. Higher education system has been THE PLACE for international students for decades. Students from the Middle East, India, China, The Philippines, Korea and other east/Southeast Asian countries have dreamed of coming for a long time. What is happening is there is greater competition now in places like Australia, New Zealand and even Singapore for those international students.
So if you aren't Harvard, MIT, CalTech, Princeton how do you sell your school to those students? That is the question recruiters are asking.
I will say again, selling Austin will get them more traction in Dubai, India and China than selling Longhorn football.
KAOriginal
All-American
Not wrong. This "angle" came from my co-workers wife who works admissions at USM here in Maine.
No one said US universities have not been the place for international students. Traditionally, US students are far easier and cost effective to get enrolled. Seamless financial aid from the Fed, no visas, etc, etc.
However, we are running out of them, no matter how much the US Govt print and loans. So the fertile ground for REVENUE (ie, tuition) growth is FOREIGN STUDENTS. Especially with the emphasis going forward that on-line classes are now "acceptable" instead of physically showing up to campus.
It's not that we didn't have them before....we just now need MORE of them for their tuition.
This is a problem at small or regional schools not Texas who get more applications than they know what to do with and could easily double in size if they wanted.
Not sure if this was posted already
TOC retirement interview:
http://gmufourthestate.com/2014/04/01/audio-tom-oconnor-retirement-interview/
TOC retirement interview:
http://gmufourthestate.com/2014/04/01/audio-tom-oconnor-retirement-interview/
polepino
Starter
I missed it so thanks! Interesting to hear TOC keep reiterating that he wanted GMU to be a "quality, balanced program." Makes sense on what we saw on the administrative front following the FF run. They really didn't want to make BBall the sole focus, rather bring up the whole athletics program.
Yeah, why would we want to emphasize our only money-making sport? Only idiots do stuff like that.
phoenix-arizona
All-American
Call me old fashioned, but I want a GMU with a balanced athletic department, one that focuses on all the sports and developing the potential of all student athletes.
You're old fashioned.
CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY
Hall of Famer
Im fairly sure old basketball coach O'Connor had a fair emphasis on basketball.
Unless he built some new tennis facility at the expense of the basketball team or something Im not aware of. The other stuff, ie other campus investments, were hardly his say.
Now, whether we should dissolve teams is another matter. But as discussed many times, any squandering of FF momentum/investment falls on Merten first, IMO.
Unless he built some new tennis facility at the expense of the basketball team or something Im not aware of. The other stuff, ie other campus investments, were hardly his say.
Now, whether we should dissolve teams is another matter. But as discussed many times, any squandering of FF momentum/investment falls on Merten first, IMO.
I have yet to hear a convincing argument for NOT reducing the number of sports we offer.
None of them make any money. They're certainly not generating any national buzz for the university.
Rather than being mediocre at a bunch of sports few care about, why not offer the NCAA minimum and actually try to be successful?
Pablo
Hall of Famer
Rather than continue to discuss the failures to capitalize on the Final Four run, why not discuss the type of individual that we would prefer as the next AD? My preference would be as follows:
(1) An energetic, highly qualified athletics administrator from a school that values, promotes, and appropriately funds its athletic programs to compete for conference and NCAA championships on a sustaining basis;
(2) The ability to recognize and hire highly qualified coaches and staff members with outstanding potential and vision;
(3) Excellent communication skills;
(4) Highly respected experience in fundraising, marketing, sponsorship, and ticket sales; and
(5) Successful record in upgrading athletic programs and facilities; and the willingness to eliminate programs that can not be appropriately funded to compete successfully on a sustaining basis.
Pablo
Hall of Famer
So, which programs do you recommend be eliminated?
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