Athletic Director Tom O'Connor Announces Retirement

[Five Two]

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.

Get somebody who can do whats outlined above and maybe we'll someday be at a point when we'll see this on Patriot Circle:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...s-building-a-pretty-amazing-practice-facility

 

[gmutom]

So, which programs do you recommend be eliminated?

I'd keep men's and women's programs for basketball, soccer, track & field and baseball/softball. Everything else would be based on what we need to do to stay compliant regarding female sports.

 

[Pablo]

Get somebody who can do whats outlined above and maybe we'll someday be at a point when we'll see this on Patriot Circle:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...s-building-a-pretty-amazing-practice-facility

Do you consider this a higher priority than the baseball stadium?

 

[Pablo]

I'd keep men's and women's programs for basketball, soccer, track & field and baseball/softball. Everything else would be based on what we need to do to stay compliant regarding female sports.

To reduce to the NCAA minimum as Jim proposes, you would basically have to eliminate 6 of Mason's 20 programs so there would be 7 each for men and women, or 6 programs for the men and 8 for the women. Who would like to propose the 6 programs to be eliminated?

 

[gmutom]

Who would like to propose the 6 programs to be eliminated?

I just said I would keep the ones I selected above and then start chopping from there. That could include volleyball, swimming, tennis, field hockey, lacrosse, whatever.

That's not intended as a slight against some of those programs, but something would have to go. We can't continue to be mediocre at almost everything we offer, so why not start eliminating sports and try to concentrate on making a limited number of programs successful?

 

[gmujim92]

I just said I would keep the ones I selected above and then start chopping from there. That could include volleyball, swimming, tennis, field hockey, lacrosse, whatever.

That's not intended as a slight against some of those programs, but something would have to go. We can't continue to be mediocre at almost everything we offer, so why not start eliminating sports and try to concentrate on making a limited number of programs successful?

I'd think we'd have to keep the swim teams because we invested in such a great facility.

Otherwise, I agree.

Here would be my lineup: basketball (M&W), soccer (M&W), swimming (M&W), volleyball (M&W), track and field (M&W), lacrosse (M&W), baseball and softball.

That's 7 for men and 7 for women. No Title IX issues. Reallocate whatever funds the other programs received and try to help the programs we do have become more than mediocre.

 

[Pablo]

I just said I would keep the ones I selected above and then start chopping from there. That could include volleyball, swimming, tennis, field hockey, lacrosse, whatever.

That's not intended as a slight against some of those programs, but something would have to go. We can't continue to be mediocre at almost everything we offer, so why not start eliminating sports and try to concentrate on making a limited number of programs successful?

Evidently you are unaware that Mason does not have a field hockey program. So, you consider women's swimming as too mediocre to retain?

 

[gmujim92]

Get somebody who can do whats outlined above and maybe we'll someday be at a point when we'll see this on Patriot Circle:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...s-building-a-pretty-amazing-practice-facility

I guess nobody told you that we don't need a practice facility and that if you do want one, it just means you have penis envy of vcu.

 

[Pablo]

I'd think we'd have to keep the swim teams because we invested in such a great facility.

Otherwise, I agree.

Here would be my lineup: basketball (M&W), soccer (M&W), swimming (M&W), volleyball (M&W), track and field (M&W), lacrosse (M&W), baseball and softball.

That's 7 for men and 7 for women. No Title IX issues. Reallocate whatever funds the other programs received and try to help the programs we do have become more than mediocre.

Evidently you are unaware that Mason does not have a men's lacrosse program. So, you would eliminate cross country even though this would hurt the track and field programs, and Mason has just won the women's individual A10 and ECAC cross country championships? BTW, Mason's wrestling program is actually doing well in increasing ticket sales and fundraising.

 

[gmujim92]

Evidently you are unaware that Mason does not have a men's lacrosse program. So, you would eliminate cross country even though this would hurt the track and field programs, and Mason has just won the women's individual A10 and ECAC cross country championships?

I did know we don't have men's lax. I was thinking we could add it because it's a fast-growing sport and we'd probably be able to recruit well from the HS ranks in Maryland.

But we can certainly keep men's and women's cross country instead and cut women's lacrosse.

I just think it's ridiculous for a university that is committed to not jacking up student fees to offer more sports than absolutely necessary.

If we're gonna have the teams, we need to support them financially so they have a chance to be successful. If we're not gonna do that, what's the point of even offering those sports?

 

[gmutom]

So, you consider women's swimming as too mediocre to retain?

I've never seen our swimming team on Sports Center or in the press, so I have no idea if they are mediocre or not. Quite frankly, I don't care what we keep or cut other than men's basketball. I'm not a lacrosse fan, but I'd understand cutting more sports to add that since it's definitely a sport that is getting a lot of publicity over the last several years.

 

[Pablo]

I did know we don't have men's lax. I was thinking we could add it because it's a fast-growing sport and we'd probably be able to recruit well from the HS ranks in Maryland.

But we can certainly keep men's and women's cross country instead and cut women's lacrosse.

I just think it's ridiculous for a university that is committed to not jacking up student fees to offer more sports than absolutely necessary.

If we're gonna have the teams, we need to support them financially so they have a chance to be successful. If we're not gonna do that, what's the point of even offering those sports?

Jim,

We are in agreement that you should not retain programs unless you devote the requisite resources to be successful. But, as I've written on this board, I do not believe that you should eliminate programs to the arbitrary minimum number prescribed by the NCAA.

 

[99 Patriot]

If Mason is going to be run like a corporation, then by all means yes, let's trim the fat. My problem is that I'm pretty sure Mason is still a university and not a global corporation. The sports we're all anxious to axe likely don't cost a great deal, and probably do add something to the Mason community. The athletes we bring in are generally good students and assets to the campus and their home events provide something for students to check out and enjoy (sans golf maybe). Fairfax is not a college town and our Greek life only does so much, so with a constantly growing number of on-campus students I'm fine having a wide array of sports to hopefully add to the atmosphere of our campus.

Unless someone can prove to me that ditching our tennis teams is going to net us 2 more wins in basketball I really don't see the problem having these sports.

 

[phoenix-arizona]

I guess I am really old fashioned because even though I don't follow really any of these sports besides baseball, basketball, and soccer, I would hate to see GMU start cutting them and running the AD like a corporation. I'd rather GMU de-emphasize sports than squeeze out student athletes so the men's basketball program can win 2-3 more games a year.

 

[Pablo]

I've never seen our swimming team on Sports Center or in the press, so I have no idea if they are mediocre or not. Quite frankly, I don't care what we keep or cut other than men's basketball. I'm not a lacrosse fan, but I'd understand cutting more sports to add that since it's definitely a sport that is getting a lot of publicity over the last several years.

So, you are proposing adding 1 program (men's lacrosse) and eliminating 7 programs? But, you really only care about men's basketball.

BTW, am I the only one who strongly supports the retention of wrestling, which is in a good conference (Eastern Wrestling League) and has been successful recently in ticket sales and fundraising?

 

[dr. gunnie]

Do you get a banner to hang for fundraising and ticket sales?

 

[99 Patriot]

Do you get a banner to hang for fundraising and ticket sales?

I believe you do in the WNBA.

 

[KAOriginal]

We need an AD has a bigger vision. Someone who sees beyond what is currently offered/recognized by the NCAA. We need to take college athletics to the next level with these ideas:


Pickleball
Cricket (invest more in the current club) for international fans.
JV soccer (see above fan base..they want more polka dot ball)
introduce MMA to the college ranks and dump traditional wrestling
Follow X-Games...pick a few sports
Follow Olympics....adding 7 man rugby and kite surfing, curling, etc.

Time to be innovative!

 

[gmujim92]

Don't forget quidditch. Gotta think of the nerds.

 

[gmutom]

Don't forget quidditch. Gotta think of the nerds.

And cornhole for the drunks and hacky sack for the potheads.