BeBoldCSU had a very insightful conversation today with Chris Del Conte who is the AD of TCU. As you know TCU has had tremendous success over the past few years and is making the transition from the MWC to Big 12. We sat down with him today and encourage you to read for yourself how much he believes athletics has made a difference for TCU overall. Download here
Here is an except that is for sure to peak your interest:
Be Bold CSU: What is your view on the importance of college athletics?
Chris Del Conte: I believe athletics is the front porch for the university. No doubt about it. It puts us in a position to sell our university coast to coast. As our program has risen in football, the amount of applicants has risen from 4000 or 5000 six to seven years ago to well over 20,000 applicants per year now.
That’s an increase of over 300%.
Great interview and insight.
Even though CSU is a state university, it lives in a competitive environment. CSU has to recruit and retain great students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni, donations, grants, funding, etc. It’s not one department against the other, its a whole university with an expectation of greatness that we should all be proud of.
Having great academic and research programs is very important. Why can’t athletics have the same expectations. It seems to me that the administration sees this as an opportunity to improve the whole university and not just the football program. I see this chance to build a new stadium as such a positive piece to the entire university’s success.
Great job “Be Bold CSU!” Keep up the great work. You have my support!
CSU 95′
A University experience is not just a SAturday afternoon time block. It is an experience which first begins upon campus arrival. Grows throughout 4 or 5 years. Is watered and fertilized by events of significant Memory. Athletic events are a HUGE part of the Memory. The convenience of attending a game on Campus is tremendous. The games you would not normally attend except for convenience can imprint a lasting JOYOUS Memory. The TEAMWORK. The Social Time. The Hard Work. The lifetime connection. The Promotion of OUR UNIVERSITY.
This is REQUIRED for the school to succeed.
What a bunch of crap! A new stadium, used six times a year will do nothing to improve CSU.or the down town businesses. If people want to eat and drink downtown they will any way. How are they going to replace the parking at Hughes? Look at Air Force. Their stadium is technicaly on campus but nowhere nere the cadets, with good teams they draw reasonably good crowds. And there is parking. The “on ampus ” stadium is a waste of money and a bunch of crap! Winners bring crowds, not stadiums.
Lez – First, I think you are missing the main point of a stadium on campus. It will reconnect the fan base with the university. If it only accomplishes this one thing, it has succeeded, and I assure you it will.
Second, there are many possible benefits to CSU and the community, which are hard to quantify, but they are possible:
- Better facilities help recruit better athletes and coaches, period.
- There will be 10′s of thousands of people on foot walking by local businesses. Many local businesses have reached out in support of the stadium for this one reason.
- When I go to Hughes I go to the grocery store in Longmont, drive up, tailgate, watch the game, then drive home. My experience with ON CAMPUS BB games is very different. I always go to local restaurants/bars before/after BB games. I spend more money in FtC. Many people share this experience.
- There are many other benefits you can research on this site…
Now my final point… The stadium is a GIFT to CSU from donors! A GIFT!! We have one benefit that is assured, and many that are potential. We KNOW Hughes is failing at delivering these benefits for us, and an on-campus stadium gives us a better chance. How are you against accepting this GIFT???
Lez, it is also an un-spoken requirement that cadets attend football games. There are not a lot of freshman at CSU I know that jog multiple miles every day and are pretty much required to attend football games.