Post by grayman on Aug 9, 2023 14:26:38 GMT -8
Here are a few interesting parts from Pete Thamel's interview of WSU president Kirk Schulz:
"What could some Pac-12 options look like? He mentioned that schools from the Mountain West and perhaps in Texas could look to jump, but that would all depend on a media deal.
Schulz said Washington State and Oregon State have been in touch with the Mountain West, which looms as an option. There's skepticism from the Mountain West that Stanford and Cal would want to join, he said, but the league is "very interested" in Oregon State and Washington State.
"It may be the two of us accept an invitation to join [the Mountain West], and we rely on private dollars to make sure our budgets are at the top of the league," Schulz said."
On finances:
"Schulz made it clear that, regardless of conference or affiliation, Washington State will continue to "invest" like a Power 5 program. He also said Washington State will not cut sports, even facing a budget crunch he estimated would represent 40% of the school's athletic revenue disappearing. (The school already faces a budget deficit of more than $11 million, and he said using a student fee, which is low at the school, might be one way to help raise money for athletics.)
He stressed the human side of a moment like this for Washington State's athletic department and athletes, as he predicted the next two years "would not be pretty.
"I don't want to minimize it, that this is some budget exercise," Schulz said. "You're laying people off. Your best coaches are always on the market. All of a sudden, one of those offers [to a coach that] didn't look so good a year ago [looks different]."
On a potential Pac-12 windfall:
Part of the consultant's job will be to assess the Pac-12's remaining value, which includes significant brand equity, NCAA basketball units and access to incoming media money. Lawyers are examining just how much access the remaining four schools have to this year's media money and other league assets.
"What could some Pac-12 options look like? He mentioned that schools from the Mountain West and perhaps in Texas could look to jump, but that would all depend on a media deal.
Schulz said Washington State and Oregon State have been in touch with the Mountain West, which looms as an option. There's skepticism from the Mountain West that Stanford and Cal would want to join, he said, but the league is "very interested" in Oregon State and Washington State.
"It may be the two of us accept an invitation to join [the Mountain West], and we rely on private dollars to make sure our budgets are at the top of the league," Schulz said."
On finances:
"Schulz made it clear that, regardless of conference or affiliation, Washington State will continue to "invest" like a Power 5 program. He also said Washington State will not cut sports, even facing a budget crunch he estimated would represent 40% of the school's athletic revenue disappearing. (The school already faces a budget deficit of more than $11 million, and he said using a student fee, which is low at the school, might be one way to help raise money for athletics.)
He stressed the human side of a moment like this for Washington State's athletic department and athletes, as he predicted the next two years "would not be pretty.
"I don't want to minimize it, that this is some budget exercise," Schulz said. "You're laying people off. Your best coaches are always on the market. All of a sudden, one of those offers [to a coach that] didn't look so good a year ago [looks different]."
On a potential Pac-12 windfall:
Part of the consultant's job will be to assess the Pac-12's remaining value, which includes significant brand equity, NCAA basketball units and access to incoming media money. Lawyers are examining just how much access the remaining four schools have to this year's media money and other league assets.
