What do I—a pig ignorant Yankee—know about Mississippi? What could I ever understand about growing up in the Delta, that peculiar and heavy mix of guilt, rough pride, obstinacy, sentimentality and cynicism?
(Answer: Next to nothing)
Let me be honest about this right up front: before I...
Amid Super Bowl win, Ravens still competing for attention in new sports hotbed
This story is originally published on Feb. 3, 2013 by Connect2Mason, the student-run news website for George Mason University.
On first mention by most Americans, Washington D.C. is labeled as the political center of the free world while Baltimore is heralded as the setting of the HBO TV drama, The Wire along with being the unofficial home of crab cakes and football.
Over the past year, the area known as the DMV has become a hotbed for competitive and successful sports teams following years of futility and just downright mediocrity.
D.C.’s team, Washington Redskins traded away years worth of first round draft picks to land Heisman Trophy winner and charismatic quarterback Robert Griffin III and handed him the reigns as the savior of the franchise.
The Washington Nationals defied experts’ projections, winning 98 games while clinching the National League East division and coming within an out of a trip to the National League Conference Series. The Baltimore Orioles did the unthinkable by winning 92 games in the highly competitive American League East, en route to a wild card berth.
However, after a thrilling Super Bowl victory last night, one of the DMV’s own teams, the Baltimore Ravens, for the majority of the season flew under the public's radar.
But, how could a team with one of the best defensive players of his generation in Ray Lewis in his final season and consistently been a playoff team receive such little publicity in its own market?
Back in early October, Sports Illustrated published an issue hailing the region between the Potomac River and the Inner Harbor as an “unlikely sports capital”. Similar to ESPN the Magazine’s D.C. issue, SI wrote a number of articles on the rise of the area’s sports teams. However, after spotlighting RG3, the Nationals’ skipper Davey Johnson and the Baltimore Orioles return to postseason, there was not one mention of the Baltimore Ravens.
Since Ravens coach John Harbaugh took over in 2008, the Ravens have made the playoffs every year, winning the AFC East division twice, two AFC championship appearances and this year, the first Super Bowl appearance since 2000.
In his first draft, he brought in Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco and Rutgers running back Ray Rice to spark an offense that had been stagnant in prior years.
With the combination of Harbaugh's coaching mind and style coupled with the stalwart defense and improved offense, the Ravens have become a threat for any opponent to face similar to that of the Pittsburgh Steelers or New England Patriots.
Yet, they still find themselves as on the back burner in regards to its neighbor teams in the DMV region. Similar to the Washington Capitals, who have strong regular seasons and are unable to produce in the postseason, the Ravens have struggled to get over the hump.
One things for sure. With a Super Bowl win tonight, the Ravens rule roost as the only team in the region to break through and win a title.
College football and partying aren't always hand-in-hand
This story was originally published on Oct. 12, 2012 by Connect2Mason, the student-run news website for George Mason University.
Partying and college are synonymous with each other. Popular culture tells us that the purpose of college is to have as much fun as possible while managing to earn a degree before facing the everyday struggles of life in the “real world.” Throw in a successful football team and you have a cornucopia of emotions, rolled into one. But when does this mixture of partying, football and college become detrimental to a student’s academics?
According to a recent study by the American Economic Journal, researchers found that students at schools with a thriving varsity football program study less and party more than students at institutions without a successful football team.
Shocking, right?
The study focused on the effects of the University of Oregon football program on student grade performance over a nine year period. Details of the study concluded that schools with successful football teams also lead to a significant drop in male students' grades compared to the grades of female students. Forty seven percent of college males were reported to party more than the 28 percent of college females.
Oregon has been a successful team for most of the nine-year span of the research, particularly with an appearance in the 2011 BCS National Championship game. The publicity that the Oregon Ducks have generated has been beneficial to the university, opening new avenues for the institution to grow and expand its campus community worldwide.
Mason doesn't have a diversity issue in any shape or form, but in an increasingly competitive market in Virginia, separating yourself from the competition has become more and more essential to building the university from top to bottom. Virginia Commonwealth University’s move to the Atlantic-10 conference this past May will gain them more TV exposure in an up-and-coming conference. Old Dominion's aggressive move to the Conference USA for basketball and its youngest program, football, widens their range to appeal to a larger audience of potential applicants.
Mason has strengthened itself as an academic and residential institution with a strong faculty and administration along with aggressive expansion on its four campuses. Building a football program would set Mason apart from other Virginia universities due to its location in the DC metro area and its strong basketball presence. Mason can make that next step to solidify itself as a solid all-around Virginia university with the establishment of a varsity football team amid the study's findings.
College students are going to find a way to party by any means necessary. It's that simple. That has been the case for decades. I use the term "college students" to define the wide majority of college students around the country, not to generalize ALL college students.
What would make for a more interesting study would be to look at the effects traditional college party movies like American Pie, Old School and Animal House have on teenagers and their decisions to party. Teens' minds are ingrained at a relatively young age that partying in college is just part of the culture and that drinking excessively comes with the territory. The researchers didn't take into affect those underlying influences to the college culture of partying.
Yes, a successful team will cause more school pride which leads to increased partying, but the same can be said for other varsity sports. If the purpose of the study is to rid schools of varsity football programs, the NCAA will have a straight answer—absolutely not. College football generates millions of dollars in TV revenue each year, and teams like Oregon that are consistently at the top of the sport receive not only sums of that revenue but the exposure of the football team is a factor that drives the number of applicants and donors and impacts the recognition the school receives.
The research is telling and shows a negative effect of having a notable football program but the researchers don't take into account the upsides that football programs can provide an institution. Admissions, national exposure, increased alumni donations and corporate sponsorships (Nike) boost the brand of the university and make the school a "top destination" by a larger pool of applicants.
With the findings of this report, more researchers can build off the results and conduct studies on other college campuses that have successful football and even basketball programs to get a better gauge on the overarching effects of big time college sports on student academic achievement.
Robert Griffin III has mine and the District's approval
This story was originally published on Oct. 20, 2012 by Connect2Mason, the student-run news website for George Mason University.
Washington, D.C. has been through a whirlwind of emotion over the past week. Postseason baseball returned to the nation's capital for the first time since the FDR administration. The Nationals won an exhilarating Game 4 in walk-off fashion on Jayson Werth’s home run, all before a heart-breaking collapse in the ninth inning of Game 5, roughly 24 hours later, putting an end to the team's promising season.
But amid the disappointment, sprung a beacon of hope for a sports city that even longtime Washington Post sports columnist Michael Wilbon called "terrible".
Robert Griffin III, the future of the Washington Redskins, put on a performance that hadn't been seen in Washington in, well, ever. A week removed from being knocked from a game with a concussion, the rookie quarterback became the first player in NFL history to throw for a touchdown of 75 yards or more and rush for a touchdown of the same length in a season. Not to mention breaking a 60-year-old Redskins' record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a season---in only his sixth professional game. And to top it off, ending an eight-game home losing streak with a 38-26 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
For Griffin, the accolades and praise never seem to end. I keep waiting for the moment when he comes down to earth, takes off the superhero suit and shows his humanity. But Griffin doesn't break stride.
A bright student (He received his degree in political science in three years and is working on a master's degree in communications at the University of Baylor), a gifted and versatile athlete (Griffin could have qualified for the London Olympics as a hurdler, breaking two Texas state records in the 100M and 300M hurdles), and a charismatic personality (He beat boxed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, wears obscure socks and serenaded his girlfriend with a song he wrote when he proposed), Griffin is in a class of athlete that doesn't come around very often. An athlete who loves playing the game but it doesn't personify him solely.
Griffin is an endorsers' dream, appearing in a handful of commercials for Adidas and Subway. A well-rounded athlete with a flashy smile and likable demeanor, he is the player that the Redskins have needed, at a position that the team hasn't had a franchise quarterback since Sonny Jurgensen in the 1960s.
For the first time in my lifetime, the Redskins have a legitimate star to cheer for. Not some overpaid, top dollar free agent that the team signs in the off season, only to disappoint in the long run. No, Griffin is a different story. He is a humble superstar who thrills on the field while keeping a clean record off it. Griffin has given the city of Washington, D.C. much needed hope for an abysmal team that has won just one playoff game in the last twelve seasons.
It's surreal how much he is beloved in D.C. and the surrounding area. As I was leaving Game 4 of the Nationals-Cardinals NLDS series, still buzzing from a walk-off win, I passed a street vendor selling t-shirts and hats. Expecting to find a knock-off Jayson Werth shirt or Nationals cap, I was surprised to find the vendor was instead selling RG3 t-shirts and hats. It just goes to show you how much power football plays in this town and the impact the Griffin has brought to the city; a city whose politics tend to overshadow the sports presence for much of the year.
As we near the final stretch of the 2012 presidential election, former Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama will make their final pushes for the Oval Office. Each campaign will intensify, pushing for the last few meters to reach the finish line ahead. But, if you were to ask either candidate whose likability they would want, the answer would be resounding.
After all, Griffin has the highest approval rating in the District.
Patriots end season in Cleveland with loss to top-ranked Ohio State
This story was originally published on March 28, 2011 by Broadside, the former student-run newspaper for George Mason University.
The men’s basketball season came to a close last Sunday night in Cleveland, Ohio after a 98-66 loss to Ohio State University in the third round of the NCAA tournament. The loss brought an end to an unexpectedly successful season for the Patriots. Coming off a brutal loss to Fairfield in the first round of the CollegeInsider.net postseason tournament last March, the Patriots looked far from winning a CAA regular season champion and NCAA tournament bid this season.
Beating a Harvard team that many analysts, including Dick Vitale and Doug Gottlieb, felt deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament, the Patriots opened their 2010-2011 season with a win. That game at the Patriot Center would be just the first of 14 home wins for the Patriots, as they went undefeated playing in front of their home crowd.
Senior Cam Long had a strong campaign, leading the team in scoring (15.1 points per game), steals (47) and minutes (33 minutes per game). His experience proved beneficial throughout the season as he lead the Patriots to a CAA regular season title and the most efficient offensive and defensive team in the CAA in regular season play. Long, who has played at George Mason University for all four years, has had a cool, calm and collected demeanor throughout his college career and was a fine leader for a relatively young Patriots squad.
With a career-high 30 points against James Madison, Long proved his scoring ability to the college basketball world and began to draw attention from NBA scouts.The most spectacular aspect of Long’s game is not just his skill but his intelligence on the court. He always seemed comfortable and confident when running the offense. This personal quality will be one of the biggest losses for the Patriots as they prepare for next season.
With the help of senior guard Isaiah Tate as the sixth man, the Patriots fielded a relatively deep team along with redshirt freshman guard Vertrail Vaughns, sophomore forwards Johnny Williams and Paris Bennett. Tate provided a spark off the bench with a tenacious defensive intensity and opportune shooting. He had a clutch performance against James Madison with 12 points including key shots in the waning minutes of the 75-73 thriller in Harrisonburg.
Down the stretch, Tate was heavily used by Coach Larranaga as a defensive presence to matchup against a team’s best player. With an injury to his wrist, he had a minor setback in his shooting and began to dip in his 3-point efficiency and shooting in general. A big 3-pointer by Tate in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Villanova led to a dramatic game-winning 3-pointer from sophomore guard Luke Hancock.
The senior leadership from guards Cam Long and Isaiah Tate will surely be missed by next season’s team.
However, we return three future seniors in forwards Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson and guard Andre Cornelius as well as future junior forward Luke Hancock.
Morrison averaged 6.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9 junior provides the Patriots with a defensive presence in the paint and led the team in blocks with 40 on the year.
Pearson had a breakout year for the Patriots, finishing the season as the second-leading scorer (14.2 ppg) and rebounds per game (6.7). He will be the leading returning scorer and has the potential to improve on this year, as he has each year in Fairfax.
Cornelius had a solid year averaging 9.5 ppg and shooting efficiently from deep. His ability to shoot off the dribble and catch a shoot made him a constant threat behind the arc. Along with Vertrail Vaughns, Rashad Whack and Sherrod Wright, Cornelius will have options on offense in a pretty talented backcourt.
Hancock had an impressive season as well, averaging 10.9 ppg and led the team in assists with 4.2 per game.
The cagey, deceptively athletic sophomore guard built on a freshman campaign in which he was named to the All-CAA reshman team and a Mid-Major Freshman All-American. Hancock is a terrific passer and is a great fit for the Patriots in scoring and facilitating the offense to get shots for his teammates.
After the best regular season record in George Mason men’s basketball history, the Patriots team of next year will have a lot to live up to. The loss of Long and Tate will sting to start the year but this team has all of the weapons to win in the CAA and make another trip to the NCAA tournament.
Sherrod Wright should fill in nicely for Long and will be a key cog in the Patriot’s success next year. Along with Johnny Williams, Rashad Whack and Bryon Allen, who showed promise with their performances in the NCAA tournament, the Patriots’ underclassmen will be main contributors to next year’s team.
Photo courtesy of John Powell.
The men’s basketball season came to a close last Sunday night in Cleveland, Ohio after a 98-66 loss to Ohio State University in the third round of the NCAA tournament. The loss brought an end to an unexpectedly successful season for the Patriots. Coming off a brutal loss to Fairfield in the first round of the CollegeInsider.net postseason tournament last March, the Patriots looked far from winning a CAA regular season champion and NCAA tournament bid this season.
Beating a Harvard team that many analysts, including Dick Vitale and Doug Gottlieb, felt deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament, the Patriots opened their 2010-2011 season with a win. That game at the Patriot Center would be just the first of 14 home wins for the Patriots, as they went undefeated playing in front of their home crowd.
Senior Cam Long had a strong campaign, leading the team in scoring (15.1 points per game), steals (47) and minutes (33 minutes per game). His experience proved beneficial throughout the season as he lead the Patriots to a CAA regular season title and the most efficient offensive and defensive team in the CAA in regular season play. Long, who has played at George Mason University for all four years, has had a cool, calm and collected demeanor throughout his college career and was a fine leader for a relatively young Patriots squad.
With a career-high 30 points against James Madison, Long proved his scoring ability to the college basketball world and began to draw attention from NBA scouts.The most spectacular aspect of Long’s game is not just his skill but his intelligence on the court. He always seemed comfortable and confident when running the offense. This personal quality will be one of the biggest losses for the Patriots as they prepare for next season.
With the help of senior guard Isaiah Tate as the sixth man, the Patriots fielded a relatively deep team along with redshirt freshman guard Vertrail Vaughns, sophomore forwards Johnny Williams and Paris Bennett. Tate provided a spark off the bench with a tenacious defensive intensity and opportune shooting. He had a clutch performance against James Madison with 12 points including key shots in the waning minutes of the 75-73 thriller in Harrisonburg. Down the stretch, Tate was heavily used by Coach Larranaga as a defensive presence to matchup against a team’s best player. With an injury to his wrist, he had a minor setback in his shooting and began to dip in his 3-point efficiency and shooting in general. A big 3-pointer by Tate in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Villanova led to a dramatic game-winning 3-pointer from sophomore guard Luke Hancock.
The senior leadership from guards Cam Long and Isaiah Tate will surely be missed by next season’s team.
However, we return three future seniors in forwards Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson and guard Andre Cornelius as well as future junior forward Luke Hancock.
Morrison averaged 6.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9 junior provides the Patriots with a defensive presence in the paint and led the team in blocks with 40 on the year.
Pearson had a breakout year for the Patriots, finishing the season as the second leading scorer (14.2 ppg) and rebounds per game (6.7). He will be the leading returning scorer and has the potential to improve on this year, as he has each year in Fairfax.
Cornelius had a solid year averaging 9.5 ppg and shooting efficiently from deep. His ability to shoot off the dribble and catch a shoot made him a constant threat behind the arc. Along with Vertrail Vaughns, Rashad Whack and Sherrod Wright, Cornelius will have options on offense in a pretty talented backcourt.
Hancock had an impressive season as well, averaging 10.9 ppg and led the team in assists with 4.2 per game.
The cagey, deceptively athletic sophomore guard built on a freshman campaign in which he was named to the All-CAA reshman team and a Mid-Major Freshman All-American. Hancock is a terrific passer and is a great fit for the Patriots in scoring and facilitating the offense to get shots for his teammates.
After the best regular season record in George Mason men’s basketball history, the Patriots team of next year will have a lot to live up to. The loss of Long and Tate will sting to start the year but this team has all of the weapons to win in the CAA and make another trip to the NCAA tournament.
Sherrod Wright will fill in nicely for Long and will be a key cog in the Patriot’s success next year. Along with Johnny Williams, Rashad Whack and Bryon Allen, who showed promise with their performances in the NCAA tournament, the Patriots’ underclassmen will be main contributors to next year’s team.
- See more at: http://broadsideonline.com/2011/03/28/3085-3085/#sthash.XR170XQO.dpuf
The men’s basketball season came to a close last Sunday night in Cleveland, Ohio after a 98-66 loss to Ohio State University in the third round of the NCAA tournament. The loss brought an end to an unexpectedly successful season for the Patriots. Coming off a brutal loss to Fairfield in the first round of the CollegeInsider.net postseason tournament last March, the Patriots looked far from winning a CAA regular season champion and NCAA tournament bid this season.
Beating a Harvard team that many analysts, including Dick Vitale and Doug Gottlieb, felt deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament, the Patriots opened their 2010-2011 season with a win. That game at the Patriot Center would be just the first of 14 home wins for the Patriots, as they went undefeated playing in front of their home crowd.
Senior Cam Long had a strong campaign, leading the team in scoring (15.1 points per game), steals (47) and minutes (33 minutes per game). His experience proved beneficial throughout the season as he lead the Patriots to a CAA regular season title and the most efficient offensive and defensive team in the CAA in regular season play. Long, who has played at George Mason University for all four years, has had a cool, calm and collected demeanor throughout his college career and was a fine leader for a relatively young Patriots squad.
With a career-high 30 points against James Madison, Long proved his scoring ability to the college basketball world and began to draw attention from NBA scouts.The most spectacular aspect of Long’s game is not just his skill but his intelligence on the court. He always seemed comfortable and confident when running the offense. This personal quality will be one of the biggest losses for the Patriots as they prepare for next season.
With the help of senior guard Isaiah Tate as the sixth man, the Patriots fielded a relatively deep team along with redshirt freshman guard Vertrail Vaughns, sophomore forwards Johnny Williams and Paris Bennett. Tate provided a spark off the bench with a tenacious defensive intensity and opportune shooting. He had a clutch performance against James Madison with 12 points including key shots in the waning minutes of the 75-73 thriller in Harrisonburg. Down the stretch, Tate was heavily used by Coach Larranaga as a defensive presence to matchup against a team’s best player. With an injury to his wrist, he had a minor setback in his shooting and began to dip in his 3-point efficiency and shooting in general. A big 3-pointer by Tate in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Villanova led to a dramatic game-winning 3-pointer from sophomore guard Luke Hancock.
The senior leadership from guards Cam Long and Isaiah Tate will surely be missed by next season’s team.
However, we return three future seniors in forwards Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson and guard Andre Cornelius as well as future junior forward Luke Hancock.
Morrison averaged 6.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9 junior provides the Patriots with a defensive presence in the paint and led the team in blocks with 40 on the year.
Pearson had a breakout year for the Patriots, finishing the season as the second leading scorer (14.2 ppg) and rebounds per game (6.7). He will be the leading returning scorer and has the potential to improve on this year, as he has each year in Fairfax.
Cornelius had a solid year averaging 9.5 ppg and shooting efficiently from deep. His ability to shoot off the dribble and catch a shoot made him a constant threat behind the arc. Along with Vertrail Vaughns, Rashad Whack and Sherrod Wright, Cornelius will have options on offense in a pretty talented backcourt.
Hancock had an impressive season as well, averaging 10.9 ppg and led the team in assists with 4.2 per game.
The cagey, deceptively athletic sophomore guard built on a freshman campaign in which he was named to the All-CAA reshman team and a Mid-Major Freshman All-American. Hancock is a terrific passer and is a great fit for the Patriots in scoring and facilitating the offense to get shots for his teammates.
After the best regular season record in George Mason men’s basketball history, the Patriots team of next year will have a lot to live up to. The loss of Long and Tate will sting to start the year but this team has all of the weapons to win in the CAA and make another trip to the NCAA tournament.
Sherrod Wright will fill in nicely for Long and will be a key cog in the Patriot’s success next year. Along with Johnny Williams, Rashad Whack and Bryon Allen, who showed promise with their performances in the NCAA tournament, the Patriots’ underclassmen will be main contributors to next year’s team.
- See more at: http://broadsideonline.com/2011/03/28/3085-3085/#sthash.XR170XQO.dpuf
The men’s basketball season came to a close last Sunday night in Cleveland, Ohio after a 98-66 loss to Ohio State University in the third round of the NCAA tournament. The loss brought an end to an unexpectedly successful season for the Patriots. Coming off a brutal loss to Fairfield in the first round of the CollegeInsider.net postseason tournament last March, the Patriots looked far from winning a CAA regular season champion and NCAA tournament bid this season.
Beating a Harvard team that many analysts, including Dick Vitale and Doug Gottlieb, felt deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament, the Patriots opened their 2010-2011 season with a win. That game at the Patriot Center would be just the first of 14 home wins for the Patriots, as they went undefeated playing in front of their home crowd.
Senior Cam Long had a strong campaign, leading the team in scoring (15.1 points per game), steals (47) and minutes (33 minutes per game). His experience proved beneficial throughout the season as he lead the Patriots to a CAA regular season title and the most efficient offensive and defensive team in the CAA in regular season play. Long, who has played at George Mason University for all four years, has had a cool, calm and collected demeanor throughout his college career and was a fine leader for a relatively young Patriots squad.
With a career-high 30 points against James Madison, Long proved his scoring ability to the college basketball world and began to draw attention from NBA scouts.The most spectacular aspect of Long’s game is not just his skill but his intelligence on the court. He always seemed comfortable and confident when running the offense. This personal quality will be one of the biggest losses for the Patriots as they prepare for next season.
With the help of senior guard Isaiah Tate as the sixth man, the Patriots fielded a relatively deep team along with redshirt freshman guard Vertrail Vaughns, sophomore forwards Johnny Williams and Paris Bennett. Tate provided a spark off the bench with a tenacious defensive intensity and opportune shooting. He had a clutch performance against James Madison with 12 points including key shots in the waning minutes of the 75-73 thriller in Harrisonburg. Down the stretch, Tate was heavily used by Coach Larranaga as a defensive presence to matchup against a team’s best player. With an injury to his wrist, he had a minor setback in his shooting and began to dip in his 3-point efficiency and shooting in general. A big 3-pointer by Tate in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Villanova led to a dramatic game-winning 3-pointer from sophomore guard Luke Hancock.
The senior leadership from guards Cam Long and Isaiah Tate will surely be missed by next season’s team.
However, we return three future seniors in forwards Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson and guard Andre Cornelius as well as future junior forward Luke Hancock.
Morrison averaged 6.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9 junior provides the Patriots with a defensive presence in the paint and led the team in blocks with 40 on the year.
Pearson had a breakout year for the Patriots, finishing the season as the second leading scorer (14.2 ppg) and rebounds per game (6.7). He will be the leading returning scorer and has the potential to improve on this year, as he has each year in Fairfax.
Cornelius had a solid year averaging 9.5 ppg and shooting efficiently from deep. His ability to shoot off the dribble and catch a shoot made him a constant threat behind the arc. Along with Vertrail Vaughns, Rashad Whack and Sherrod Wright, Cornelius will have options on offense in a pretty talented backcourt.
Hancock had an impressive season as well, averaging 10.9 ppg and led the team in assists with 4.2 per game.
The cagey, deceptively athletic sophomore guard built on a freshman campaign in which he was named to the All-CAA reshman team and a Mid-Major Freshman All-American. Hancock is a terrific passer and is a great fit for the Patriots in scoring and facilitating the offense to get shots for his teammates.
After the best regular season record in George Mason men’s basketball history, the Patriots team of next year will have a lot to live up to. The loss of Long and Tate will sting to start the year but this team has all of the weapons to win in the CAA and make another trip to the NCAA tournament.
Sherrod Wright will fill in nicely for Long and will be a key cog in the Patriot’s success next year. Along with Johnny Williams, Rashad Whack and Bryon Allen, who showed promise with their performances in the NCAA tournament, the Patriots’ underclassmen will be main contributors to next year’s team.
- See more at: http://broadsideonline.com/2011/03/28/3085-3085/#sthash.XR170XQO.dpuf
Report: GMU men's basketball had shortfall of $2.3 million in '11-'12
This story was originally published on Sept. 9, 2013 by Fourth Estate, the student-run news website for George Mason University.
On Monday morning, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission released a report detailing non-academic services and costs of higher education public institutions in Virginia.
The report addressed a number of issues facing the current landscape of college athletics, specifically in the state, including funding, student fees and revenue generation of basketball and football programs.
Of the 15 Virginia public institutions studied, four of them generated over 40 percent of the required revenue to operate the athletic program. Virginia Tech (89 percent) and Virginia (84 percent) led the pack while Old Dominion University (26 percent), Virginia Commonwealth University (24 percent), George Mason University and James Madison University (21 percent each) rounded out the group under 50 percent.
Student fees are a main source of funding for athletic programs, accounting for $160 million in Virginia public institutions in 2011-2012 alone. Without revenue from mandatory athletic-related fees, athletic programs could not support themselves with the day-to-day operations of each program. However, each institution is faced with a different situation as far as reliance on these fees goes.
According to the report, in 2011-2012, Mason used $13.4 million of the state’s $160 million total athletic fees income to fund the athletic department, equating to 67 percent of the school's total athletic revenue. Va. Tech relies on 10 percent of student fee revenue, while Radford University pours 88 percent of their student fee revenue into athletics.
In Virginia, the average mandatory athletic-related fee per year is around $1,185, across the 15 public institutions. Mason had the second-lowest mandatory athletic-related fee in the state ($577 per year), just behind Va. Tech with a mere $267 of fees annually. The average percentage of in-state tuition and fees distributed for athletics amongst the state reached 12 percent; Mason used six percent of the tuition and fees to support the athletic department.
With the rising costs to fund college athletics over the past six years, the demand for increased revenue streams has become a vital commodity for athletic programs across the state and the country. Old Dominion University, with the reinstatement of football in 2009, saw the student fees double from $641 in 2004-2005 to $1,185 in 2011-2012.
To make matters worse, only two Virginia schools (UVa. and Va. Tech) turned a profit on both their basketball and football programs in 2011-2012. UVa. drove in a combined $5.7 million in revenue from the sports, while Va. Tech raised a surplus of $18.9 million with over $13 million generated from football.
Schools like Mason, JMU and VCU have struggled to bring in revenue for men’s basketball, each taking over $1 million shortfalls after dealing with the high level of expenditures. Mason managed to raise only $683,000 despite facing $3 million expenditures, taking a $2.3 million shortfall in 2011-2012. VCU, amid a magical run to the 2011 Final Four, raised $1 million in revenue and yet, still had a shortfall of $3 million with over $4 million in expenditures.
The JLARC is an independent, watchdog agency whose goal, according to their website, is to “evaluate the operations and performance of State agencies and other programs.”
Mason announces move to Atlantic 10 for all sports
This story was originally published on March 25, 2013 by Connect2Mason, the student-run news website for George Mason University.
George Mason University announced in a press conference today their decision to move to the Atlantic 10 conference for all sports, effective on July 1.
According to a Mason Athletics press release, the university’s decision to move to the A-10 will “help further showcase the exemplary contributions of Mason’s faculty and students and all that the university has to offer."
President Angel Cabrera and Tom O'Connor announce the move to the Atlantic 10 (photo by John Irwin).
“Our partnership with the Atlantic 10 aligns with our core commitments as we move into the next phase of this university’s impressive journey,” said Mason president Ángel Cabrera via video conference.
Mason, a founding member of the Colonial Athletic Association in 1985, felt the time was right to relocate to the A-10 with uncertainty within the CAA and drastic conference realignment across the country.
"With changes in the collegiate landscape, the opportunity to become a member of the Atlantic 10 conference provides outstanding opportunities for our intercollegiate athletics program and the university as a whole,” said Mason athletic director Tom O’Connor. “Our vision to be the best overall athletics program in the conference, with an emphasis on men’s and women’s basketball, perfectly aligned with the Atlantic 10’s vision and accomplishments.”
With the addition of Mason, the A-10 brings in a 13th school to the conference, and another Virginia school that re-affirms rivalries between Mason, Virginia Commonwealth University and Richmond while allowing the so-called "Battle of the Orange Line" between Mason and George Washington University to be rekindled.
The A-10 has been particularly successful in men’s basketball recently, which was the main concern of Mason Athletics in the decision to join the conference. For the second year in a row, five schools received bids to the NCAA Tournament and each school advanced to the third round.
Butler, Xavier and Temple will all be leaving the conference on July 1, so adding Mason opens a new phase for the A-10 in finding successful academic and athletic institutions to fill the void.
Repercussions of the move for Mason include paying a $1 million exit fee, forfeiture of roughly $1.65 million in conference payouts and ineligibility of spring sports participation, including women’s lacrosse, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s track and rowing in the CAA conference championships in May.
O’Connor also mentioned in the press conference his remorse to the student-athletes and coaches for the lack of postseason play with the intent of holding an individual meeting with the senior student-athletes.
However, with the move to the A-10, student fees will not be increased to fund the endeavor.
“Every decision that we make, we look at it very, very carefully,” Cabrera said. “In assessing this move, we made sure that we could do it without imposing any additional burden on our students. That was a key part of this decision.”
According to estimates, conducted by Mason administration, if the A-10 continues its athletic success in the coming years, it would be a positive move financially for the university.
“We’ve been analyzing this from different time frames,” Cabrera said. “In as little as five years, this becomes a very positive move for us if not sooner. We’re structuring things internally through internal loans so that in fact, the additional expected revenues will compensate for the investment. So, really no financial concerns at all.”
Spuhler Field, Field House renovations set in motion to break ground in late spring
This story was originally published on Feb. 19, 2013 by Connect2Mason, the student-run news website for George Mason University.
The West Campus Connector is not the only construction that will be taking place on George Mason University’s West Campus in the coming months. According to a Fairfax Campus advisory group meeting on Dec. 12, 2012, facility projects to renovate Spuhler Field, the baseball stadium, and the Field House, the intercollegiate sports complex, are set to begin in late spring.
Spuhler Field has been a topic of discussion within the athletic department for some time now and has become a prime candidate for an upgrade in recent years. Each part of the proposal will be constructed in phases based on the number of donations received from external donors.
Phase I of the project, which is set to begin in May, deals with the installment
New dugouts will be the first project of the Phase I renovations of Spuhler Field (Photo courtesy of Fairfax Advisory Board).
of new dugouts, grandstand seating, press box, a roof canopy and netting system and a restroom building. The overall expected cost for the first phase adds up to just under $4 million.
According to Thomas Calhoun, the vice president of Facilities at Mason, the initial plans for the field renovation have been put on hold due to a need to raise more private funds. However, through fundraised money and student fees, the athletic department and facilities are exploring options to begin certain projects of Phase I with the current funds.
“We have some monies in hand and we feel we can start Phase I of the project, which is the dugouts,” said Mason Director of Athletics Tom O’Connor. “Right now, we are about 99 percent sure that we can start with the dugouts and in my mind that was the most important, that we take care of the student-athletes first.”
The baseball stadium has been a priority for O’Connor over the past few years and the plans have now fallen into place to make the appropriate changes. Nearly $ 1 million went towards restoring the baseball field. According to O’Connor, it is one of the best fields in the country.
In addition to the Spuhler Field renovations, the Field House will undergo a number of changes over the coming year. After becoming the headquarters of intercollegiate sports last summer, the complex has been in need of alterations to the weight room, training room, infield and both male and female locker rooms.
“[The Field House renovation] was a pet project of mine because it services all of our athletes,” O’Connor said.
The Field House will undergo new signage and promotional designs for the building's exterior (Photo courtesy of Fairfax Campus Advisory Board).
On the exterior of the building, new promotional signage will be added to the roof and walls, with an array of green and gold text and logos. A north entrance canopy will be installed and a promenade parallel to George Mason Stadium will feature a scenic walkway with shrubbery, banners and identity graphics.
Another proposal that had originally been laid out but has since been redacted was the plans for a new basketball practice facility and academic center. The plans were scrapped after Mason men’s basketball coach Paul Hewitt advised against it, citing the Recreation and Athletic Complex as a suitable practice facility.
“We wouldn’t have done it if coach said he didn’t like it, but we would have been into a big fundraising campaign and that would have pushed the baseball aside,” O’Connor said. “In my mind, baseball was a big priority and basketball was going really well and it’s all a matter of needs instead of wants.”
In an interview with GoMason.com, Hewitt mentioned his approval of the basketball facilities and the privacy, accessibility and availability that the RAC provides. Since it was completed in 2009, basketball coaches including Georgetown’s John Thompson III, Marquette’s Buzz Williams and Minnesota’s Tubby Smith, while scrimmaging Mason, have raved about the RAC wishing they had something similar on their own campuses.
At this time, the athletic department is as aggressive as ever in expanding their facilities and providing comfortable and safe environments for the current student-athletes as well as attracting potential recruits.
“When recruits come here, they take a picture in their mind, so when they’re driving home they remember two things; the people that they met and they remember the buildings that they are going to be in,” O’Connor said.
Updates for the respective facilities will be provided by Connect2Mason as they are made available.
This story was originally published on July 1, 2011 by Connect2Mason, the student-run news website for George Mason University.
After Paul Hewitt was formally announced as the new George Mason head coach at the Mason Inn on May 2, his first order of business was to assemble a staff of assistant coaches that fit in well with his system and would be good teachers and mentors for his team.
And he was able to do just that with the three coaches that he brought in: Chris Kreider, Roland Houston and Mike Wells.
Kreider, a former volunteer and administrative assistant with Hewitt at Georgia Tech, was his first choice. During his initial press conference, Hewitt raved about Kreider’s skills and talents as a coach, saying that he is a “hard worker, he knows basketball” and that he will be a “star.”
Kreider broke into coaching college basketball as a volunteer assistant at Georgia Tech, where he taught high school Spanish by day and helped run Georgia Tech practices in the evening.
“He allowed me to do a lot. I was able to learn a lot from a very good recruiter and a very good coach,” Kreider said. “He’s a team winner, he wants to win, he knows how to win and he knows how to build good chemistry.”
Of the new assistants, Kreider is the most familiar with Coach Hewitt.
“The biggest asset I bring to the coaching staff is just having been with Coach [Hewitt], from an organization standpoint, working with him and knowing what he’s looking for,” Kreider said.
One of the most notable hires of the off-season was that of former George Washington University assistant coach Roland Houston. The bigger storyline with Houston’s hire was his nephew, Erik Copes, who decided to rescind his letter of intent to play at George Washington and committed instead to play at Mason. Copes, a 6’9’’ power forward and ESPNU Top 100 prospect is eligible to play next season and is the highest recruit that Mason has ever landed.
Houston is mostly known for his work with post players, which will help the Patriots rebounding, footwork and fundamentals. From a recruiting standpoint, he is familiar the D.C. Metropolitan area as well as Philadelphia, and has contacts throughout the region.
The final hire that Coach Hewitt made was former NBA scout Mike Wells. Last season, Wells was an assistant coach and advanced scout with the Washington Wizards.
“When Coach Hewitt called me, he presented a clear plan to build upon the success the school has already had,” Wells said. “Along with being familiar with Mason through the Wizards training camp and the great season they had last year, it just seemed like a great fit.”
One of the biggest contributions Wells will bring the Patriots is his knowledge of the top players in the world. Throughout his 17 seasons coaching in the NBA, Wells has worked with some of the best players in the history of the game, from his time as a video assistant with the Houston Rockets in 1995 to his time as a scout for the 2000 U.S. Olympic team.
“The big thing I bring is just the knowledge that players need to become professionals. The organization, preparation, and discipline that is necessary to become an NBA player,” Wells said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with [Hakeem] Olajuwon, [Clyde] Drexler, [Charles] Barkley, Kobe Bryant and many other great players throughout my career. Those guys are driven, are very competitive, they constantly strive to be the best, they are good people, and they get guys to follow them, and they have strong dedication and determination, which are all great qualities to have as a player.”
Wells also has the experience, pedigree and knowledge of the game that will pay dividends in recruiting and game preparation and analysis.
“In the NBA, I worked on scouting reports, worked in practice, scouting the International game, different tendencies players have on opposing teams to give our team and advantage. Basically any form of preparation for games,” he said.
Having a coach with the expertise of both scouting and studying the game in order to prepare the team for any opponent they face will be an advantage.
Kreider and Wells each mentioned the shift to recruit and scout talent in some more international markets.
“We want to be able to recruit on a national and international level,” Kreider said. “My ability to speak Spanish will be helpful in this endeavor.”
With Kreider’s bilingual skills along with Wells’ knowledge of the international game, the Patriots will have a strong team of recruiters who will be able to draw some of the world’s top players to Fairfax.
“When it comes to the international game, we are looking for a different edge to draw top talent,” Wells said. “There are many extremely talented players, whether in Europe or China. The exposure of foreign players has also increased in that there are less guys you don’t know and it the talent is well scaled.”
Paul Hewitt is currently coaching the U19 USA Team, yet his new coaching staff is hard at work recruiting and preparing for Mason’s season. With the gifted cast he’s assembled, it gives hope for a strong season and future of George Mason basketball.
City of Richmond bids farewell to 24-year March tradition in CAA tournament
This story was originally published on March 19, 2013 by Connect2Mason, the student-run news website for George Mason University.
The city of Richmond has been the heart of the Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament for 24 years. However, next year when March rolls around, the Richmond Coliseum, that hosts the event, will be missing its weekend attraction as the tournament moves north to Baltimore.
Though its reign as the tournament’s location comes to an end, Richmond and the Richmond Coliseum was the setting for many memories in its over two decades as the CAA host city.
In 1990, the building became the host of the CAA men’s basketball tournament and would remain a fixture of the conference for 24 years.
“We work very hard to make it more than just a series of basketball games by providing other entertainment including live music and things for the family to enjoy,” Yeager said.
In 2005, Virginia Commonwealth University’s Sports Marketing Group, InZone Research compiled an economic impact analysis of the CAA tournament in Richmond. In the study, the group found that the tournament provided $4.9 million to the Richmond metropolitan area economy.
Since then, the CAA has been vastly successful in the postseason, with original member George Mason making a Cinderella-like run to the 2006 Final Four and VCU following suit, en route to the 2011 Final Four. With the growth of recognition for the conference, the CAA tournament became more of a draw for not just fans of the schools, but college basketball fans in general.
According to another study conducted by Director of the Center for Regional Analysis Stephen Fuller at George Mason University in 2009, the annual attendance of the tournament increased by 34 percent between 2005 and 2009. In the five-year period, the overall attendance of the event leaped from over 31,000 to over 42,000 for the weekend.
The study focused on the economic impact of the CAA men’s basketball tournament at alternative sites, including Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, Pa. Fuller concluded that by hosting the event in a metropolitan area with a large and complex economy, it would directly benefit the metropolitan areas’ economy. For instance, had the tournament been held in Philadelphia, the revenue generated could reach as much as 88 percent higher compared to the economic impact of hosting the tournament in Richmond.
Amongst fans, there has been a long-standing concern for the neutrality of the site, being mere blocks away from the VCU campus. However, with the school’s departure from the CAA in July 2012, the timing was right to change locations.
Last November, the CAA signed a three-year contract with the city of Baltimore to host the men’s basketball tournament in the city’s First Mariner Arena.
“The leadership of [the organization] Visit Baltimore and the reps from Baltimore impressed us,” said Yeager. “Baltimore and the Inner Harbor is a renowned tourist destination and as the conference changes geography, it’s a more central location for our schools.”
Taken into account, the size of the city and the city’s economy may have had an impact on the decision to move the tournament’s location, but a number of factors played into the final choice of Baltimore.
For one, the Inner Harbor is a profitable tourism destination for the city and would provide a strong business investment for both the CAA and the city of Baltimore. Though the arena is older than the Coliseum—built in 1961—it underwent renovations in the late-80s to accommodate more seats. When the CAA moves to Baltimore, the conference intends to stay put for the long haul.
“We have every expectation to keep it [in Baltimore],” Yeager said. “After the three-year contract expires, we will take a step back and look at the options and find what is in the best interest of the conference.”
The time that the tournament has spent in Richmond has been memorable, especially for Yeager, who has seen the growth and change of the event over time.
“Over the 24 years, I’ve built up a lot of great relationships, personally and professionally with the ticket takers, ushers and all the people who work like crazy behind the scenes,” Yeager said. “There have been some great memories like that of climbing a ladder with a pair of scissors in their hand. There aren’t too many moments like that one.”
An Evening with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Nationals Park
The following story was originally published on Sept. 18, 2012 by Connect2Mason, the student-run news website for George Mason University.
Witnessing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band live is a religious experience. Like a preacher spreading the good news from the pulpit, Springsteen commands your attention from beginning to end with a passion and presence unaccustomed for a 62-year old rocker. With gospel and rock melodies coupled with the powerful lyrics of his songs, Springsteen intends to enlighten and console even the most down-trodden follower. The congregation, young and old, feed off this empowering energy, with arms held high and voices to the heavens.
Friday night at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. was no different.
Opening to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", Springsteen referenced the successful season that the Washington Nationals have had while welcoming his guests to the performance. The concert, which lasted over three and a half hours, was filled with a variety of old favorites and new songs from his most recent album, "Wrecking Ball.".
The over-arching theme of the show focused on ghosts. The ghosts of your past---people, places and moments in life that are no longer present and a personal tribute to those lost. For Springsteen this dedication namely was to the late E Street saxophonist Clarence Clemons who passed away in June 2011.
"I don't need to know how to balance the budget, all I want to know is--- can you feel the spirit?" roared Springsteen, engaging his audience to lead into a soulful rendition of "Spirit in the Night." The song, "Blinded by the Light" made its tour premiere and just days after the 11-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the band played "The Rising," a tribute to the country’s unity and rebuilding after that horrific day.
After hours on stage, Springsteen and the band took a bow and the stage went dark. Newcomers began to head out of their seats to beat the traffic. Longtime followers knew that this was not the end but nearly the beginning of another hour of music. Just then, the stage lit up and the band flowed back into position, with Springsteen as the ringleader for an encore performance.
Featuring classics such as "Born to Run," "Dancing in the Dark," "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," and an Isley Brothers cover of "Twist and Shout," the encore saw the congregation of thousands dancing the night away, leaving all enlivened.
At his age, the question of how much longer Springsteen can perform at this magnitude and frequency is always asked. But, the love for music and performing that Springsteen hasputs no age limit on his musical career. It wouldn't surprise most fans if Springsteen wereto go another five to ten years touring the globe---selling out stadiums and arenas, turning thousands into believers.
After seeing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band in concert, all other concerts you see pale in comparison. The length of the show and the level of passion that he displays are well worth the price of admission. Springsteen sends his followers home satisfied---heart, mind and soul rejuvenated.
Merten's impact felt in balance of academics and athletics
The following story was originally published on July 1, 2012 by Connect2Mason, the student-run news website of George Mason University.
Those who have attended a George Mason University men’s basketball game in the past would have most likely seen the Green Machine blasting the school’s fight song, the Patriot Platoon, cheering on their fellow classmates and, President Alan Merten, in his courtside seat, barking at the referees over a bad call and armed with a t-shirt launcher that resembles a bazooka.
When the basketball season begins this fall, however, the man who claims to have missed as few as five Mason basketball games in his career will be absent. The president of the university will be gone.
Building a Culture of Success
Throughout his 16 years as president, Merten was instrumental in building George Mason into the successful residential institution that it is today. His outgoing nature and visibility with the campus body captivated the hearts of students, faculty, staff and visitors of the school.
When Merten took office in July 1996, he envisioned Mason as an expanding institution, growing in size, quality and reputation. And through the combination of academics and athletics, Merten noticed the opportunity to grow the university at a faster rate than it had ever been done before.
“I saw that it could really work if [academics and athletics] were in tandem or in a complementary fashion," Merten said. "That athletics, if done properly, could enhance the reputation and quality of the university.”
Merten emphasized the importance of quality and “doing it the right way” especially when it came to the athletic department. He saw athletics as a “window” into the university, providing the public with the first glimpse into the school.
In conjunction with athletic director Tom O’Connor, Merten was faced with many opportunities to capitalize on the success of the athletic department while enforcing the priority of academics.
“We always understood that athletics were not bigger than the university,” O’Connor said. “It’s the front door to the university in many ways. It should be clean when you walk in.”
According to Provost Peter Stearns, no faculty member or dean has come to him and said that a coach has provided special treatment to a student-athlete in his twelve years at Mason. Merten meant it when he said he wanted no gray areas between academics and athletics.
In his previous stops at the University of Michigan, the University of Florida and Cornell University, Merten witnessed firsthand the power that athletics can have on an institution’s public perception for better and for worse.
As dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Florida, Merten dealt with the ominous cloud of NCAA sanctions on both the football and basketball programs.
He witnessed the effects of probation as both teams received two year probations (football was charged with 67 NCAA infractions and was forced to vacate their 1984 national championship; basketball faced violations including an ineligible player and improper benefits by coach Norm Sloan). Controlling the athletics situation took precedence over academics and other functions and that didn’t sit well with Merten.
“It was impossible as the dean to go to an alumni group and talk about the school of management or the academics of the university because they always wanted to talk about the problems of athletics,” Merten.said.
The turmoil that happened at Florida was motivation enough for Merten to make a priority of a culture of integrity and fairness to achieve success. In order to reach this goal, two things needed to happen, along with Merten’s vision: the hiring of a legendary coach and arguably the wildest March anyone had ever seen.
The Hiring of Coach L
From the beginning, Merten wanted basketball to continue to be a fixture sport at the university and unless there was a massive amount of financial infusion, it would take priority over the other sports.
Athletic director Tom O’Connor had fostered a well-managed athletic department and had made a big name hire in coach Paul Westhead, who most notably coached Loyola Marymount and a handful of NBA teams. But after four seasons, Westhead had a record of 38-70 with the Patriots and O’Connor felt a change had to be made and he began the search for Westhead’s successor.
In his search, he stumbled across a gritty coach at Bowling Green State University with nearly 30 years of coaching experience; his name was Jim Larranaga.
Larranaga impressed Merten and O’Connor with his knowledge of Mason and his familiarity of the mid-Atlantic region from his years at the University of Virginia. On April 1, 1997, he was hired as the seventh men’s basketball coach in George Mason history.
Shortly after Larranaga was hired, he received a phone call from Merten inviting he and his wife, Liz, to attend the Business Man Hall of Fame black tie affair with Merten and his wife, Sally. At the end of the evening, Merten asked Larranaga if he had rented the tuxedo he was wearing. The coach replied with a nod and the president told him that he would be “doing this regularly.”
“This left a huge impression on me,” Larranaga said. “I felt like I had his support before I had even coached a game.”
Merten and Larranaga were very close friends during their tenures at the university. They often spent Sunday mornings enjoying brunch together with their wives, talking politics, culture and the current events of the day.
“At other schools, I never really got to know the president," said Larranaga, who left for the University of Miami in April 2011. "During my 14 years, he was my closest friend. I spent more time socializing with him than anyone on campus.”
Across the next eight seasons, Larranaga established a winning program, finishing seven of the eight seasons with a winning record. Between 1997 and 2005, the Patriots appeared in two NCAA tournaments and received invitations to the NIT twice. But, it was the 2005-2006 season that put both the team and the school in the hearts and minds of the entire nation.
March is Mad
The Patriots’ miraculous run to the Final Four as a No. 11 seed could not have been predicted. Las Vegas gave them a 100-1 odds to win a national title out of a field of 64 teams and they were, at the time, the lowest seeded team to reach the semifinals. Though the majority of the country doubted Mason’s talent and status being a mid-major school, they had the backing of their president from the start.
“I was always impressed by the support he showed the basketball team," said Lamar Butler, the Patriots’ starting guard on the 2006 team. "We were all like his sons. He held Mason basketball to a higher athletic standard.”
This attitude towards athletics, along with leveraging the publicity that the university received from the run, helped grow the name recognition of the university. The number of applicants increased by 22 percent from 2005 to 2006 and the size of campus tours tripled. Over a six-year span (from 2005 to 2011), the overall population of the university grew by over 3,000 students, making it the largest university in the state of Virginia.
“It became a whole vendetta of the university,” Merten said. “We wanted to make sure everybody and their brother knew about George Mason University.”
The emphasis on using the Final Four as a platform to market was influential to driving interest to the university and expanding the George Mason brand across the country.
A school that once received applicants from mostly within the state of Virginia has broadened its enrollment worldwide at a rapid pace. One of the first things people think of now when you mention George Mason is the Final Four run and that has opened the front door to the rest of the university.
This weekend, Merten will clear out his office that has been occupied over the course of almost two decades. He will pack away all of the photographs, reminders of a memorable career. His “lucky chair” and a framed piece of the old scoreboard at the Patriot Center will be loaded up. The George Mason chapter of Merten’s book will close and a new page will be turned. Though his plans for the future are undetermined, one thing’s for sure, he will be up for the challenge.
“When I first came here this was a really good place; he’s made it a better place,” O’Connor said. “As it relates to intercollegiate athletics, he’s given us an opportunity and the support to make sure that we are always looking forward and never looking back.”
Rise of ODU football illuminates discussion in Mason football debate
The following was originally published on Aug. 27, 2013 by Fourth Estate, the student-run news website for George Mason University.
For decades, the Mason community has discussed bringing a varsity football program to the university. The words “George Mason University” and “football,” when used together strike an emotional chord with the school’s students and alumni. Meanwhile, the polarizing topic hasn't made it passed the early stages of planning.
Mason is the second-youngest university in the state of Virginia behind Christopher Newport University—which hosts a Division III football program—and, alongside Virginia Commonwealth University, it is one of two public Virginia institutions enrolling over 20,000 students without a football program.
Despite resentment between the Mason community and the administration for dismissing the idea of football at Mason, administrators claim the “price has never been right” for the school to realistically pursue this expensive endeavor. Many factors, including funding, the location of a stadium and the move to the Atlantic 10 conference—where football is non-existent—make installing a program at Mason that ever less likely in the near future.
But, perhaps if the circumstances were right so that the opportunity to field a football program at Mason were a foreseeable option, what comparable examples could the university use as a framework?
To find a successful model for a football program, Mason would need only to look roughly 197 miles south to Norfolk, Va.
In 2009, Old Dominion University reinstated its football program after a 69-year hiatus and is entering its first season of FBS Division I-A football this Fall. The university has become a model of how the proper leadership, planning, support and fortunate circumstances, can make a football program a reality.
Garnering Support
Unlike Mason, ODU once touted a football program in the 1930s when the school was a member of Norfolk Division for the College of William & Mary. Though the program’s existence was short-lived, the legacy football continues to have in the Hampton Roads region has only been strengthened in the years following the program’s demise after the 1940 season. The impact of World War II and financial issues were key reasons why the team was disbanded and ODU was left without football for 69 years.
In the interim years, students and alumni attempted to bring the program back to Norfolk numerous times, most seriously in the late-1980s. However, issues with the president and most importantly cost were to blame for the program’s continued absence.
That was until 2004 when then-ODU president Dr. Roseann Runte, after much discussion among students and alumni over football, made the goal of bringing football back to the school as a rallying point for both the university and the entire Norfolk community.
“I was asked about football shortly after my arrival at Old Dominion in 2001,” said Runte, in an email. “It actually took quite some time to raise the funds and make all the necessary plans to bring the program back. It was a significant effort on behalf of the entire administration, the students, faculty and alumni.”
Before any fundraising or financial plans could be put in place, the student body and alumni had to express their desire for the reinstatement of the program. The Alumni Association hosted a poll on their website that attracted over 6,700 responses. Of those who completed the survey, 90 percent of them were supportive of reinstating a football team at ODU.
Yet, with the nearly unanimous demand for football, a slew of factors, most importantly money, had to come together in order to pursue the overhaul of reinstating football at ODU.
The Eight Million Dollar Question
Funding was once again the biggest roadblock to the process and when it comes to extensive projects, money is always the end-all, be-all.
President Runte and the Board of Visitors finally green-lighted football and the university established three requirements for proceeding with the football program.
First, a Price Waterhouse Coopers community report was conducted to get a better idea of anticipated support from members of the community, predicting over $1.5 million a year in the combination of student fees, season ticket sales, premium seating and concessions.
Second, new land was purchased from the city of Norfolk for an athletic facility. To comply with Title IX requirements, ODU added softball, women’s lacrosse and later, women’s crew to reach an equal number of scholarships between both men and women’s sports.
But, the third prerequisite of raising roughly $8 million in pledges was by in large the single-most important aspect of the entire process.
The resounding support for a new football program indicated to ODU administration and the athletic department that football was in high demand. The administration believed that the well-established alumni community in the Hampton Roads region would donate to the program.
In order to gain financial support, ODU used the Big Blue Club, the fundraising branch of the athletic department, to encourage alumni and community members to donate to the football enterprise.
After the announcement of football’s return to ODU, an outpouring of support from alumni, of which there are over 100,000 in the Hampton Roads region alone, attributed to over $5 million in donations within the year.
Private donations from wealthy and generous alumni like local businessman Jeff Ainslie ($1 million) and Stephen B. Ballard ($2.5 million), for which S. B. Ballard Stadium was named, proved to be effective for stadium renovations. However, in order to reach the goal of $8 million, multiple smaller donations would have to figure into the overall equation.
A number of fundraising events were held to gain support from members of the community and to grow the fan base. The linkage between the university and the surrounding community have been major proponents in the path to a program and its growing success.
ODU Football Today
As far as revenue goes, Old Dominion has reaped many benefits in transforming the Norfolk campus and community since football was reinstated.
“In our case, we’re doing well for ourselves,” said Debbie White, the senior associate athletic director of external relations at ODU. “I have been at the university for over 30 years and there has been no greater change than adding football. It’s incredible and it has brought the entire campus together, including students, alumni, faculty and the surrounding community.”
White also had a message for schools who were considering establishing a football program: Take a serious look.
“Every case is unique but we are in a major metropolitan area with no professional teams in the area and a large stadium on campus,” White said. “It has been a phenomenal thing.”
“Football provides entertainment options and is great for the campus community, prospective students and alumni,” said current ODU athletic director, Dr. Camden Wood Selig. “It also gives the community something to follow, not just ODU alumni.”
Though varsity football is not in any serious considerations to be established anytime soon at Mason, the blueprint that ODU used to build, finance and rise through the ranks in an unprecedented timeframe could be a useful model to imitate when and if football becomes a feasible option.
Photo courtesy of Tina Price/Old Dominion University
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