Interview with
Glen Gallegos
AB: How do you view the role of CU athletics and football in particular within the role of the entire university?
GG: "I think they're important for one another. They really compliment each other. It's a role of the university at the same time I would say club sports and intramural sports are important as well. When you're talking about a full university experience, I think all of those are important. But certainly intercollegiate events take a big part of that.
"I have a daughter who just graduated from (CU) last spring. As a company, Gallegos Corporation, we've been Buff Club sponsors for 30 years. So we're familiar with the university and all that goes on there. I can tell you that those things are important for students. I saw how excited she was for the first football game.
"Football is probably the most critical of those from a couple of standpoints. The first one is that the success of that football program supports other sports and programs with revenues. Then fortunately, or unfortunately, the idea between good football and being on TV for that primetime (spot) really compliments that kind of stuff. I can't emphasize how important (it is). If it was the same way with skiing and basketball that would be great, but with football it really plays an important part in what happens. I think when you're the only game on Thursday night and they show the campus and they show Ralphie and they show the beautiful foothills and the scholars that we have at CU - you can't buy that publicity. And fortunately, or unfortunately I guess, you buy that through intercollegiate athletics, but football in particular."
AB: If football is sort of an advertisement, do you think that the current state of the program is deterring from that or is the current product where it should be?
GG: "I know that we've had a new coaching change and we're in the second year of it. I guess that as a loyal Buffs supporter, I'm trying to be patient with it. I think time will tell. We certainly have an uphill road to go, to getting it back on the right track. I'm going to tell you that I think we're on the right track at this point. I know that the university and the people there have goals and they're going to monitor those goals and review them. If not, it's like anything else, it (has to do with) accountability. And again I think we're on the right track. If we're not, I know that there's a series of steps in there, and that we can't wait much longer if we find out that we're not. I think it's about accountability."
AB: You said "We can't wait much longer." Is there a specific timeline in your head or a specific deadline?
GG: "In my head, yes. But I'm not on the board of reagents yet and I have not checked to see what their goals are or what they're monitoring as far as where they're headed. And I have confidence that that is happening. So, when I tell you we have one more year or two more years, that would be wrong for me to say. I need to be more familiar with it."
AB: Beyond football, would you like to see the number of sports offered increased?
GG: "I know that over the years, tennis, wrestling, and baseball have all been cut - And probably a couple of others. Again, where I sit right now, I'm not saying we need add or we need to subtract from those sports. I think there's a process for doing that and the process has to do with everything that we need to do to stay competitive along with that new conference we got into. It has to depend on the role of the university as to why we add those sports, and how we go about adding them and how we're going to fund them.
"I really am a big supporter of athletics, without a doubt. I'm not going to tell you that we need to add or delete. I think there's a process for doing that. And I think that once administration, and community, and boosters, and everyone else look at that, we'll have an opportunity to do the right things in a thoughtful way.
"My own background is that I was a football player, played intercollegiate and wrestled intercollegiate. I got into education from 1967 to 1971 because I was turned on about coaching. I can't tell you the kinds of lessons, and character, and integrity that our kids build through athletics and competition. I'm a big guy for athletics, but I also know that there are steps involved and funding is a big deal. I'll be an advocate but I'll be a very thoughtful advocate with coaches and administration.
AB: I agree with that sentiment that athletics is part of the academic experience, especially in college.
GG: "Without a doubt. And I've witnessed this first hand myself, but also with the kids that I coached. (As well) when I was a principal and assistant superintendent. Whether it's band or orchestra or athletics - they are an important part of what we try to do in education. And that's not any different in the university level. I think it's just as important. Am I wrong in saying that competition is about building integrity and those kinds of things?
"I'm right there. I don't think that they're inseparable. I don't think you have to concentrate all your time and money on academics and forget band and orchestra and athletics. They go hand in hand. And done well, they produce the best students."
AB: What schools would you consider to be Colorado's peers with where we are right now?
GG: "I see a couple of schools as always competing and always doing well and I think that's where Colorado needs to be. I see those schools run as good businesses, as good corporations, as good for the kids. You always look at an Ohio State, or you look at a Florida, or a Notre Dame, or Southern Cal. That's where we want to be. We want to compete for national championships every three or four or five years. I think as long as we're competing, I see us striving to be on a level of being able to compete every year or every two years for a national championship with some of the schools that I just mentioned."
"From an academic, I think that joining the Pac-12 conference was a stellar move. That's kind of where we belong. CU being a public university, does not take a back seat to anyone in terms of quality of their education nor in their research and the (alumni) that they turn out. We're in a good group of schools to help us to bolster that as well.
"The athletic competition - If we're going to do it, let's do it right. Let's compete to win and let's compete for national championships."
AB: And I agree if you're going to be competitive you should strive to be better than the best - to be Ohio State, and Florida, and USC. But is the funding there? Is that realistic to be on the same level as them?
GG: "I would say at this point probably not. But that's a goal that we can shoot for. I think it's setting that goal high, but if the funding is not there and we don't think that the facilities aren't there, then let's get some place that we can compete and win. If we're not going to shoot for being the very best then let's settle for something else. But I'm not ready to do that. I really believe that the University of Colorado has all that it needs to compete as one of the finest academic institutions in the nation. But I also think that we need to be able to do that with any of the programs, and that includes athletics."
