I know a bunch of you also got this, but wanted to share with those who hadn't seen it. Very good news regarding university support of athletics.
The University of Colorado has been getting a lot of attention lately, but not because of the accomplishments of our students or faculty, or because of revolutionary breakthroughs by our researchers.
We're getting attention because of our football program. Changing head coaches draws the media spotlight, rouses our alumni and fans, and dominates public and private discussion about the university. I frequently get questions about the football program at speeches I give, and alumni and friends of CU write to my office more about that issue than any other.
We're pleased with the selection of Jon Embree as our next coach and are confident he will get the program on track. He will get some great help from Eric Bieniemy and Brian Cabral, among others. I met with this group and their families this week and they are first-class people who I am sure will be successful. Yet doing so does not rest solely on the shoulders of Coach Embree and his staff. It will require a team effort from constituents inside and outside CU. The administration, athletic department, and faculty, staff and students all play a role. So do alumni, donors, fans and our corporate partners.
While these constituents have expressed strong - and often conflicting - opinions about direction and leadership of the program, we all agree on one thing: We want this important area of the university to succeed.
There are certainly those who contend that athletics gets attention far beyond what it deserves in the big picture of an institution whose fundamental purpose is education. It's hard to argue with that. But rather than bemoan the attention athletics gets, we must use it to our advantage.
Fair or not, intercollegiate athletics is the window through which many view the university. It is a rallying point for our alumni and a critical touchstone for keeping them connected to CU once they leave campus for lives in Colorado, across the country and around the world. It is an area of keen interest for donors. It sometimes draws the national media spotlight, as was the case a couple of years ago when the Buffs beat West Virginia in a thrilling Thursday night game from Folsom Field, which was the only nationally televised game that night. We can't buy that kind of publicity.
Likewise, our move to the Pac-12 in athletics has a substantial ripple effect in terms of enhanced connections to our largest feeder state (California), a boost to our efforts to attract international students, connections with a larger number of alumni than in Big 12 states (46,000 vs. 11,000) significant research partnerships with faculty colleagues at places like Cal, Stanford, Arizona, UCLA, Washington and others.
Given the attention the athletics program receives, it is important that we foster partnerships inside and outside the university to provide the program the support it needs. At the same time, we must also ensure we are accountable for the academic, citizenship and athletic performance of our student-athletes, as well as the operational and fiscal stewardship of the program.
Excellence in athletics will help us showcase the other areas of excellence at CU. And that's a win-win for CU.
Sincerely,
Bruce D. Benson
President
The University of Colorado has been getting a lot of attention lately, but not because of the accomplishments of our students or faculty, or because of revolutionary breakthroughs by our researchers.
We're getting attention because of our football program. Changing head coaches draws the media spotlight, rouses our alumni and fans, and dominates public and private discussion about the university. I frequently get questions about the football program at speeches I give, and alumni and friends of CU write to my office more about that issue than any other.
We're pleased with the selection of Jon Embree as our next coach and are confident he will get the program on track. He will get some great help from Eric Bieniemy and Brian Cabral, among others. I met with this group and their families this week and they are first-class people who I am sure will be successful. Yet doing so does not rest solely on the shoulders of Coach Embree and his staff. It will require a team effort from constituents inside and outside CU. The administration, athletic department, and faculty, staff and students all play a role. So do alumni, donors, fans and our corporate partners.
While these constituents have expressed strong - and often conflicting - opinions about direction and leadership of the program, we all agree on one thing: We want this important area of the university to succeed.
There are certainly those who contend that athletics gets attention far beyond what it deserves in the big picture of an institution whose fundamental purpose is education. It's hard to argue with that. But rather than bemoan the attention athletics gets, we must use it to our advantage.
Fair or not, intercollegiate athletics is the window through which many view the university. It is a rallying point for our alumni and a critical touchstone for keeping them connected to CU once they leave campus for lives in Colorado, across the country and around the world. It is an area of keen interest for donors. It sometimes draws the national media spotlight, as was the case a couple of years ago when the Buffs beat West Virginia in a thrilling Thursday night game from Folsom Field, which was the only nationally televised game that night. We can't buy that kind of publicity.
Likewise, our move to the Pac-12 in athletics has a substantial ripple effect in terms of enhanced connections to our largest feeder state (California), a boost to our efforts to attract international students, connections with a larger number of alumni than in Big 12 states (46,000 vs. 11,000) significant research partnerships with faculty colleagues at places like Cal, Stanford, Arizona, UCLA, Washington and others.
Given the attention the athletics program receives, it is important that we foster partnerships inside and outside the university to provide the program the support it needs. At the same time, we must also ensure we are accountable for the academic, citizenship and athletic performance of our student-athletes, as well as the operational and fiscal stewardship of the program.
Excellence in athletics will help us showcase the other areas of excellence at CU. And that's a win-win for CU.
Sincerely,
Bruce D. Benson
President