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Questions and Comments We've Received June 26, 2003 As the ACC has decided to only to invite Miami and Virginia Tech as part of its expansion, it will leave the league with 11 teams instead of the desired 12. Part of the reason for expansion was for the conference to be able to divide itself into two six team divisions and be able to stage a conference championship football game. Due to the legal action filed by the Big East conference, the ACC chose not to add a 12th team. This setback for the ACC could turn out to be the answer to Tulane's concerns over the direction of its athletic program. I believe that Tulane could very nicely serve the role as the 12th member of the ACC. Tulane has a respectable Divison 1A athletic infrastructure, is in a large television market, is on an academic level even or above the present ACC members, is located in an attractive city that will attract fans for conference games and plays in an attractive stadium that could serve as the site of the ACC Football Championship game. I hope that Tulane will at least make an effort to approach the ACC about membership. ***** I am very pleased with the decision of the Board to reaffirm Tulane's membership in Div. 1 and to play Div. 1A football. However, I still have some questions. First, since the Board has made its decision and there should be no reason to remain neutral as part of the decision-making process, where does President Cowen stand on whether or not playing Div. 1A football has some intrinsic value for a university, even if it does not turn a profit? Will President Cowen now endorse Rick Dickson's plan and encourage everyone to buy season tickets? Will President Cowen now himself participate in athletics fundraising? It was disappointing that he seemed to be chiding the supporters of athletics right after the announcement rather than acknowledging the outpouring of public support for athletics and the long tradition and cultural significance of Tulane athletics. Finally, although I am willing to recognize that no one can make an absolute promise not to ever re-visit an issue, will President Cowen make the firmest possible assurance to the community and to Tulane alumni nationwide that since the Board has made this decision the administration will abide by it by making every effort to field a football program which is competitive on the field and to package and promote that program in the community so that viability of remaining Div. 1A for a long time will be maximized and the need to ever re-visit the issue minimized? ***** I am delighted to hear about our president's recent efforts to bring out and expose the wrongs that have become inherent in the NCAA system. Not only will this make our university stronger in terms of national publicity, but it will also serve to make our school stronger and more confident in the way in which it conducts its affairs, benefiting the students even more. As a student who was highly concerned about the future of Green Wave athletics just some weeks ago, I am greatly relieved to know that Tulane will remain as a competitor on the Division 1 level. Thank you to the board for reaffirming our mission and goals and also thank you to President Cowen for remaining strong and keeping all of our (the students') interests as a first priority. Your editorial pieces were enlightening and they served to give me greater pride in the university that I continue to cherish as I metriculate for my final two years. June 24, 2003 Dear Tulane, I am extremely happy about Tulane's decision to remain a Division 1 Sports program. I will be there at football games every week when I am in town. I actually live in England at present but do listen to all games over the internet on Yahoo Sports for the past 3 years. I will return permantly to New Orleans in September and will atend all games with my sons and grandsons.I have been a previous season ticket holder and will again do so. However, I won't pay season ticket prices for my 3 grandchildren. I can buy them an illegal ticket outside the dome for less than $5 every game. However, I must tell you in the most sincere words that I am not a Tulane fan because I am an alumnus ( I am, Graduate school '68) but because I started going to Tulane games as a 7 year old for 50 cents a game with my siblings. My father worked for the post office at a very low wage, but he could aford 50 cents for us to go to the games. I was already a lifelong fan by age 13 but continued to go to the upper deck at TU stadium in high school with my dates for $1.00 high scool student rate. Don't you guys get it? Fans are fans by the time they are adults or not at all. Why don't you let the kids in at a cheap price in that very empty dome I see Saturday after Saturday? Stanford has been doing it for a long time and you should not have stopped just because you moved to the dome ( tomb). Give it a try and you just might have another 10,000 to 20,000 lifelong fans like me by the time 2013 rolls around.I didn't become a Tulane fan because they won a lot of games...they didn't in the 50's and early 60's. i was a fan because I was there every week as a youngster. I hope you give this some serious thought and pass it on to your marketing group. |