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Questions and Comments We've Received May 31, 2003 Here is an ironic counter point to Tulane's considering a move down to NCAA Division III. In the US News ranking of colleges, Tulane is ranked 43rd. But Tulane is not alone at number 43: it is tied with the University of California, Davis. UC Davis is a Division II school, but will move up to Division I this fall and start offering scholarships to student athletes. All the articles that a search at google turned up enthusiastically endorse the Aggies' move to Division I and the Big West conference. It is interesting that in the middle of California's worst budget crisis, UC Davis has justified the higher costs of playing Division I ball --I read somewhere that their Athletic Department budget will increase by around $5M. It would be quite ironic if Tulane does move down just as UC Davis is moving up. Both schools mention the impact of Athletics on the educational mission of the school as the rationale. I wonder who will be right 10 years from now. Along the same lines, UC San Diego, ranked as the 7th best public university in the nation on that same US News list, moved up from Division III to Division II a couple of years ago. Division II is considered no man's land by most. If so, would a move to Division I be far behind for UC San Diego? So, let's separate the two issues: first, does a Division IA sports program benefit the university as a whole more so than does a Division III program? Then, let us consider the costs of a Division I program and Tulane's budget shortfall. It would be a mistake to focus on the budget shortfall, and forget the positive impact of a Division IA program on all of Tulane's students. ***** Our President has a view to turn Tulane into Case-Western University-- a second or third tier school that none of us had heard of before his arrival. He says "we need to review what we want to be in the next 10-20 years." The leader (President) of Rice University has a different view, stating: "Intercollegiate athletics are a vital part of the total Rice experience for the participants as well as the overall university community. The accomplishments of our teams spread the Rice name to diverse audiences, further raising our national profile. In addition, our athletes are immensely effective ambassadors for the school, building goodwill and respect through sports competition. When they graduate, they are eagerly sought by employers, both because of their strong academic backgrounds and their experience in teamwork and self-discipline. The performance of our student-athletes both in the classroom and in competition reflects the university's commitment to excellence." Who has it right? As a Tulanian, where do you stand? Is it with the destruction of our university, or with the forward-thinking people who deplore the secretive, back-stabbing aims of our administration to cover up the failings of their fundraising efforts over the past five years. Alumni clubs have systematically been excluded from the discussions. Most alumni have not even been informed of the effort to rip the fabric of our university from their very being. Three-quarters of our alumni have -- because the alumni association has so decreed -- not been informed of the current "review." I think the President of Rice University has it right. I think the President of Tulane University has it wrong. I support Division 1-A athletics at Tulane-- football, baseball, basketball, golf, tennis, all of it. I support our student athletes who have outperformed those of virtually every one else (including Rice) in the classroom, on the athletic fields, and in every competitive venue you can consider. This secretive review, which began in January and was only "leaked" to the public in May, degrades everyone associated with it. Everyone who loves Tulane should be "up in arms." Members of the Board of Administration from far off states, who never attended Tulane, nor ever had an association with New Orleans and Louisiana, are about to make a decision that will decimate our university. If you love your school, weigh in. You have very few days left. If you value your deploma, weigh in. You have very few days left. If you think Tulane is going in the wrong direction by eliminating one of our most recognized elements, weigh in. Again, you have very few days left. When in twenty years, you tell someone you graduated from Tulane, I hope they say, "yeah, that's a great school." I hope they don't say, "really, where is that located?" That's what they say about "Case Western." By the way, where is that located? Our athletic program is the cheapest advertisement for our university you will ever find. If you're an incoming freshman, weigh in. If you're a current student, talk to people who know something about the business world, and they will convince you to weigh in. If you are an alumnus, difficult as it is, contact other alumni. Once they know the facts, we all know they will weigh in. This administration is going in the wrong directon. Everyone with any sense of balance or values realizes that. On June 11, this university will continue forward or many people, disgusted with the results of a secretive effort to remove what many view as essential, and convinced that the school is heading into an unrecoverable tailspin, will turn their backs on our school. Don't let it happen. Weigh in! Keep Division 1-A football and athletics at Tulane University. Its a 100+ year tradition worth keeping. Its a tradition that, in part, describes us all. You have very few days left. ***** I am a 3-year Tulane football letter winner (1984-1986), and am currently a faculty member at the University of Georgia. I hope you consider the thoughts I will attempt to communicate in this letter. I went to Tulane from Miami, Florida because of the value of the athletic scholarship offered to me (it ended up being a 5-year full scholarship), combined with the many attractive aspects of the university and its athletic programs. Personally, I have benefited immeasurably from the experiences I gained as a Tulane student/athlete. I am presently quite proud of the athletic programs at Tulane, and of the positive manner in which they represent the university. Obviously, you are aware of the outstanding academic performance of the Tulane student-athletes. As a faculty member at the University of Georgia (UGA), I have been pleasantly surprised to find that many UGA students are at least somewhat familiar with the success that many Tulane teams have had in recent years. Though it is difficult to quantify the intangible benefits of the Tulane athletic programs, I think they amount to a considerable value to the university and its alumni. I experience this "value" on a recurring basis. In recent years, there have been marked improvements in Tulane athletics. The programs are currently doing fantastic! Many of our teams are on par with (or have surpassed) members of BCS conferences. The present administration and coaching staffs should not be held accountable for the numerous mistakes of the past. If the current administration and coaching staffs had been in place for the past 15 years, it is likely that Tulane athletics would be in much better financial shape. Give them a chance to continue to do great things with the programs. I will admit that the fan base had eroded over a 15-year period. However, given the direction of the athletic programs, the fan base may grow considerably over the next 15 years. I am going to focus the remainder of my letter on the program with the largest financial implications; that is, football. Presently, the program is on very solid ground with Coach Scelfo and his staff. I do my best to stay very informed about college football. Consider the following indicators of promise for the Tulane football program: (a) impressive bowl victory last season, (b) impressive recruiting classes 3 years in a row, (c) the top 2003 football signing class in Conference USA by some accounts, (d) projected Top 3 team in Conference USA for 2003 according to several college football magazines, (e) ranked in the top half of Division 1A programs by several college football magazines for 2003. In case you are not aware of it, about half of the individuals composing this year's Tulane football signing class were rated at a level equal to approximately half of the recruits signed by the defending SEC champions (UGA, which had a top 10 signee class). That is, about half of the distibution of signee ratings (UGA and Tulane) overlapped. This information comes from an independent source: theinsiders.com. For 3 years in a row now, Tulane has been signing numerous players ranked in the top 50 nationally at their position. The average rating of our 2003 signees was on par with programs like UCLA, Boston College, Iowa, Georgia Tech as well as better than a number of other Big 10, Big 12, Pac 10, and ACC programs. The Tulane signee class was likely better than 3 or 4 programs in the SEC (the conference with the overall top signee classes nationally). Admittedly, it is difficult to project the future. When I was a young boy in Miami, the University of Miami and Florida State University had terrible football programs. Who's to say that Tulane will not achieve sustained success in the future, as long as the program is managed well? Tulane certainly has more to offer presently (in terms of potential in a football program) than the University of Miami did back in the late 1970s. Give Rick Dickson, Chris Scelfo, and everyone else involved a chance. I understand the financial considerations. However, it seems that college football experts around the country are quite enthusiastic about Tulane's football program. According to many national publications, it is an exciting team with a "high powered offense." Given the positive national and regional perceptions of the program, it is possible that Tulane could end up in a "power conference" at some point in the future. Of course, this assumes a given level of support from the Tulane community. The academic reputation of the university would certainly be attractive to a powerful conference. I think the same could be said of the football program, perhaps even more so a few years down the road from now. Withdrawing support at this time would, in my opinion, be premature. Give the current "management" a chance to keep things headed in a positive direction. Support is building. It will take a few years until it is "built." ***** Dear Scott This review of athletics is a joke. It's obvious that you desire to eliminate Div I football at Tulane. You will destroy over 100 years of tradition, alienate the majority of alumni, decrease alumni contributions and decrease quality applicants. You can deny it as much as you'd like but it's obvious from your actions, inactions and bungling of this entire process that your goal is to turn Tulane into a Case Western Reserve, Brandeis, Washington University. If your plan goes through, who outside of Louisiana will know where or what Tulane is? In the last 12 years since I've graduated the only national publicity or recognition that I have heard about Tulane is through it's football program. What Tulane football brings to the University is worth much more than the deficit you claim. I'm a graduate of A and S 1988, and MD 1992. My only link remaining to Tulane is through it's athletics program. Every time I'm called for donations to the medical school or University I always give. When I die I plan to give. If your plan to downgrade football or eliminate it goes through, I will never give the university another dime. I will never recommend Tulane to any prospective student. Why would any student choose Tulane over Emory, Brandeis and Case Western. What would distinguish Tulane over these and other schools without Div. I A Sports(especially football) if your plan goes through. Your plan for Div. III football is a farce. Who do you think wants to see a Division III football game. Do you think any alumni would travel to Tulane to watch a game against Case Western on the UC quad. Do you think a Division III program would generate any income or exposure. Do you think anyone in the country would be able to watch a Div. III Tulane game on TV. Do you think any alumni would drive to a road game to see Tulane play Millsaps or Sewanee. Do you think any one would remember that Tulane is the GREENWAVE. Quick tell me Dr. Cowen what are the Emory University, Brandeis University, and NYU team names. Uh·I did not think you could tell me. I've been associated with the university for close to 20 years. I don't appreciate someone who's been here 5 years trying to destroy something I love. You have no idea about the passions of the Tulane football faithful. This move will devastate all of us. You will likely be gone in 5 years and will leave behind this mess. The rest of the Tulane community will be left to deal with this. The next president will realize what an incredibly short sighted move this was and will then likely try to bring Div. I A football back to Tulane. We will have to start all over from scratch. It does not make sense when we already have a model program. Please do not do this. Div I A football can and will work if you support it AND GET BEHIND it instead of trying to destroy it. You have done nothing to help the athletic department when it needs your help the most. All you've done is given the athletic department one month to fix a problem that was created by the University's years of neglect and lack of leadership from it's president(i.e.. Dr. Kelly, and you) You should be ashamed of yourself for putting Tulane athletics and the Tulane community through this. ***** The threat levied against Tulane football by the board is unconscionable. Has anyone considered the notion that poor oversight by the board caused the existing financial problems with athletics? It all started with the "brilliant" (note: sarcasm) move to leave the SEC. In retrospect, what a disaster for the university. Now, the board is considering another disastrous option; that is, harming the football program once again. It is hard for me to understand how Tulane's board members could be so shortsighted. The football program has finally gotten to the point of national competitiveness, bringing visibility and other qualitative benefits to the university, and the board is actually considering termination of the program. Consider the following. Lindy's has Tulane football ranked above the following high-profile programs: Arizona, BYU, California, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Northwestern, South Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and Washington. Athlon Sports has Tulane football ranked above the following high-profile programs: Arizona, California, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Michigan State, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Northwestern, South Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and Washington. Given the notable performance of the football program as of late, why not join Dickson and lend support for his creative ideas? If the board worked to create a broader environment conducive to athletic success and national visibility for the university, it is likely that the athletic department will improve financially. A brief reading of U.S. News and World Reports rankings of graduate academic programs indicates that Tulane's graduate programs are certainly not bringing much positive notoriety to the university. The football program is performing better than those programs, and likely doing more to contribute to the image of the university. My employer, the University of Georgia, dominates Tulane when it comes to graduate programs. Any "academic" at Tulane who thinks that eliminating football will help the university overall is living in an ivory tower fantasy world. How about eliminating the many underperforming academic programs at Tulane? Undergraduate engineering at Tulane is ranked somewhere around 70 or 80 nationally. Below many large public universities in the southeast. It doesn't seem that our financial investment in engineering programs is paying off in terms of prestige. Are you considering eliminating engineering programs? The medical school does not even appear in the national rankings of U.S. News and World Report. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is in the top 30, and Tulane is not in the top 50. It doesn't seem that our financial investment in the medical college is paying off in terms of prestige. Are you considering eliminating the medical school? The school of business is not exactly excelling either. The undergraduate program is ranked below many large public universities in the south. Are you going to eliminate the undergraduate business program? These thoughts are certainly ridiculous, but no more so than the thought of taking Tulane football out of Division 1A. If the board makes a decision that adversely affects Tulane football, I will permanently disassociate myself from the university. I will never again support the academic mission of Tulane, and many of my friends who are Tulane graduates have indicated that they will also lose confidence in the university and withdraw their support as well. I, like many Tulane graduates, have a degree from another university. If Tulane does not continue in Division 1A in football, the other university will get all of my support. Tulane will get none. Faculty member, University of Georgia ***** I would be ashamed to admit that I was a graduate of Tulane University should the board make the cowardly decision to abolish the football program or drop to a lower level. It ceases to amaze me how other private institutions such as Miami, Southern California, Notre Dame and Stanford can consistently maintain successful programs while Tulane cannot. Tulane's problem is that it has never been able to keep coaches that produce successful programs. This has affected recruiting in a negative way, negating the advantage the school has in being located in a city like New Orleans. I have not been in financial position to contribute to Tulane since my graduation in 1976, but will never ever do so should such a decision be made. ***** Dear President Cowen: I am going to be a freshman on the Tulane swim team next fall. I had received offers from several other schools, but Tulane was number one on my list. Not only is Tulane known for its academics, but its athletics program is becoming more and more nationally recognized. Women's basketball in the NCAA tournament, Men's and Women's tennis winning Conference, and football at the Hawaii Bowl are just a few examples of Tulane's athletic prestige. Not to mention, future Tulane swimmers and divers will be competing at the NCAA championships which is televised on ESPN. As a Division 1 school, Tulane has the ability to recruit ELITE athletes and make them BETTER! A Division 3 school just doesn't have that power or capability. If the academics at Tulane are of such quality, then shouldn't the athletics be of the finest quality also? I decided to attend Tulane because the education and the athletics program were of the HIGHEST level. Dropping to Division 3 makes Tulane average, and athletes like myself do not strive for average. We strive for the BEST, which is exactly what Tulane's athletics program is right now. If that happens to change, the university will be sacrificing its quality of students and its reputation. I hope this letter helps you to understand the impact this situation would have on myself and the entire community. Thank you for your time. |