Chancellor Cantor's Remarks - Dec. 6, 2004
Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor's Remarks
“I want to thank you all for joining us, both the media tonight, and the Syracuse football community. I know there have been many press conferences about athletics in recent days and recent years, but we - you and I - are really just getting to know each other. I thought it was very important that I be clear – and we be clear on what we think about a number of critical topics related to athletics - the AD search, Paul’s status, modified ticket prices and meeting our facilities needs.
So, let’s start first by thinking about SU’s status among this country’s elite football institutions and that status has taken some hits in the past few years. I am committed to bolstering our athletic reputation and maintaining a program that our alumns and our fans and our community, broadly defined, can feel proud of.
There are four facets that I believe are really critical to having a great football program and we’ve got to look at all of those facets and think of them together. 1) Engaging our community of fans. Showing them that we care and that we appreciate and value them, and that we share the same goals for success that they do; 2) Ensuring good coaching, from recruiting to game preparation to game management; 3) Ensuring that the team has the proper tools for success, the types of facilities, for example, that give our student-athletes the best possible means to prepare for competition; 4) And providing the proper support for the student-athletes, to help them balance their academics and athletic responsibilities. Afterall, we are a university and we need to prepare them for graduation and for their lives after Syracuse University.
We, as an institution, understand this, as will our new athletics director. We are committed to that. It’s one of the reasons why I’m making the new athletics director a member of my cabinet, reporting directly to me. We’re vigorously pursuing a new AD from a pool of extraordinary candidates. Our search consultants have heard many things from individuals around the country and I think you’d all be pleased because they’ve heard many wonderful comments about Syracuse University, the community and our program. And the consultants have assured us that any one of these candidates will, in fact, be able to jump right in and take an active role on my leadership team.
So, let’s talk about Paul. I’ve met with Jake to discuss his evaluation of the 2004 season and his recommendation that Paul be retained. Jake’s recommendation is based in large part on the four criteria he established in measuring the football program. I’ve accepted Jake’s recommendation and have communicated to Paul our intention that he will go into his 15th football season as head coach at SU. At the same time, he also understands my position that the new athletics director will be empowered to evaluate the football program and our entire athletic operation and make his/her own decisions about the best ways to move forward. The evaluation of this fall’s football season, as we said earlier, was on Jake’s watch and the future of the football program will be the new AD’s responsibility. Paul knows there are no guarantees and that he will need to show he has a plan to help Syracuse reclaim its football signature.
OK, now let’s talk about ticket prices. In visiting with individuals and groups throughout the greater Syracuse area, I frequently heard people talk about the price of football tickets as the reason why they choose, or one reason why they choose, to watch games on television, rather than in person. I’ve heard these concerns and today we’re responding. We want to reward our loyal fans. The 2005 season ticket price will be $168 for six games. In comparison, in this past season, the five-game season pass was $160. In addition to modifying the season ticket price, we are holding the line on the price of individual game tickets. We always need to keep the fan in mind. And when we talk about fan-friendly, we need to take into account not only our ticket prices, but also how we can engage many parts of the community and give them an opportunity and a reason to come to the Dome. In short, we’re going to examine every aspect of the fan experience.
Now, facilities, as many people talk about, are also important. I’m pleased to announce that the executive committee of the board of trustees on Friday approved construction of the new state-of-the-art strength and conditioning training facility. This will be an impressive structure that will help the football program tremendously. I’m also pleased that a fund-raising effort for the facility is now in full-swing. We’ve received an enthusiastic response, especially from Donovan McNabb and our other successful NFL alumni who know the importance of weight-training and of a stellar training facility for a successful football program. We are very appreciative of their support.
So, in closing, I want to state that I see a great future for our football program. I’m looking forward to the Champs Sports Bowl. It’s going to be nice and warm in Orlando, right? And I’m encouraged by our prospects for the next season. I know the coaches have been going full-force with recruiting. We have 17 returning starters and we’ll have the new weight room. The ground work is laid for the new AD and there is tremendous potential for success.”
Chancellor Cantor’s response to a question from the media regarding SU’s position:
“There’s nobody who aspires to win on the road more than Paul does. Yet, we have that conversation and we talk and we talk very openly, and very clearly about the way in which Syracuse, both the community and the broader, national community deserve us regaining our brand, if you will. I think you’ve heard that we are - we’re talking turkey here. We’re talking very clearly about what we all expect. Nobody expects it of himself more than Paul and of these kids. We’re talking about what we all expect and we’re talking about a whole, new program going forward.”
Cantor responding to a question about what she thinks the community will think of the decision to retain Coach Pasqualoni:
“I hope the community will be very proud of all the things accomplished – the graduation rates, the BIG EAST Co-Championship, the going to the bowl game. I hope the community will be appreciative that we’re taking seriously their concerns and that we’re addressing them in a very honest way. It’s not easy for a coach to get up and say, ‘I know there are no guarantees. I know I’ve got to grab this thing and make some things happen. I know that I’ve got to win on the road.’ So, you’re hearing, I think, a very straight-forward and high-integrity, which is exactly what you know Paul stands for, coach. And I hope the community appreciates what that means. What it means to both have the pressures to mount the kind of program we want without, for example, all the facilities we want in place. That’s why we’re putting those facilities in place, and with an enormous dedication to those kids. We are a high-integrity institution. We have to hold ourselves high in that way. And we’re going to go forward and we want to win.”
Chancellor Cantor on the sense of empowerment she wants to give the new AD:
“First of all, as we said at the press conference announcing Jake’s retirement, this was on Jake’s watch, evaluating the 2004 season. The second part, in terms of next year, a new AD is coming in and that’s where our attention has to be. That person has to feel fully empowered to really evaluate and make their own decisions. This is an opportunity and I think Paul’s going to grab it.”
“I have in mind the weighing of those four factors that I said are really important for a successful football program and for our entire athletics program. I want a new AD to come in and look broadly at all our athletic programs. Obviously, the football program is hugely important and will be very much on that person’s front-burner as they come in. When I placed importance on the AD reporting directly to me, it’s not that I have the expertise to evaluate on the ground, the football program, it’s that I have a sense of what I want for our community, for ourselves, for the students, who afterall, deserve to be supported in the way that will give them an excellent future as well. We want to think about that whole picture.”
Chancellor Cantor on SU addressing the ticket-price issue:
“This is a big step for us and I hope people see it as one in a series of steps, but a very honest attempt to really address the issue of fan support. We know those issues are out there and that’s what we’re trying to do, is figure out how to address it and this is the first way to do it. He’s got to do his coaching. It’s our responsibility, and the new AD and Jake and me and others to figure out how we can really say to the fans, ‘You know the best way to make sure this works is to be there and help support us.’ And we know we really need to do things to help those people feel it. You know, I’ve said it many times. My husband and I sat in Michigan Stadium many years when Lloyd Carr wasn’t having that great of a season and every seat in that stadium was full, over-full, in fact. We’ve got to be together in this. This is about coming together. We know we have to do our part and that’s why we are really trying to address the ticket price issue.”
