BearcatReport.com - A Conversation with Andy Hurley

September 29, 2009

Scott Springer
Special to BearcatReport.com

During a recent "Not Ready for Primetime Pregame Spectacular" (a/k/a "Stadium Show") that I do before UC home games, UC Senior Associate AD/Development Andy Hurley joined me to talk about the Jefferson Avenue Complex ("Bubble") that has been in the news of late.

We touched on a number of areas, starting with Bearcat donor Larry Sheakley agreeing to match any donation to the complex up to $1 million. Here's the bulk of the exchange I was able to record (doing so while conducting a "live" show as my own engineer requires extra hands-I try).

"Larry (Sheakley) specifically has been a leadership level donor for (a number of) projects. You have Sheakley Lawn that we're overlooking here, hundreds of kids and families are enjoying that now. He's stepped up once again here and I think he shares that same sentiment that private support is so critical to the future of this program. The issuance of that match is just an opportunity to extend that base of support, extend that ownership. As noted, he's willing to match every contribution to the Jefferson Avenue Sports Complex to a personal commitment of $1 million at this point."

Striking while the iron's hot

"I've been here for three years, the program has been on the rapid ascendancy since that point in time. That was due to people that came before us who made some decisions to put some things in place. I hope people like the taste of what they're experiencing here not only with Bearcat football but with the program in general.

We want to keep the goals of our CATAPULT initiative, to have championship caliber performance across each of our 18 teams, distinction in the classroom and the community. All ideals that we intend to solidify over the course of time, but that does require that level of private support. Striking while the iron is hot? Absolutely, we need to seize this opportunity and the excitement generated by Bearcat football. I would hope that investment in the program doesn't ride on the outcome of a particular game, that they have a longer view of what we're trying to do and build and sustain that. I know that people like to see us win and we want to have that level of excitement, but we've got to develop something over the course of time and a base of support that's going to be there thick and thin. Right now, things are thick. I would hope that we wouldn't be experiencing thin times anytime soon, but I believe that coming to know the community of Cincinnati, the resolve is there if we continue to put a good product out on the field that people will support it."

Schools UC competes against have such facilities

"Absolutely. Just this year, trips into Rutgers and Piscataway, last week in Corvallis and Oregon State, we spent a lot of time with my counterparts in those places looking at their facilities-how they've gone about generating the dollars. What's unique to Ohio, good or bad, is that the project we're undertaking here-no funds from the State can be allocated for this purpose. All the dollars must be generated privately. Brian has said, and rightfully so, we're one of two schools competing at the BCS level that practices on the same facility that we play. Particularly for the type of offense and the things that he runs, we need more space to be able to sustain this over a longer time. Because the Jefferson Avenue Complex is going to be not only a practice field, but the indoor field as well, we're the only school save for South Florida that doesn't have an indoor practice facility in the Big East. Arguably, they don't need one given the weather there. Those are things that not only aid in the maturation of our teams, I know Brian fully intends to be playing games into January, so preparation and training leading into that is critical. It also helps in recruiting and you're doing the right things showing an institutional commitment in the collegiate athletics program, and in this case, football."

Gameday fundraising? Split the pot?

"Typically, the split the pot and those types of things are the domain of high schools and booster organizations. The distinction Scott, with what we're trying to do-those are typically fundraising activities that kind of seize that moment. We're trying to use this opportunity to build a basis of support that again will sustain over the course of time. We are about to roll out with a mass appeal to all Bearcat fans, season ticketholders, alumni in the region, certainly UCATS members. Our efforts to this point have focused on some of the major donors. In a typical campaign, and I kind of use that term loosely since there's nothing typical about our Jefferson Avenue Complex-but in a typical campaign, you want to go out and get that leadership level of support. Success is reasonably assured before rolling it out to the masses. We got a little bit ahead of ourselves as talk of this got underway and as plans became solidified, over the course of the last several months, the economy's been challenging for those that can afford five-ten-a hundred dollars. I feel like people are feeling a little bit better about where things are going-to your point, we will be rolling out shortly a coordinated appeal-what we refer to as the mass appeal. I don't think we'll be out here doing those 'split the pot-type things' in the short term."

Must the complex be complete in full, or can the football part be done first?

"You're right. This facility, I think people wrongly associate it with just the football team being the beneficiaries of that field. The reason why we turn to the tentative name of the Jefferson Avenue Complex was because internally we had referred to these as the 'practice fields' or complex and that slights some of the other groups that are going to be using the field. It's going to be the competitive home for our women's lacrosse team, our soccer teams and baseball and golf can all use the indoor complex.

The tentative name-as we are actively seeking a naming rights donor-the University has some fairly rigid policies about naming rights gifts and what procedures you must follow in order to put the name on the facility, but we're actively pursuing that.

As far as the construction and the sequence, the project today is estimated at $13 million. Earlier, we had looked in terms of $8-9 million; the increase in the cost has to do with elements that we've added to make it more of an asset for the campus and community. If you were to simply put in practice fields and a bubble that has one cost structure. But, there's an overwhelming sentiment among the campus community to do this right. By doing it right, it benefits not only the 105 student-athletes that participate in football, but each of our 500 student-athletes, all of the 35,000 students have an opportunity to use the field for recreation and intramurals and there's a commitment to make it a community asset. We've had interest from several high schools and community organizations to use the facility. So, the sense is if we're going to do this, do it right. The most cost-effective way to go about doing that is to plan for everything now, generate those dollars now to include scoreboard, restrooms, concession stands and locker facilities. All of which add to the community asset value of that complex."

Good news for the sports other than football then?

"There's no doubt that all of our teams will benefit. Again, it's something that we try to have a relationship with athletics that-we're not an island on this campus-we try to integrate so that all students benefit.

As we've talked to potential donors and benefactors for this, they're attracted by the idea that UC's working to make this a community asset. We've kind of made our case on the notion that UC athletics, particularly our high profile sports, are critical to the University's prosperity. We've had several donors come to us that previously have not been involved with UC in any way, but they've bought into the notion for the University to thrive and prosper it's critical to the success of the region and the economic vibrancy of the region. Like it or not, how we fare in our high profile sports is a critical component of that. They see the progress being made and the thing that we're doing and it's an affirmation of the direction of the program and that's why they've chosen to get involved."

On visibility of high profile sports

"When we talk about UC's emergence in the Big East, they say, 'It's great to see regularly UC's name scrolling on the bottom line of ESPN.' Now, things have escalated. I was in a session earlier this week with some colleagues across campus, while I hesitate to give specifics to it, directionally the statement I'm going to make is critical...last year during the months of October, November and December there was a marked increase in the number of applicants across the country to the University of Cincinnati. It's not done solely in a test tube and not all attributable to the success of football, but certainly it has a role. Society's kind of weighed in on this and the significance and importance one weighs in their decision to attend an institution does relate (to football success,etc.).

On current rabid popularity of football

"Coming back to the point, we need to sustain that and to do the things we can, it's critical to the success of the football team and others that we have adequate practice facilities, we have the ability to train. There's people that talk about,' What's the significance on recruiting?' just as the Varsity Village and what was built there with weight rooms, training rooms, some of our coaches previously commented how in recruiting visits, they use to avoid having recruits come by and taking a look at those things because we did not stand up in that area of competition. Now, as I came walking out today, we have throws of coaches and prospective student-athletes going through that facility because of what it says. It reeks of history and tradition and commitment and those things.

Completion of the Jefferson Avenue Sports Complex is just an extension of that. Truly, there is an institutional commitment and acknowledgment that athletics done right plays a significant role in the campus and what it means to students, faculty and staff."

On Brian Kelly as an asset

"Brian, because he coaches football, which is a high-profile sport, is exceptional in that role. We're blessed at UC that we have many coaches who appreciate the role of athletics on campus and are all too willing to go out. In today's day and age, a highly successful coach needs to be as good at the "X's and O's" as he/she is at meeting and generating that level of support. Nobody does it like Brian does. He's very natural in that role. I've been in college athletics development for 15-20 years and I've yet to encounter a coach where you just can't keep up with him. He is so far out in front of us in the community and making presentations at the Boys Club and Salvation Army, etc. We walk behind him, myself and the UCATS try to keep up, he keeps a difficult pace."

My idea that next year Kelly needs a "summer concert t-shirt" with appearance dates

"We would need a real wide-body to get it all in. Earlier this year, Beth Rex who's Brian's personal assistant, actually Brian needs about 10 of them to do that job, so she does the work of a lot-we had counted that Brian made 93 appearances outside in the community since January 1.

Scott, I think the commercial I would make here is, it starts at the student-athlete level, it certainly gets up to the coaches and staff and across the community-we want to do things right at the University of Cincinnati. I look particularly at the football program and our investment/their investment, particularly Brian, it's not only the success on the field, the type or brand that he plays that creates excitement, the performance in the classroom has been remarkable. The efforts in the community have been really terrific. I'm proud to be associated with, not only Brian, but all of our coaches and the athletes and the way they go about business. People see the score and the things out on the field, but too little mention is made of how they've done things in the community and how they go about things in the classroom. It makes you proud and it's easy to go out there and sell the program on their behalf because it's being done the right way."

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