Task force looking at ETSU athletics
Updated October 2, 2012 7:46 PM
By Kelly Hodge - Press Managing Sports Editor


A task force that will take an in-depth look at East Tennessee State athletics, including the possible return of football, has begun its work.

The 15-member panel met for the first time Tuesday on campus and has already broken into four subcommittees. Chairman Ken Bailey said ETSU president Brian Noland expects to have the recommendations from its work in early December.

“Dr. Noland has asked us to look at athletics, everything in athletics — facilities, sports offered, finances, engagement, our vision for the future,” said Bailey, a Greeneville judge. “It is a lot, but this committee has been charged to dream big, look at all the options and possibilities out there. Dr. Noland has big plans and big ideas for the university.”

The Athletics Task Force is under the umbrella of the Committee for 125, which is examining how the university might be shaped as a whole over the next quarter-century. A list of the members will be released later this week by University Relations, said Mike White, associate athletic director for communications.

Bailey said subcommittees are preparing to move forward and address the following areas:

— competition and branding;

— financial assessment — current funding levels and the ramifications of additional sports;

— support and engagement — includes the community, students, faculty and staff;

— facilities — what is in place, and what the future needs are.

Football, of course, will be in the spotlight. ETSU dropped the sport in 2003 after eight decades of competition, and it now stands alone in that respect among state-supported universities.

A segment of the fan base continues to lobby for football’s return, but there are questions about where it falls on the priority list. A new outdoor stadium would likely be part of any comeback plan.

Noland said in the spring that he wants to see ground broken for a new convocation center that would serve as home to basketball “within five years.” He has yet to commit to restarting football, saying he first wants to see what these meetings yield.

“Football will be a big part of our discussion as we move forward,” said Bailey. “We’re also looking at other sports – basketball and the facilities we have for basketball; the funding of sports and scholarships. But football is a big topic.

“I want to let everyone know that we’re looking forward. We’re not looking back at decisions made in the past. When Dr. Noland and I first discussed this task force, he stressed that he wants us to look forward.”

Bailey is a 1992 graduate of the university who served as student president for a time on campus. Now a judge in general sessions and juvenile court in Greeneville, he says he’s honored to come back and serve in this unique way.

“I’ve remained involved with the university, and I look forward to getting down to work on this,” he said. “I think everyone was excited today. It was a very productive meeting.”

The task force is scheduled to meet again on Oct. 19.


Read more: http://johnsoncitypress.com/Sports/artic...z28Eh7yl70

It will be interesting to see the list of people on the committee this week. I am greatly encouraged by the way the article sounded. I noticed that the word football was memtioned about five times in the short article. Maybe we are finally moving in the right direction for a change.

It sounds non committal but read the quote about moving forward. Sound familiar?

On the Foundation's facebook page which was referenced in another thread, the former faculty senate head which seems to be a football supporter seemed disappointed in the makeup of the committee

(10-03-2012 08:20 AM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  It sounds non committal but read the quote about moving forward. Sound familiar?

With football being the "spotlight" of the committee and Dr. Noland not committing to football to date -- who is taking the lead in making football the "spotlight", Noland or the committee chairman? I guess the "moving forward" position could mean many things since Hodge did not clarify. The entire article is Hodge's usual vague, few questions, no follow- up questions approach. What is not being said, not being reported, not being probed here could be the real news.

The fact that there is a committee probably says that Dr. Noland is not satisfied with the current state of athletics, or he would not be spending the money and soliciting the work of the committee members.

We have entered the wait and see period.

If you believe in a God, this might be the time to start praying.

I liked the line that Hodge wrote that noted that ETSU is the only school on the state system without football. I believe that Dr. Noland like many of us, will be quite embarrassed by that and start pushing for football. I hope.

(10-03-2012 12:20 PM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  If you believe in a God, this might be the time to start praying.

I want to wait and see who is on the full athletics committee. If it's a bunch of crap then so be it. They're the ones who will suffer with disconnected alums, and an apathetic/dying community/fan base.

(10-03-2012 03:36 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  

(10-03-2012 12:20 PM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  If you believe in a God, this might be the time to start praying.

I want to wait and see who is on the full athletics committee. If it's a bunch of crap then so be it. They're the ones who will suffer with disconnected alums, and an apathetic/dying community/fan base.

It will certainly be the test. Will this be a serious, forward looking, reform minded, take athletics to the next level effort, or will it be a continuation of what is in place now with some dressing up, some minor adjustments, some window trimmings, and a new flower pot on the front porch? Can this committee be objective and get an objective analysis of the current state of ETSU athletics if it works in collaboration with the current athletic administration and depend on them for its data, especially the interpretation of that data?

(10-03-2012 01:11 PM)bucfan81 Wrote:  I liked the line that Hodge wrote that noted that ETSU is the only school on the state system without football. I believe that Dr. Noland like many of us, will be quite embarrassed by that and start pushing for football. I hope.

Would be great if Dr. Noland stepped up to the plate and made a strong statement that he would like to see football returned to the school, that this university needs to have a good football program to significantly enhance athletics as the front porch of the university, and that this university needs a full fledged athletic program like its counterparts.

At present, however, he is deferring all the football discussion to this committee even as football is described as the spotlight topic of the committee.

"Dr. Noland has big plans and big ideas for the university". (Hodge article)

Hot air or right on?

Athletic Task Force members announced. At first glance it looks heavy inside the university people with Dave Mullins as the resource guy. Please help me, I am struggling to find the positive here.

http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Sports/a...?id=102735

(10-06-2012 07:18 AM)Buc66 Wrote:  Athletic Task Force members announced. At first glance it looks heavy inside the university people with Dave Mullins as the resource guy. Please help me, I am struggling to find the positive here.

http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Sports/a...?id=102735

We have Jerry Robertson and Matt Wilhjelm on there which are two of the best possible choices for football fans. I do not know about the rest as to how they will lean. With Dr. Noland telling them to "think big" I would hope they will get together and get it done. I hope Mullins does not have too much influence on the group.