06-27-2003, 07:59 PM
Apologies if you have already seen this elsewhere
_____________________________________________
June 27, 2003
Dear Alumni and Friends:
Since April when we learned that the prospects for the Atlantic Coast
Conference (ACC) expansion were real, we have been involved in a
whirlwind of activity attempting to assess the future of the ACC and
Big East athletic conferences. The situation has been in a state of flux,
changing if not hourly, certainly on a daily basis. This uncertainty
has resulted in a great deal of speculative commentary on television,
radio, and in the newspapers. Virginia Tech and I have been the subject of
remarks that were both unkind and unburdened by facts.
In order to understand our decisions throughout this process, it is
also useful to understand our responsibilities. Our first obligation is to
protect the interests of Virginia Tech as well as the overall interests
of the Commonwealth of Virginia. There are many other constituencies
affected by our actions, including our colleagues in the conferences,
alumni, fans, students, and citizens. All of our actions must be
carried out in a fashion that honors our contractual as well as ethical
obligations to those with whom we are involved.
As in this case, the impacts of our decisions are often
significant. They affect the lives of many people and the economy of
our region. Each institution faces the same dilemma whether they are in
the Big East or ACC conference.
Virginia Tech is very fortunate in that our athletic programs generate
revenue. Only about 40 of the over 100 division I-A athletic programs
nationally can make this claim. No taxpayer dollars are used to
support our athletic programs. While we field 21 intercollegiate teams, only
football produces positive revenue. These funds are used to support
the remaining 20 sports and to keep our student athletic fee low. A number
of schools in Virginia charge many times our $232 student athletic fee.
It is critical that Virginia Tech be a member of a financially viable
conference. What if athletic conference revenues were reduced by
several million per year? Coach Beamer advised me that even the uncertainty of
the future of the Big East is negatively affecting football
recruiting. If we cannot attract good players, our talented coaching
staff will be the target of other schools. Finding ourselves several
million in the red each year, we could be forced to raise our student
athletic fee or begin to eliminate several non-revenue intercollegiate
sports to address the problem.
In this year and next, Virginia Tech will have budget cuts of 26% in
state support losing $62 million this year and another $11 million next
year. We have been forced to raise tuition significantly to protect
the quality of our academic programs. Tuition will increase again next
year. There is a limit to how much the families of our students can
pay and to how much we can increase our financial aid to help with tuition
increases. A 300% increase in the athletics fee is simply not
feasible, nor would it be appropriate.
Elimination of a number of our Olympic sports not only deprives our
students of the opportunity to compete in intercollegiate athletics,
but also would result in significant problems with compliance with Title IX
programs for our women athletes. In short, our entire intercollegiate
sports program would be placed in a negative spiral from which there
would be little prospect of recovery.
Given this reality, how did we manage the decision and events over the
past two and a half months?
In a rapidly changing situation where decisions must be made in a
matter of hours and sometimes minutes, it is only possible to make the
decision based on what is known at that moment. Most often there is incomplete
information and one certainly does not have the benefit of hindsight,
which is of course the preserve of the Monday morning quarterback.
With that being said, let me briefly outline the chronology of events.
I have been as surprised as anyone by the expansion process. When we
learned that ACC expansion was reality rather than a rumor we had been
hearing for several years, we visited with Commissioner John Swofford
to learn as much as he was appropriately able to share on the plans for
the conference. Virginia Tech has made no pretense for the past 30 years
that we would be a good fit for the ACC. We made clear that our first
preference was to keep the Big East intact, but if ACC expansion was
inevitable, Virginia Tech would be a good fit. As events began to
unfold we became increasingly concerned about the future of the Big East
conference. Early on, I proposed to other members of the Big East that
we sign a mutual non-departure agreement where none of us would leave
the conference. That proposal was not accepted by key players in the
process. It was apparent to me at that point that schools would leave
the Big East Conference. We became a participant in the lawsuit to
protect the university and her many interests.
And yes, as reported in the papers on June 8th, I did say on a
conference call with 31 participants including 10 reporters that "if we received
an offer today, we would not accept it." The context of that discussion
is now lost, but at the time we truly thought that would be the
appropriate course of action.
As the situation unfolded, University of Virginia President Casteen,
Virginia
_____________________________________________
June 27, 2003
Dear Alumni and Friends:
Since April when we learned that the prospects for the Atlantic Coast
Conference (ACC) expansion were real, we have been involved in a
whirlwind of activity attempting to assess the future of the ACC and
Big East athletic conferences. The situation has been in a state of flux,
changing if not hourly, certainly on a daily basis. This uncertainty
has resulted in a great deal of speculative commentary on television,
radio, and in the newspapers. Virginia Tech and I have been the subject of
remarks that were both unkind and unburdened by facts.
In order to understand our decisions throughout this process, it is
also useful to understand our responsibilities. Our first obligation is to
protect the interests of Virginia Tech as well as the overall interests
of the Commonwealth of Virginia. There are many other constituencies
affected by our actions, including our colleagues in the conferences,
alumni, fans, students, and citizens. All of our actions must be
carried out in a fashion that honors our contractual as well as ethical
obligations to those with whom we are involved.
As in this case, the impacts of our decisions are often
significant. They affect the lives of many people and the economy of
our region. Each institution faces the same dilemma whether they are in
the Big East or ACC conference.
Virginia Tech is very fortunate in that our athletic programs generate
revenue. Only about 40 of the over 100 division I-A athletic programs
nationally can make this claim. No taxpayer dollars are used to
support our athletic programs. While we field 21 intercollegiate teams, only
football produces positive revenue. These funds are used to support
the remaining 20 sports and to keep our student athletic fee low. A number
of schools in Virginia charge many times our $232 student athletic fee.
It is critical that Virginia Tech be a member of a financially viable
conference. What if athletic conference revenues were reduced by
several million per year? Coach Beamer advised me that even the uncertainty of
the future of the Big East is negatively affecting football
recruiting. If we cannot attract good players, our talented coaching
staff will be the target of other schools. Finding ourselves several
million in the red each year, we could be forced to raise our student
athletic fee or begin to eliminate several non-revenue intercollegiate
sports to address the problem.
In this year and next, Virginia Tech will have budget cuts of 26% in
state support losing $62 million this year and another $11 million next
year. We have been forced to raise tuition significantly to protect
the quality of our academic programs. Tuition will increase again next
year. There is a limit to how much the families of our students can
pay and to how much we can increase our financial aid to help with tuition
increases. A 300% increase in the athletics fee is simply not
feasible, nor would it be appropriate.
Elimination of a number of our Olympic sports not only deprives our
students of the opportunity to compete in intercollegiate athletics,
but also would result in significant problems with compliance with Title IX
programs for our women athletes. In short, our entire intercollegiate
sports program would be placed in a negative spiral from which there
would be little prospect of recovery.
Given this reality, how did we manage the decision and events over the
past two and a half months?
In a rapidly changing situation where decisions must be made in a
matter of hours and sometimes minutes, it is only possible to make the
decision based on what is known at that moment. Most often there is incomplete
information and one certainly does not have the benefit of hindsight,
which is of course the preserve of the Monday morning quarterback.
With that being said, let me briefly outline the chronology of events.
I have been as surprised as anyone by the expansion process. When we
learned that ACC expansion was reality rather than a rumor we had been
hearing for several years, we visited with Commissioner John Swofford
to learn as much as he was appropriately able to share on the plans for
the conference. Virginia Tech has made no pretense for the past 30 years
that we would be a good fit for the ACC. We made clear that our first
preference was to keep the Big East intact, but if ACC expansion was
inevitable, Virginia Tech would be a good fit. As events began to
unfold we became increasingly concerned about the future of the Big East
conference. Early on, I proposed to other members of the Big East that
we sign a mutual non-departure agreement where none of us would leave
the conference. That proposal was not accepted by key players in the
process. It was apparent to me at that point that schools would leave
the Big East Conference. We became a participant in the lawsuit to
protect the university and her many interests.
And yes, as reported in the papers on June 8th, I did say on a
conference call with 31 participants including 10 reporters that "if we received
an offer today, we would not accept it." The context of that discussion
is now lost, but at the time we truly thought that would be the
appropriate course of action.
As the situation unfolded, University of Virginia President Casteen,
Virginia
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