UNO Director of Athletics Joins The Show

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Mister Dwell, thank you so much for being back on
our show today.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Mary, great talking to you. Thanks for having me
on great scene in this past weekend.

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Yeah, we're going to be seeing a lot of each other.
It's great to get those guys back on the ice
first and foremost. I know I asked this question last
year when we spoke, but the hockey program, it's such
a unique situation for a Division one institution of higher
learning to have their premier athletic program to be a
hockey program. Can you take me through what this program

(00:29):
specifically means to you guys and how it operates leading
the way for the institution.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah, well, you know, the reality is it's the perfect
niche for us, especially in this market, you know, stay
in Nebraska. I continue to say this is such a
college sports market, and selfishly I think it's actually the
best college sports market and the entire country. And by
just having this niche with us being the sole college
hockey program, you know, in the state and really in

(00:57):
the region, just gives us an incredible opportunity to really
leverage not only the brand of our hockey program and
athletic department, but institution as well. So Omaha has always
been a hockey town, a hockey community, and we're proud
to play leading role having our hockey program really really
have a strong connection tie to the community. And I

(01:20):
think that's one of the things that really stands out
is how close this program the community tie ties are.
Just recently the Durham Museum just watch a really really
cool symposium at regarding hockey and not only us, but
also the Lancers and the Nights back in the day.
But it's really cool to see the history of hockey

(01:40):
in this community and the role you know, Maverick Hockey
has played in it.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
Yeah, it's a great point the legacy here. You guys
are really carrying the torch along with the Lancers. But
we talked to Scott from the Durham Museum and had
a chance to kind of take a sneak peak as
to what's going on there, and it really it is
an important thing. Kind of get lost in the shuffle
thinking about the football from the corn Huskers and all

(02:05):
the legacy they have, and of course volleyball all across
the state of Nebraska, especially at the collegiate and now
the professional level with the Supernovas. One of the things
that I think makes it so special is the atmosphere.
And we had coach Mike kemp on with us, the
legend who got this program started and really built it
from the ground up. And one of the things that
I'm most fascinated by and talking to him about was

(02:27):
the design and the execution of the game they experienced
for the teams and also for the fans at a
place like Baxter Arena, where the fans are located, where
the benches are, all the different things that went into
that decision. How big of a deal is the arena
that you guys have to making it such a fun
atmosphere every time that those guys take the ice.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yeah, I mean the arena is huge. I mean it's
always pretty neat when you have visitors in town for
you know, the first time. I think I got a
lot of comments from for example, this past weekend from
Minnesota State fans who just wild it not only how
nice the arena is, but also the amenities we have
in the facility, the customer experience we're able to provide,
and the uniqueness of really having a venue that large,

(03:11):
specifically for college hockey. Back to Arena is certainly one
of the largest arenas in the entire country, and consequently
you pair that with a great fan base. That's how
we consistently rank top five in the country in attendance,
and heaven forbid, some exciting things are going on in
the ice, it becomes a pretty intimidating venue, which ultimately
the reason this venue was designed like it is is

(03:34):
to try to give our hockey program a home ice
advantage as much as possible, which is absolutely needed when
navigating the Riggers weekend and week out of the NCCHC.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yeah, no doubt. We're speaking with Adrian Dall, who is
Vice chancellor and director of Athletics at the University of
Nebraska Omaha. The hockey program leads the way.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
I know that.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
But man, you got a lot of publicity out of
your men's basketball team a year ago head coach Chris Crutchfield,
who we had on the show a few times and
previewing not just you know, certain nights of you know,
the games and what you guys were doing, but you
were winning games, and all of a sudden, this trash
can thing became a huge deal, and then you were
getting national attention for the trash can thing, and then

(04:17):
rode that all the way to the first NCAA men's
basketball tournament appearance in school history. What can you say
about what the state of the U and O Maverick
basketball program is going into this season with Chris Crutchfield
back at the Helm and a new group of guys
that are going to be looking to try to build
on the momentum from last year.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
Well, last year was meaningful for a number of reasons.
It was certainly a goal for this entire institution to
eventually get, you know, the basketball program the March Madness,
because we knew what would happen if it ever occurred, right,
and so it was a transformational moment. I think you
highlighted what was unique for the men's basketball program was

(04:59):
it sort of went viral even before, you know, making
the school's first step for March Madness appearance, and then
compound that by the success they were having and much
less making it to the Nancy Tournament. It was just
an impactful run that not only will yield benefits for
that basketball program in our department, but it will have
a nine figure impact, nine figure impact on the University

(05:21):
of Nebraska and Almaha. That's not just financial, that's in
media yield, but also think of during that run, how
many prospective students all of a sudden we're googling maybe
a trash can that all of a sudden learn more
about their athletic department. Hopefully, you know our institution, and
we certainly know we will have some enrollment and yields

(05:42):
from that run as well, which is pretty evident from
case studies that have happened in other institutions when they
make their first ever March Madness run. So it's fun,
but you know, college sports, it's always what I have
done for me lately, right, So you know, certainly reached
that expectations, which is fun. And you know, jobs got
a great leader in Chris crutch Fill and the staff

(06:03):
and the great culture with student athletes. And the reality
is how we've built this over the past four years
is that last year hopefully it won't be unique. We've
built this thing to be sustainable, and I think that's
what's really really exciting for a lot of people across
the community.

Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, no doubt. One thing that I just want to
touch on here because I have limited time, Adrian, is
the it's not just these programs, right. The men's basketball
program obviously with March Madness and the run, it's going
to make a big difference. The hockey is kind of
the cornerstone program, but you have a brand new coach
leading the women's basketball program. Volleyball is still mid season,

(06:42):
they still have all of their goals out ahead of them.
As far as trying to make it to deep into
the Summit League tournament. You have soccer going on on
one of the most beautiful soccer pitches that anyone has
ever seen, that's just in your guys's backyard on campus,
and so many other things including golf, that are going
on right now. How can you get a sixty second
elevator pitch? Why somebody should go to o MAVs dot

(07:03):
com or download that Omaha Mavericks app and try to
get themselves lined up and just support what is going
on right here in our backyard.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
Well, you know, I mean, the run this department's been
on in the past I would say four years has
been obviously unprecedented. You ando, I think we've competed in
seventeen conference championships, won eleven titles, and we've had made
eight NCAA tournament runs. And it's not just been one program,
right or two programs. It's been hockey, it's been men's basketball.
We've had even women's basketballs made some championship appearances. Volleyball

(07:35):
soccers both of them have won championship. Softball has went
to three straight in SA tournaments. So the comprehensive success
across the board for sport programs has really really been
a fun run. I think it was most evident when
we're going through the hiring process for a women's basketball
program with head coach now Jamie Carey. You know, the

(07:56):
thing that really really attracted her to this job, in
addition to the Omaha community and the great campus, was
she and just like the rest of the country, she
recognized some of the comprehensive success happening not just in
one or two sport programs for the cross board. And
I really really think and I think this was a
really cool scene last year. I think that March Madness

(08:17):
run really helped people see it wasn't just one or
two sports. There's a lot of good things happen on
campus for the Mavericks right now.

Speaker 1 (08:24):
And it's going to be awesome. You can check out
omavs dot com because it's an institution with so many
different sports. There's so many different ways that you can
help support and just be a part of the action,
and of course I'm pretty partial to the hockey program.
You'll be seeing me at all the hockey games there
at Baxter Arena, as well as the men's basketball games
this season. Adrian Dal, you're doing such a great job
helping to build this athletic department and in turn making

(08:48):
the school just a great place to be around. Thanks
so much for being on the show, and I'm sure
we'll chat again sometime very soon.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
Am I appreciate you having me on and any fans listening.
When Emory tells you to do something venue, whether it
talk to your basketball, make sure you do it all right.
It's a big part of our atmosphere. So thanks for
all your help and obviously we'll see you soon on campus.

Speaker 1 (09:06):
Absolutely, Adrian Dal, the athletic director and Vice Chancellor at
the University of Nebraska Maha. How awesome is that the
next thing on the slate is today women's golf is
in action. They're going to be doing men's soccer and
that's going to be at home, I believe. Tomorrow night
volleyball on the road at Oral Roberts on the sixteenth.

(09:29):
No hockey this weekend. I think Wednesday this week is
a big kind of preseason party for the basketball program
over at Sunny's in Xarbon Village, so like right in
the middle of campus basically, And yeah, that's gonna be
a good time. I'm going to try to stop over
there after my show, so it's gonna be great. I

(09:52):
love that they're being successful. It's such a great thing
for you to in such great affordable family entertainment, also
while supporting a school that honestly is for everyone. Not
that people who don't even want to be in college
just go there and loaf off, but it's a really

(10:12):
legitimate institution of higher learning with high standards that is
welcoming to all sorts of people from various backgrounds. You
don't have to have a ton of money, you don't
have to be, you know, trying to get into like
a medical field or anything like that. And it's also
one of the top rated schools for law enforcement, so

(10:32):
trying to like get people ready for real, legitimate jobs
for the future. It's really important. I'm we are blessed
to have that here on top of unl in Lincoln
and on top of Creighton, which you know, it's a
you know, private school, and I have no problem supporting
them too. A big fan of when they're doing well

(10:54):
in anything, it's good to support them. Also went to
one of their volleyball matches a couple of weekends ago.
My parents were in town. We went and checked it out.
It was a lot of fun, and uh, yeah, it's
just we live in a great place. We take it
for granted.