July 9, 2026 • 19 mins
University of Washington Athletic Director Pat Chun joins Dick Fain and Hugh Millen to discuss the impact of the World Cup on UW, the Huskies Women’s programs winning a Big Ten title, the state of the Men’s basketball program, the Brendan Sorsby gambling situation, the College Football Playoff, and the departure of announcer Tony Castricone.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood. Laty, you know that
this hour of Softy in Dick on your home for
the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought to you by
Duke Seafood. Why not make it a Duke's night tonight.
Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com on Sports
Radio ninety three point three kJ R.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Rolling into five o'clock hour, excited my favorite song, Thank
you you Jackson.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Just let this roll for a minute.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let two Husky lumps, Humeillan and Dick Fane revel and
the sounds of Bout down to Washington as we welcome
in the head of the University of Washington Athletics program,
Pat Schohn.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Pat, how are you? It's like Christmas in July, No, Softie.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
We get Christmas in July every July for a.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
A man, I gotta be honest with you, ivery annoying.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Well, yeah that's true. Yeah, but at least I don't
have to have my kemps on. I got that's right. Well,
we'll we'll be friendly.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, well we'll say the tough questions for later.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I just got to I mean, I got to ask you.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
About what it was like to have that US men's
national team training up there with you. I mean, you
had Christian roll Dan coming back to Montlake. How did
that all come together? And then how can the UW
use that unprecedented worldwide advertising that you got in this city?
Got to help you in recruiting since you just got
forty two million American eyeballs on that game.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Yeah, well, I'll tell you this.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
I actually just had a conversation about someone with someone
about this this week. Was if you start back to
ninety four, the last time the World Cup was in
the United States. That literally gave the seed money to
start the MLS. And then around two sometime in the
top two thousands, Todd the Wiki in a group decided
to start the Sounders. Fast forward to our men's national
(01:51):
championship team this past season, and it's win well documented.
Our head coach Jamie Clark decided to do something really
different in this transfer portal world of college sports that
he wants to build with Washingtonians. So he's got twenty
one of his twenty eight young men on his national
championship squad are from Washington and met most of them
from Western Washington and but you also have a group
(02:13):
of young men that grew have spent their entire lifetime
with the Sounders and have dreamt of playing for the
Sounders and playing for the Huskies and loll and behold,
we got a national champs. So that's the impact of
the last World Cup where I could tie that all
the way to the best college men's college basketball or
scuoting college soccer program in the country. And then fast forward.
(02:33):
I mean it was amazing. I mean, we've all been
in this city these last couple of weeks. I think
it's you know, this was a great reminder of for
Seattle who we were, who we are, and who we
still could be, because there's no city in the world
that did, or at least in these three countries that
hosted the.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
World Cup like we did.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
And you know, for us, we're fortunate that the Sports
Commission that they've been extraordinary partners and we benefited from
having being being I guess they called a minus one
site because FIFA made an investment. They regraded our field.
We put a new turf down, new sprinklers down, they
built a hill for us as they.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Regraded the field.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
So those are all the great things and where this
takes us, I don't know, but it's going to be
pretty amazing if you see. If you can just look
back and what happened the last time the US host
of the World Cup, Pat.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Chun with US Pat, you referenced the women and how
they were a catalyst for the MLS. Let's talk about
the women. This year, were learning that the Husky women
won the inaugural Big Ten Championship series. Explain what that is?
It sounds really cool, something to celebrate, but what can
you tell us about that?
Speaker 5 (03:41):
So it was announced this week we had found out
that All State had sponsored what they're calling the Big
Ten Women's Championship, which is basically awarded to the top
overall performing women's athletic program. And when you look across
the board with I guess you start with women's soccer
(04:03):
being the undisputed Big Ten champions, winning both the regular
season and the tournament. You got, you know, women's basketball
making postseason, tennis making postseason, softball always makes postseason. Our
women's track and field program essentially is a top ten program,
and we have the two best pole vaulters definitely in
the NCAA, probably in the country, and maybe even the
(04:24):
entire world on our team. So when you aggregate everything, yeah,
we had different schools won national championships in different sports,
but when you look at the totality of our women's
program best in the Big Ten, which is a huge
statement because we believe one it's a preeminent sports conference
in college sports and two it's the top women's sports
(04:45):
conference as well. So huge honor and a real testament
to all the young women that were the w were jerseys,
really really great reflection of all the head coaches that
we have because obviously they recruit, train and develop these
young women, and it's just just just a huge, huge
honor for the University of Washington, especially in this conference,
being in our second year, with all the challenges in
(05:06):
college athletics, it's it's you know, it's a really huge
pride point for us.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Well, you had eight women's teams finishing the top twenty
five in the country. You had three women's team finish
in the top seven in the country, and we know,
I mean I know firsthand, I've known it for twenty
years about the injurist level in women's sports. I see
it on a daily basis with the Storm Jackson season,
on a daily basis with the rain. So we know
what the interest level in women's sports is in Seattle.
(05:32):
How about the investment financially that you guys have at
the University of Washington.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Is it greater?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
We've seen the results, but is the investment a lot
greater here than it is elsewhere?
Speaker 5 (05:45):
I will tell you this, and it's this environment is challenging.
Pick the sport because it's it's you know, ever picked
the sport's wrought with transfer, portal eligibility, you name it,
Every sport battles with it. And our coaches and you know,
and our women are just great example all of us.
Is they find young women that want to compete at
the highest level, that want the academic rigor and the
(06:09):
prestige of a Washington degree, and they want to be
pushed to be the best they can be in history
shows they can be best in the world. And you know,
it's just it's really it's just really a really great
reflection of who our coaches are. And yeah, our is
our resource level where where we wanted to be. No,
we agreed to go into this conference at a half share,
(06:30):
and that's part of the challenge we have on an
annual basis to try to mitigate that. But you know,
we're going to continue invest in people and man, the
quality of coaches we have right now across the board
men and women is you know, i'd argue second to
none in the country.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
You mentioned the half's here there and Pat Chun visiting
with us. We just are learning that Pat the Upper
Campus approved that sixteen million dollar deficit for the twenty
twenty seven fiscal year. Explain the current state in that
regard and should Husky fans think of this as like
a bridge to twenty thirty when you're getting the full
(07:04):
slice or these gonna are when do we see ourselves
operating in the black?
Speaker 5 (07:11):
Well, I think twenty thirty is the year we have
circle because then we'll essentially double our TV share at
a minimum, and it's it's the byproduct of two of
our TV partners, specifically NBC and TVs those two contracts,
and then the world will be in a different place
and we honestly, you know, it'll be interesting who's competing
for these Big ten rights. As you know now it's
(07:32):
back to back to back years of national champions coming
out of the coming out of the Big Ten. You know,
when the university made the decision going to Big Ten,
obviously it was a you know, critical decision. You know,
I remind everybody if we decided to go in a
halfh share a couple of years ago, if realignment were
to happen in a couple of years, there's probably gonna
be entry fees no different than what you know, Seattle
(07:54):
is going to face relatives to the Sonics, and there
will probably be reduction the distribution as well, so the
value and going in when we did obviously obviously an
important decision in the moment, and then as we try
to navigate these next couple of years, you know, I
would remind everybody it is it was an institutional decision
to go into the Big Ten because Washington wants to
(08:17):
compete at the highest level, so the Big Ten is
the highest level of college sports. It's actually been a
really really exceptional partnership with the Big Ten to date,
and but twenty thirty is the date that we just
kind of really work hard to increase all of our
revenue streams. You know, We're fortunate to have the donors
we have that continue to support us at the highest
levels and work with campus to try to you know,
get us to twenty thirty.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Youw ad Pat Chun joining us here at ninety three
point three KJRFM, and Pat, I'm reading a quote that
you just delivered not long ago in an interview with
the Big Ten Network. You said winning is the DNA
of Washington. Having success across the board is something that's
critically important to us. Now we've talked about the success
you've had across the board. On the women's side, we
have seen the improvement in the football program, not only
(09:00):
with the wins, but also the upcoming recruiting classes, which
are ridiculous over the next couple of years years the
women's basketball program incrementally improves every single season. We have
not yet seen it on the men's basketball side, So
talk about your level of satisfaction with where the program
is and evaluate its health right now.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
In totality or men's basketball. Speaking with men's basketball specifically.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
Men's basketball, I mean, I mean, I would just remind
everybody there is no I would argue it's the most
broken sport in college sports. You know, I jokingly say
college basketball court coaches weren't following rules, even only had rules.
So it's it's been it's it's it's a sport that
is really, in my opinion, the hardest to get going
(09:47):
because it is the most transient of all the sports.
Rosters reset on an annual basis. So you know, I
I believe Danny what the plan he has put together,
I you know, for heading into this year, I believe
it's the right plan. I know in watching Danny and
how he coaches, I remind everybody that Big ten basketball
(10:09):
is very different in the Pac twelve. We used to
compete in the Big ten. Roots and I grew up
in the Big Ten are literally Bobby Knight, Gene Katie
and jud Heath coach and that manifests itself into the
today's game because Dusty May was a when he was
Mission's coach, a Bobby Knight disciple, Matt Painter is a
gen kt disciple, and Tom Izzo is a jud Heath
(10:30):
coach disciple. So it's a it's a it's a league
that's built on a bunch of basketball coaches back in
the day that where we want to be.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Football coaches the physical league.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
So we have to think differently in how we build
a basketball program. You know that that that that is
you know and the science and the you know, the
the mass.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Of putting a roster together. The puzzle has to fit better.
Danny knows that.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
And you know, he took a very different approach and
how he pieces roster together this year. And you know,
the challenging college sports now is he's got a microwave
team together really between now and you know October, and
when adversity hits, we see if that microwaving work. And
you know, it's you know, it's all the things he
did to try to put this roster together. You know,
(11:13):
we'll see how the next couple of months go. But
I actually, I actually have a lot more. I actually
feel really good about heading into this upcoming season.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Patch un with US and and PAT football. College football
has its stains too now and and the the white
Hot fire controversy that was Brendan Soorsby and all of that, Uh,
I guess is starting to you know, die down to
some members. But unquestionably you had some thoughts personally professionally
about all that. Uh what would you do in some
(11:42):
of those situations? Michigan wants to cancel volleyball games against
Texas Tech. I mean that really was far reaching. Uh
what what did you learn about that, what can impart
to your to the athletic department, and and and how
would have you handled that had you been in some
of these positions.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
Well, I think it's really indicative of the over one
of the overarching problems in college sports that we agree
to these rules and if we don't like the rules,
we all can go to our local court get temporary
injunctive of relief and get eligibility restored. And that is
part of the problem we have in college sports. It
needs to be addressed. The only group that can help
(12:22):
us is really Congress. Senator can't well in our own
state and Ted Cruz are working on a bill as
we speak. I'm hopeful that they can continue to put
the work in to get that bill in the place
where it does the work it needs to do to
help college sports. And then it's a whole different story
if it can even get through the Senate and eventually
(12:44):
through the House. But that to me is really it's
the worst version of what our current system could be.
Because you had a young person there who, in any
other sport probably on the planet, would be ineligible to play.
I mean, I'm old enough where you know, we're all
old enough remember when Pete Rose got a lifetime ban.
So it's like, that's that's severe of of that's that
(13:07):
egregious of a penalty, and but it's how it was
handled as really that's how things can get handling college courts.
If you don't like the role, you just go to
your local courts and get in jumped and relief. And
that's what has to change in college forms well.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
And every time the courts look at this, I mean,
you know Alston notably, you know, they're looking and they're saying, hey,
the players, they're they're not students. They they are the
labor and they're protected by the anti trust laws and
and all all over we see college athletics right with
horizontal price fixing in the eyes of the courts, and
(13:40):
it seems like, uh, you know, the institutions keep taking
these batterings in in the courts because it's just a
fundamental view of how they view you know, what we
used to term student athletes. Now they're just the labor
and there's no collective bargaining, I mean beyond is it
really just you just have to have of Congress right
(14:01):
an anti trust exemption or can you see any other
way around some of these problems.
Speaker 5 (14:07):
Well, I think that that that is going to be
the best way to get it done, but it's not.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
I don't know how probable it is.
Speaker 5 (14:13):
And then then after that, then it's going to come down.
I believe the conferences are going to have to make
the governance decisions on their own because you know, this
talk of a super league. I mean, you know, I'm
not a lawyer, but you don't have to be a
lawyer to know that. You know, you got you can't
have market power in your favor, you trigger anti trust.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
So it's if Congress.
Speaker 5 (14:33):
Congress has always been the best route and it's always
been the most challenging. And then the next piece of
it is is our leagues are going to have to
figure out what to do from a governance standpoint because
this environment is not sustainable. This you know we've built,
We've built a you know, a false economy in around
player acquisition. Our athletes should be compensated, but the whole
environment and how we do it, I mean I heard
(14:55):
someone say this, there's a hundred ways we could compensate
our athletes, and we actually probably figure out the worst
way to do.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
That's seen joining us and other changes in college sports
that are happening rapidly is how we determine a champion
and how many teams can compete for a champion. We
had four, we went to twelve. I think most people,
including myself, thought the next logical step would be sixteen.
And all of a sudden, we've heard about this twenty
fourteen that you've been pretty outspoken that you're a proponent for,
(15:22):
so talk about your positioning on that. When the other
side would say, hey, listen, Pat, this waters down the
regular season. Why do we want twenty four teams in
a playoff?
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Well?
Speaker 5 (15:33):
I think Well, one, I would argue that the economics
of the economics in college sports have changed significantly, and
there is a direct correlation with quality of team based
on investment into a roster. And some programs are blessed
with billionaires plural some have billionaires and and a lot
of us don't. So I would say one, the economics
(15:56):
have changed too meaningful in this environment, and playing in
meaningful games is critically important.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
And I know this will challenge what the ball system was,
but I mean.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
The reality is the world changed the moment we were
you know, we legally were allowed to compensate our athletes.
And I get it, Like for a hundred years, you know,
there's been dark money or you know, brown bag money
that has passed through college sports, and I get that.
But now that we're able to compensate athletes, we got
to be conscientious of you know, our young people want
to play in meaningful games. They want to don't want
(16:29):
to play an exhibition my games. I don't think it's
going to have the impact on the regular season like
some people do, simply because the positioning in playoffs is critical.
You know, we see it in the NFL. The positioning
in play in playoffs are critical. I think we're all
here for a Thursday Night with.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Pat shun And and Pat Husky fans. We enjoyed a
legend for decades and decades in Bob Rondo, and when
he was replaced by Tony caster Coone, my sense is
that that he had just universal uh access us and
and and really embracing and and did a phenomenal job.
Now Tony moves on, Uh, just a thought about him
(17:07):
and maybe now uh as far as replacing, you know,
I've got a guy in mind. I don't want to
mention any names, but his initials are Dick Vane. Uh,
certainly for basketball. And he had no idea I was
going to say that. So I surprised him as much
as you. But but just a thought about Tony and
and and and uh you know the broadcast uh element
(17:30):
and aspect of that.
Speaker 5 (17:33):
Well, we're we're happy for Tony that he's you know,
moving on to the next step of his career. You know,
he he had done such a you know, done such
a good job, and he was so you know, you
know it's those jobs you become a part of the
athletic program, you could become you know, you're part of
your significant part of our team. So you know Tony
because he was you know, so caring and such a
(17:55):
nice guy and so committed to the work. I mean,
he was respected by everybody. So he leaves shoes to fill.
But as you know, Bob Rando left shoes to fill.
Those are those are you know, even though radio is
what radio used to be, I mean, to be the
voice of the Huskies, to be the voice of the Mariners.
I mean, you know, there there is a historical value
(18:16):
to that that we recognize and and and understand the
you know how significant a role that is our team
is going to take a deep look at what what
you know, what's appropriate because you know, the world's changing.
Our conference is a little bit different now in terms
of you know, Tony was traveling cross country basically from
September all the way through March, and you.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Know, we wanted to actually be traveling all.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
The way through April and and and so you know there, Yeah,
there's a demand. There's a demand with the job that
we recognize. So we're going to take a little We're
doing our due diligence to make sure that we're setting
the next person up for success. And you know, we're
going to go find the best person that you know
that that that can represent us and be the voice
(19:01):
of the voice of Hoskey Sports. Hey, Pat, we always
appreciate the time.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 5 (19:08):
All right, go dogs, enjoy the time off with that
without Softie.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
There, we'll do we always do. Thanks, thank you. All right,
that's Pat jen a d from the University of Washington.
What was that was that five grand or ten grand,
Hugh that I promised you for that I remember what
I put.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Yeah, yes, let's go at the commercial.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
I need to see that you.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Should have seen my face when you said, I was like, what.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
I did not No, I didn't he he did not know,
nor did you that that that's me just having a
little fun. But I do believe it.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
But thanks.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
So I do think you, uh, you would represent that
Mike well and the Huskies well. So I'm pulling for you.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
Man.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Let's let's talk about some of the things that Pat
threw out there. We'll do that next on ninety three
point three kJ FM.
This is Duke of Duke Seafood. Laty, you know that
this hour of Softy in Dick on your home for
the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought to you by
Duke Seafood. Why not make it a Duke's night tonight.
Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com on Sports
Radio ninety three point three kJ R.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Rolling into five o'clock hour, excited my favorite song, Thank
you you Jackson.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Just let this roll for a minute.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let two Husky lumps, Humeillan and Dick Fane revel and
the sounds of Bout down to Washington as we welcome
in the head of the University of Washington Athletics program,
Pat Schohn.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Pat, how are you? It's like Christmas in July, No, Softie.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
We get Christmas in July every July for a.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
A man, I gotta be honest with you, ivery annoying.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Well, yeah that's true. Yeah, but at least I don't
have to have my kemps on. I got that's right. Well,
we'll we'll be friendly.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, well we'll say the tough questions for later.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I just got to I mean, I got to ask you.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
About what it was like to have that US men's
national team training up there with you. I mean, you
had Christian roll Dan coming back to Montlake. How did
that all come together? And then how can the UW
use that unprecedented worldwide advertising that you got in this city?
Got to help you in recruiting since you just got
forty two million American eyeballs on that game.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Yeah, well, I'll tell you this.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
I actually just had a conversation about someone with someone
about this this week. Was if you start back to
ninety four, the last time the World Cup was in
the United States. That literally gave the seed money to
start the MLS. And then around two sometime in the
top two thousands, Todd the Wiki in a group decided
to start the Sounders. Fast forward to our men's national
(01:51):
championship team this past season, and it's win well documented.
Our head coach Jamie Clark decided to do something really
different in this transfer portal world of college sports that
he wants to build with Washingtonians. So he's got twenty
one of his twenty eight young men on his national
championship squad are from Washington and met most of them
from Western Washington and but you also have a group
(02:13):
of young men that grew have spent their entire lifetime
with the Sounders and have dreamt of playing for the
Sounders and playing for the Huskies and loll and behold,
we got a national champs. So that's the impact of
the last World Cup where I could tie that all
the way to the best college men's college basketball or
scuoting college soccer program in the country. And then fast forward.
(02:33):
I mean it was amazing. I mean, we've all been
in this city these last couple of weeks. I think
it's you know, this was a great reminder of for
Seattle who we were, who we are, and who we
still could be, because there's no city in the world
that did, or at least in these three countries that
hosted the.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
World Cup like we did.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
And you know, for us, we're fortunate that the Sports
Commission that they've been extraordinary partners and we benefited from
having being being I guess they called a minus one
site because FIFA made an investment. They regraded our field.
We put a new turf down, new sprinklers down, they
built a hill for us as they.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Regraded the field.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
So those are all the great things and where this
takes us, I don't know, but it's going to be
pretty amazing if you see. If you can just look
back and what happened the last time the US host
of the World Cup, Pat.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Chun with US Pat, you referenced the women and how
they were a catalyst for the MLS. Let's talk about
the women. This year, were learning that the Husky women
won the inaugural Big Ten Championship series. Explain what that is?
It sounds really cool, something to celebrate, but what can
you tell us about that?
Speaker 5 (03:41):
So it was announced this week we had found out
that All State had sponsored what they're calling the Big
Ten Women's Championship, which is basically awarded to the top
overall performing women's athletic program. And when you look across
the board with I guess you start with women's soccer
(04:03):
being the undisputed Big Ten champions, winning both the regular
season and the tournament. You got, you know, women's basketball
making postseason, tennis making postseason, softball always makes postseason. Our
women's track and field program essentially is a top ten program,
and we have the two best pole vaulters definitely in
the NCAA, probably in the country, and maybe even the
(04:24):
entire world on our team. So when you aggregate everything, yeah,
we had different schools won national championships in different sports,
but when you look at the totality of our women's
program best in the Big Ten, which is a huge
statement because we believe one it's a preeminent sports conference
in college sports and two it's the top women's sports
(04:45):
conference as well. So huge honor and a real testament
to all the young women that were the w were jerseys,
really really great reflection of all the head coaches that
we have because obviously they recruit, train and develop these
young women, and it's just just just a huge, huge
honor for the University of Washington, especially in this conference,
being in our second year, with all the challenges in
(05:06):
college athletics, it's it's you know, it's a really huge
pride point for us.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Well, you had eight women's teams finishing the top twenty
five in the country. You had three women's team finish
in the top seven in the country, and we know,
I mean I know firsthand, I've known it for twenty
years about the injurist level in women's sports. I see
it on a daily basis with the Storm Jackson season,
on a daily basis with the rain. So we know
what the interest level in women's sports is in Seattle.
(05:32):
How about the investment financially that you guys have at
the University of Washington.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Is it greater?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
We've seen the results, but is the investment a lot
greater here than it is elsewhere?
Speaker 5 (05:45):
I will tell you this, and it's this environment is challenging.
Pick the sport because it's it's you know, ever picked
the sport's wrought with transfer, portal eligibility, you name it,
Every sport battles with it. And our coaches and you know,
and our women are just great example all of us.
Is they find young women that want to compete at
the highest level, that want the academic rigor and the
(06:09):
prestige of a Washington degree, and they want to be
pushed to be the best they can be in history
shows they can be best in the world. And you know,
it's just it's really it's just really a really great
reflection of who our coaches are. And yeah, our is
our resource level where where we wanted to be. No,
we agreed to go into this conference at a half share,
(06:30):
and that's part of the challenge we have on an
annual basis to try to mitigate that. But you know,
we're going to continue invest in people and man, the
quality of coaches we have right now across the board
men and women is you know, i'd argue second to
none in the country.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
You mentioned the half's here there and Pat Chun visiting
with us. We just are learning that Pat the Upper
Campus approved that sixteen million dollar deficit for the twenty
twenty seven fiscal year. Explain the current state in that
regard and should Husky fans think of this as like
a bridge to twenty thirty when you're getting the full
(07:04):
slice or these gonna are when do we see ourselves
operating in the black?
Speaker 5 (07:11):
Well, I think twenty thirty is the year we have
circle because then we'll essentially double our TV share at
a minimum, and it's it's the byproduct of two of
our TV partners, specifically NBC and TVs those two contracts,
and then the world will be in a different place
and we honestly, you know, it'll be interesting who's competing
for these Big ten rights. As you know now it's
(07:32):
back to back to back years of national champions coming
out of the coming out of the Big Ten. You know,
when the university made the decision going to Big Ten,
obviously it was a you know, critical decision. You know,
I remind everybody if we decided to go in a
halfh share a couple of years ago, if realignment were
to happen in a couple of years, there's probably gonna
be entry fees no different than what you know, Seattle
(07:54):
is going to face relatives to the Sonics, and there
will probably be reduction the distribution as well, so the
value and going in when we did obviously obviously an
important decision in the moment, and then as we try
to navigate these next couple of years, you know, I
would remind everybody it is it was an institutional decision
to go into the Big Ten because Washington wants to
(08:17):
compete at the highest level, so the Big Ten is
the highest level of college sports. It's actually been a
really really exceptional partnership with the Big Ten to date,
and but twenty thirty is the date that we just
kind of really work hard to increase all of our
revenue streams. You know, We're fortunate to have the donors
we have that continue to support us at the highest
levels and work with campus to try to you know,
get us to twenty thirty.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Youw ad Pat Chun joining us here at ninety three
point three KJRFM, and Pat, I'm reading a quote that
you just delivered not long ago in an interview with
the Big Ten Network. You said winning is the DNA
of Washington. Having success across the board is something that's
critically important to us. Now we've talked about the success
you've had across the board. On the women's side, we
have seen the improvement in the football program, not only
(09:00):
with the wins, but also the upcoming recruiting classes, which
are ridiculous over the next couple of years years the
women's basketball program incrementally improves every single season. We have
not yet seen it on the men's basketball side, So
talk about your level of satisfaction with where the program
is and evaluate its health right now.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
In totality or men's basketball. Speaking with men's basketball specifically.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
Men's basketball, I mean, I mean, I would just remind
everybody there is no I would argue it's the most
broken sport in college sports. You know, I jokingly say
college basketball court coaches weren't following rules, even only had rules.
So it's it's been it's it's it's a sport that
is really, in my opinion, the hardest to get going
(09:47):
because it is the most transient of all the sports.
Rosters reset on an annual basis. So you know, I
I believe Danny what the plan he has put together,
I you know, for heading into this year, I believe
it's the right plan. I know in watching Danny and
how he coaches, I remind everybody that Big ten basketball
(10:09):
is very different in the Pac twelve. We used to
compete in the Big ten. Roots and I grew up
in the Big Ten are literally Bobby Knight, Gene Katie
and jud Heath coach and that manifests itself into the
today's game because Dusty May was a when he was
Mission's coach, a Bobby Knight disciple, Matt Painter is a
gen kt disciple, and Tom Izzo is a jud Heath
(10:30):
coach disciple. So it's a it's a it's a league
that's built on a bunch of basketball coaches back in
the day that where we want to be.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Football coaches the physical league.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
So we have to think differently in how we build
a basketball program. You know that that that that is
you know and the science and the you know, the
the mass.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Of putting a roster together. The puzzle has to fit better.
Danny knows that.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
And you know, he took a very different approach and
how he pieces roster together this year. And you know,
the challenging college sports now is he's got a microwave
team together really between now and you know October, and
when adversity hits, we see if that microwaving work. And
you know, it's you know, it's all the things he
did to try to put this roster together. You know,
(11:13):
we'll see how the next couple of months go. But
I actually, I actually have a lot more. I actually
feel really good about heading into this upcoming season.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Patch un with US and and PAT football. College football
has its stains too now and and the the white
Hot fire controversy that was Brendan Soorsby and all of that, Uh,
I guess is starting to you know, die down to
some members. But unquestionably you had some thoughts personally professionally
about all that. Uh what would you do in some
(11:42):
of those situations? Michigan wants to cancel volleyball games against
Texas Tech. I mean that really was far reaching. Uh
what what did you learn about that, what can impart
to your to the athletic department, and and and how
would have you handled that had you been in some
of these positions.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
Well, I think it's really indicative of the over one
of the overarching problems in college sports that we agree
to these rules and if we don't like the rules,
we all can go to our local court get temporary
injunctive of relief and get eligibility restored. And that is
part of the problem we have in college sports. It
needs to be addressed. The only group that can help
(12:22):
us is really Congress. Senator can't well in our own
state and Ted Cruz are working on a bill as
we speak. I'm hopeful that they can continue to put
the work in to get that bill in the place
where it does the work it needs to do to
help college sports. And then it's a whole different story
if it can even get through the Senate and eventually
(12:44):
through the House. But that to me is really it's
the worst version of what our current system could be.
Because you had a young person there who, in any
other sport probably on the planet, would be ineligible to play.
I mean, I'm old enough where you know, we're all
old enough remember when Pete Rose got a lifetime ban.
So it's like, that's that's severe of of that's that
(13:07):
egregious of a penalty, and but it's how it was
handled as really that's how things can get handling college courts.
If you don't like the role, you just go to
your local courts and get in jumped and relief. And
that's what has to change in college forms well.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
And every time the courts look at this, I mean,
you know Alston notably, you know, they're looking and they're saying, hey,
the players, they're they're not students. They they are the
labor and they're protected by the anti trust laws and
and all all over we see college athletics right with
horizontal price fixing in the eyes of the courts, and
(13:40):
it seems like, uh, you know, the institutions keep taking
these batterings in in the courts because it's just a
fundamental view of how they view you know, what we
used to term student athletes. Now they're just the labor
and there's no collective bargaining, I mean beyond is it
really just you just have to have of Congress right
(14:01):
an anti trust exemption or can you see any other
way around some of these problems.
Speaker 5 (14:07):
Well, I think that that that is going to be
the best way to get it done, but it's not.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
I don't know how probable it is.
Speaker 5 (14:13):
And then then after that, then it's going to come down.
I believe the conferences are going to have to make
the governance decisions on their own because you know, this
talk of a super league. I mean, you know, I'm
not a lawyer, but you don't have to be a
lawyer to know that. You know, you got you can't
have market power in your favor, you trigger anti trust.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
So it's if Congress.
Speaker 5 (14:33):
Congress has always been the best route and it's always
been the most challenging. And then the next piece of
it is is our leagues are going to have to
figure out what to do from a governance standpoint because
this environment is not sustainable. This you know we've built,
We've built a you know, a false economy in around
player acquisition. Our athletes should be compensated, but the whole
environment and how we do it, I mean I heard
(14:55):
someone say this, there's a hundred ways we could compensate
our athletes, and we actually probably figure out the worst
way to do.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
That's seen joining us and other changes in college sports
that are happening rapidly is how we determine a champion
and how many teams can compete for a champion. We
had four, we went to twelve. I think most people,
including myself, thought the next logical step would be sixteen.
And all of a sudden, we've heard about this twenty
fourteen that you've been pretty outspoken that you're a proponent for,
(15:22):
so talk about your positioning on that. When the other
side would say, hey, listen, Pat, this waters down the
regular season. Why do we want twenty four teams in
a playoff?
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Well?
Speaker 5 (15:33):
I think Well, one, I would argue that the economics
of the economics in college sports have changed significantly, and
there is a direct correlation with quality of team based
on investment into a roster. And some programs are blessed
with billionaires plural some have billionaires and and a lot
of us don't. So I would say one, the economics
(15:56):
have changed too meaningful in this environment, and playing in
meaningful games is critically important.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
And I know this will challenge what the ball system was,
but I mean.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
The reality is the world changed the moment we were
you know, we legally were allowed to compensate our athletes.
And I get it, Like for a hundred years, you know,
there's been dark money or you know, brown bag money
that has passed through college sports, and I get that.
But now that we're able to compensate athletes, we got
to be conscientious of you know, our young people want
to play in meaningful games. They want to don't want
(16:29):
to play an exhibition my games. I don't think it's
going to have the impact on the regular season like
some people do, simply because the positioning in playoffs is critical.
You know, we see it in the NFL. The positioning
in play in playoffs are critical. I think we're all
here for a Thursday Night with.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Pat shun And and Pat Husky fans. We enjoyed a
legend for decades and decades in Bob Rondo, and when
he was replaced by Tony caster Coone, my sense is
that that he had just universal uh access us and
and and really embracing and and did a phenomenal job.
Now Tony moves on, Uh, just a thought about him
(17:07):
and maybe now uh as far as replacing, you know,
I've got a guy in mind. I don't want to
mention any names, but his initials are Dick Vane. Uh,
certainly for basketball. And he had no idea I was
going to say that. So I surprised him as much
as you. But but just a thought about Tony and
and and and uh you know the broadcast uh element
(17:30):
and aspect of that.
Speaker 5 (17:33):
Well, we're we're happy for Tony that he's you know,
moving on to the next step of his career. You know,
he he had done such a you know, done such
a good job, and he was so you know, you
know it's those jobs you become a part of the
athletic program, you could become you know, you're part of
your significant part of our team. So you know Tony
because he was you know, so caring and such a
(17:55):
nice guy and so committed to the work. I mean,
he was respected by everybody. So he leaves shoes to fill.
But as you know, Bob Rando left shoes to fill.
Those are those are you know, even though radio is
what radio used to be, I mean, to be the
voice of the Huskies, to be the voice of the Mariners.
I mean, you know, there there is a historical value
(18:16):
to that that we recognize and and and understand the
you know how significant a role that is our team
is going to take a deep look at what what
you know, what's appropriate because you know, the world's changing.
Our conference is a little bit different now in terms
of you know, Tony was traveling cross country basically from
September all the way through March, and you.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Know, we wanted to actually be traveling all.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
The way through April and and and so you know there, Yeah,
there's a demand. There's a demand with the job that
we recognize. So we're going to take a little We're
doing our due diligence to make sure that we're setting
the next person up for success. And you know, we're
going to go find the best person that you know
that that that can represent us and be the voice
(19:01):
of the voice of Hoskey Sports. Hey, Pat, we always
appreciate the time.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 5 (19:08):
All right, go dogs, enjoy the time off with that
without Softie.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
There, we'll do we always do. Thanks, thank you. All right,
that's Pat jen a d from the University of Washington.
What was that was that five grand or ten grand,
Hugh that I promised you for that I remember what
I put.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Yeah, yes, let's go at the commercial.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
I need to see that you.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Should have seen my face when you said, I was like, what.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
I did not No, I didn't he he did not know,
nor did you that that that's me just having a
little fun. But I do believe it.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
But thanks.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
So I do think you, uh, you would represent that
Mike well and the Huskies well. So I'm pulling for you.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
Man.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Let's let's talk about some of the things that Pat
threw out there. We'll do that next on ninety three
point three kJ FM.
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