August 3, 2024 • 18 mins
Washington Huskies new Athletic Director Pat Chun joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about UW officially moving to the Big Ten, the finances involved with the move, the budget growing, the travel situation within the Big Ten and stadium situations.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Our nuts up coverage Joe Seahawks training camp continues from
the Virginia Mason Athletics Center, brought to you by Northwest
Handling Systems and the twenty twenty four Bowing Classic Gaugus
fifth through the eleventh. Now Beck to Sathian Dick Gon
Sports Radio ninety three point three kJ R FM.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Well, big day over you, Dub Dick.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
We're at the vMac for Seahawks training camp the Virginia
Mason Athletics Center. But today is the first day of
the rest of their lives in the Big Ten day
number one of who knows how many in the Big
ten conference. And like a proud papa, the AD at Washington,
Pat Chun joining us right now to talk about a
(00:40):
really really big day over at you, Pat?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
How are you man?
Speaker 4 (00:44):
I'm probably nothing more symbolic of how different the world
is that you guys are at the vMac today and
Pete Carroll's at our practice today on Mot Lake.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
And you are the AD at Washington. I mean think yeah,
I think right.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
The world has turned and spun at racey would have
ever imagined.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
The world that we lived in six months ago is
no longer recognizable to a lot of people, but I mean, Pat,
maybe just start there.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
How much of a transition is this?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
I mean we kind of think about professionally, you know,
obviously landmarks, you know, logos, things like that, but mentally
this is a transition, right. I mean there's people that
have worked for that school for a long time. You've
been a part of the PAC twelve, PAC ten for
a long time, the fans of this team that grew
up and lived and died in this conference. How much
of a shock to the system in some ways is this?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
For some people?
Speaker 4 (01:29):
You think, well, this is going to be different, and
the route to the top is going to be very different.
And although there are extraordinary benefits and opportunities as being
in the Big ten, you know, I've you know, once
you start to study you know, Washington and our history
and why and how we've been so successful, one of
those reasons is how we're structured in the support and
(01:50):
you know I've been I've been telling, you know, as
a meeting with with more Huskies and getting around town.
It's reminding everybody that, hey, I could give a pretty
fact based argument that the Huskies eve you know, it's
a top program in the PAC twelve and whether you're
measured by year, five years, ten years, fifty years, hundred years,
we could give you that argument. We also leave as
the second highest operating budget in the PAC twelve, and
(02:12):
now as we head into this new conference, we slide
in at number ten inside that conference. And it's really
just a byproduct of decisions made in the PAC twelve
over the years. And you know, and on top of that,
as we're entering the league that has invested and reinvested
in itself over and over while you know, our revenues
declined relative to what peers have. So it's just it's
a different challenge. But you know, at the end of
(02:34):
the day, it's still about us. It's still about us
being the best we're supposed to be. You know. It's
more it's really my responsibility, not anyone else's, to make
sure that, you know, we increase our revenue lines. And
you know, that's part of the challenge we I have
going forward.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
And so what's your expectations be based upon the numbers
that you just threw up there? How much should we
expect that the Huskies might struggle to compete financially with
the rest of the conference at least while they're receiving
a partial share.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Well, I go back to the cow Boys, Yankees, and
probably the Lakers. I mean, if if if revenues were
why everybody wins every year, then the rest of us
shouldn't shouldn't shouldn't even bother to compete. It's deeper than that,
you guys know, the Seahawks are probably a better examples.
I actually was talking about that with Pete Carroll today,
uh As he was just asked about about revenue share
that's on the horizon, how it impacts us, and you know, I,
(03:19):
you know, I use the same thing as the reason
why they you know, if it was that easy, the
Cowboys will win every year, but it's not so for us,
you know, on the go forward is I think it's
a blessing that the model changes h now that you know,
starting next year theoretically is upon basically you know, once approved,
will be in a revenue share model. And and and
it's my belief that for college athletics it's not going
(03:40):
to be about how much you spend. It's going to
be more and how smart you spend. Uh And I
just look at and I just look at it, and
you can look at that in terms of in pro sports,
it's you know, there's there's you know, there's a reason
why the the Seahawks have had more success than the
Cowboys over the last twenty five years because they've been
you know, they've just operated better. So for us, I think,
you know, I think it's really just incumbent on all
all of us at you Dub just to make sure
(04:02):
that hey, we're you know, we're being strategic, we're hiring
the right people, we're creating you know, we're enhancing our
environment and our culture. Because at the end of the day,
it's like like, you know, it's like, you know, I
talked to the football team yesterday and you know, just
reminded him it's our technically, yesterday was our last day
in the in the Pac twelve. And then you know,
Coach Fish opened that team meeting by talking about how
(04:23):
please you up at with practice, And I said, hey,
you know, in our last day in the Pac twelve,
you know you did what every every Husky football program
has done before you and try to maximize the day.
And then today when we wake up, we have another opportunity.
And it just so happens Durund the Big ten and
you know, we can't control anything down the road, but
we can't control today. So like, if you know, for us,
(04:43):
I would assume it's always been this way. And as
I've done this deeper dive and study into you, dub
and the Huskies and what has made us so successful,
I mean it is really really, you know, it's really
focused on being the best we're supposed to be in
history shows that that that can get you all the
way to the top of the mountain.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Well, I love the unprompted random shots at the Dallas Cowboys,
by the way, so I'm so keep those coming as
a as a Cleveland guy, I know you don't mind
taking shots at them either. But Pat shun is with
us on the radio show. So I mean, I'm just
gonna done this down as much as I can, more
for my purposes to be honest with you, than than
somebody else's.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
But what do you need right?
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Like, you've got a brand new basketball facility coming in.
You just mentioned it's more important to spend the money
wisely than to have this gigantic war chest and spend
it poorly.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
What do you need?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Like, if you're gonna go shopping with a shopping cart
and you have an unlimited budget, grab whatever you want. Uh,
you know, new stadium, new turf, new, you know, basketball court, new,
you know, golf, fitness center. What do you need over
there at You dubbed that maybe now we can go
out and get because we're gonna be in the big ten.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Well that changed Friday because now now now that we
are allowed to share you know, somewhere around twenty two
to twenty three million, that that's to be defined in
revenues with with you know, a segment of our student athletes.
You know, our budget hasn't changed, although what we need
to what we can share has changed. And the reality
for Washington is we have always been you know, whatever
(06:10):
the max the NCAA or whatever governor US governs US
has allowed for us to give to our student athletes
in terms of benefits and services, Washington has always been
at the top. And there is not a scenario where
I see that that changes. So for us, really, when
we talk about growing our budget, now, wh's really the
realities of a you know, I think we're at around
one hundred and sixty seven one hundred sixty seven hundred
(06:32):
and sixty eight million dollar budget. We're not at you know,
one eighty eight, one ninety. But we're gonna have to
We're gonna have to grow our revenue streams because for
us to go compete at the highest levels, we're gonna
have to go find dollars because ultimately there are more
dollars we can share with our athletes, which is you know,
obviously something that we're proponents of that you do.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
You know the Big Ten growing up there, you probably
know it better than most other Big ten commissions. You
spent basically the first you know, twenty five years of
your life. There is there an identity or an essence
that's unique to be in a Big ten team that
we need to learn about.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I think you've hurt you guys have heard me say it,
you know, over and over, like we we are a
Big ten institution where you know we're we're as We're
a school that you know is nationally and even globally
recognized for academic excellence, big research, big medical system, big athletics,
and just this, just this, you know, unbridled passion for
(07:26):
your alma mater and the school you love. So at
the end of the day when you when you when
you package it all all up, it's it just happens
to be a conference that wants to be great academically
and wants to be great athletically. And it's it's institutions
that have tried to marry the two, uh for you know,
for nearly a century. So that's probably where the biggest
share in And really it's it's you know, you know,
(07:48):
you make no secrets about it. It's you know, football
is a priority in the Big Ten, and football is
a priority at the University of Washington. We would not
have the history, you know, history we've had if we
didn't make it a priority. And you know, it's probably
no secret that the great coach in school history, you know,
has has Big Ten roots as well, grown up in
the state of Ohio and coach James. So when you
bundle everything up, I mean there's a reason why we
(08:08):
we look the way we look as an athletic department
because you know, at the end of the day, we've
always kind of mire, you know, we've mirrored those paths
of trying to be great academically and athletically as an institution.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Pat chun with us simply put, is going to the
Big Ten going to force you to pay coaches more. Well,
this cost you more because of now you're paying big
ten coaches and not pack twelve coaches.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Uh. You know, well, I think our you know, we're
doing it and it's no different than every other athletic
program in the country. With last Friday's official news about
revenue share, I think we're all taking a look of
where we're allocating resources because there is nothing more important
than who your student athletes are that are wearing those jerseys. So,
you know, the nice thing is there's there there. You know,
(08:52):
there will be a mechanism which which we can you know,
get more back to our student athletes, you know, and
and you know, what we look like going forward's going
to really dictate what our budget model looks like. And
there's just more questions right now than answers because, you know,
because of the revenue share on the horizon.
Speaker 5 (09:08):
I was reading an interview did with Christian Cable the
other day and you mentioned seating capacity and now you've
got revenue challenges having twenty five thousand less seats than
many Big ten schools.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
This is just spitball idea.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
Would you ever consider making a horseshoe of your own
in your own stadium and putting an upper deck on
the on the west side and getting it up to
ninety ninety five thousand, or do you even think there's
that type of hunger, that type of demand to fill
a ninety thousand seat stadium in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Well, we're a pro market and winning does matter in
a pro market. And the Seattle of yesterday is not
the same Seattle of today. So you know, we you know,
our community is to become more transient just with just
the volume of jobs and people that have come from
all over the globe and have made this home. So
we recognize that there are other ways that we need
to be more creative. I think, you know, this year's
going to be you know, good for me to educate
(09:58):
myself more on on what potential revenue opportunities are out there. Uh,
you know, it's it's nice to be able to go
to a Mariner's game, you know, I want to Seahawks
practice last Saturday just to kind of you know, in
the past, when I've gone, it's just more to you know,
spend time and just enjoy a game. But now I'm
kind of looking around a little bit more to see what,
you know, what's what's some of the best in the
(10:19):
business do relative to activating in a very crowded marketplace
for you know, for pro sports specifically. So I mean
there's you know, there's there's there's opportunity right beneath our
noses that you dub it's you know, uh, you know,
our athletics team is trying to figure those things out,
and uh, you know what, we're going to be as
entrepreneurial and creative as possible, you know, to try to
(10:39):
figure out where where we can find more dollars.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Well, Pat Chung today with us on the radio show
ad Over, you dubbed Day one and the Big Ten
is today. So a big day at Washington, big day
across the Big Ten for sure. But I'm looking at
the women's soccer schedule because I believe they will be
the first team to play games as a member of
the Big Ten. Uh, the first kind of non Pac
twelve you know, Big ten school at Maryland September nineteenth
(11:04):
and Rutgers that same weekend the twenty second.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
I assume they stay on the road.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
A lot of people Pat have asked about travel for
the non revenue sports football team will travel in style
on a charter. These these other teams will they all
be flying commercial all over the country. Will there be
something done to kind of alleviate maybe, uh, the the
hassle of travel for those sports?
Speaker 4 (11:23):
You think, well, at least with both both those locations,
you're pretty confident that there's a NonStop on Alaska that
are on some airline that'll get us get them back here.
So and it's working with it's working with the host
school and trying to trying to you know, package in
what what what, what kind of contests should start relative
to making sure they can get to the airport in
(11:45):
a functional time. So, you know, I've said that, you
know they're there. We're gonna we're going to be in
you know, information accumulation mode all year. You know, we're
going to try to you know, we're going to do
some things right. We're gonna you know, try to see
things that we need to approve on. But uh and
we need to you know, we're going to try to
figure out what the toll of travel is going in
the Coast of Coast conference. It has never been done before.
(12:07):
So there's not there's not really any you know, there's
no league you can call to just get advice on
how do you manage you know, a league schedule that
that's you know, multiple time zones, and it's just one
of those many things that we're gonna have to learn
and you know, and and try to you know, make
sure it becomes somewhat you know, we have to make
sure it's manageable and then try to make it as
strategic as possible and how we go forward travel.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
And is there something you can work with the conference
for that, because you know, Danny Sprinkle mentioned with us,
he said, you know, teams are gonna only come out
here once from the East, We're gonna have to go
back there four.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Or five times.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
So is it possible to get some scheduling adjustments to
benefit you because it does seem like an uneven playing
field when it comes to travel.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Yeah, So those are the things what will work, what
will work specifically with our conference to make sure as
we as we like, you know, this year is going
to be a lot of you know, learning and trying
to figure out as we go, uh simple simply because
of you know, just just because it's ever been done before.
And I think and as we get more, as we
get a better understanding of where, you know, you know,
(13:09):
the nice thing is everyone in the Big Ten. You know,
everyone understands what's to take. Everybody understands as strong and
is as deep as the league is is better for
the entire league. And you know, the the other reality
too is is you know this is you know there's
two power conferences out there now, and you know, you
know we're going to be judged on the depth of
(13:31):
our league and how many national championships we went across
the board. And you know, there's a reason why these
four schools are in the pack left the pack fall
for the Big Ten, and it's just just because we
strengthen that league in multiple multiple ways.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Pat, do we know can you share with us?
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Are there any plans for any kind of a throwback
or I guess alternate uniform game, helmet game. It feels
like once a year at didas as you guys do
something like that. Anything on the schedule that we can
talk about.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Yet not yet and I'm still the new guy and
try to figure out where we can you know, what
the right thing to do with that that and what
the opportunities are. But uh, you know, I'm a fan
at heart of sport in itself, so and I'm a
fan of always celebrating our history, and when you have
those opportunities, it's always great to be able to, you know,
be able to tell your young people, hey, these are
(14:17):
you know, these are these are these are the things
that happen during this era of whatever sport it is,
and it's part of the reason why where we are
what we are today. So as those opportunities come up,
you know, I've actually had some conversations with some of
our coaches on some of the things they've they've thought
of in terms of celebrating some of our past.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
Pat You got this great sixty million dollars practice facility
going in right now. How about Alaska Airlines arena? Is
it a long term solution as a big ten arena
or changes have to be made there?
Speaker 4 (14:46):
I would at the end, we have to make sure
it's it's a you know, I guess the first thing
first is we got to make sure it is a
tough home court environment for both our men and our women,
and that starts with our students. You know, we're going
into a conference that is very different than the one
we're leaving in both basketballs and you know, you just look,
you just look at the home court advantages in the
(15:09):
in the Big Ten in basketball, whether it's Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue,
you go right, Wisconsin, you go right down the list.
It's very different than the league we did that that
we just left. And for us to you know, manage
that league, we're gonna have to make it, make it,
make it, you know, a tough place to play, to
mirror the tough team that Danny, Danny teams that Danny
and teen are trying to put together. So those are
(15:30):
all things that like as we go forward, well we
we will, we will prioritize what we need to do.
But right now, my our number one priority is to
increase revenues simply because you know, we got we got
different bills to pay relatives to the revenue share.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Well, I know that the since the stadium reopened, what
twenty fourteen is that right Boise State game every year
was the locker room has been redone since then. I
mean it was phenomenal when it opened up. And the
football locker room has been reopened. Do you see any
need for any football facility upgrades and then your future.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Well, we've just we've just put about twenty million UH
into into our football facility. Uh and that really started
upon Jed's arrival as he looked to modernize some of
the things inside the football facility and doing it to
our fundrit fundraising team. Uh yeah, it's it's you know,
he wanted, you know, it's all student athletes driven. But
(16:21):
he's got you know it upgrades to our weight room,
upgrades to our our nutrition area. You know, we have
the big Don James Center project as well that that's
going to be the training table for our student athletes.
So there's just there's a handful of things that that
you know, upon arrival. Uh, he and Troy worked together
to prioritize, you know, what are some of the things
(16:42):
some of the improvements that that they deemed important. And
you know, as you see as you see those the
decisions that were made, you respect those decisions because you
know they're they're all done with the student athlete in mind.
So uh So, you know, it's it's you know, it's
it's I'm really proud of this our our athletic fundraising
team here because you know, on the heels of a
national champ chip and then for that coach to leave,
(17:02):
you know, it's kind of unprecedented to be able to
go fundraised twenty million dollars with a brand new coach.
But the reality is we are so fortunate for for
all the you know, just the just the transformative support
we get from Huskies all over the city, stayed and
low to make sure that we're putting in a position
accomplishment goals.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Well, all that sounds awesome, But I got one thing
to ask you. We need an upgrade with the media
food at the press box. Can you take care of that?
Speaker 4 (17:27):
Or do we feed you?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
What do we feed you right now? It's box lunches
with sandwiches.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
Okay, you want specific, something specific for use off here?
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yes, you can want the greater good right now.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
I want Well, I'm thinking about upgrades for all, but
specifically me, I have I have a list.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
I will send you up my list off here.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
I will file it appropriately, but I get it.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Yeah, the circular file. Good for you.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Pat, all right, man, Hey, congratulations, big day. We're fired
up for this, buddy, looking forward to it. And we'll
talk down the roadman.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Thank you. All right, Go Huskys, Go dogs.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Pat sewn with us on the radio show We're Gonna
Break Lake and Tomlinson Seahawk presumably starting left guard right
gonna join us, coming up from the Virginia Mason Athletics
Center right here on ninety three three kJ RFM
Our nuts up coverage Joe Seahawks training camp continues from
the Virginia Mason Athletics Center, brought to you by Northwest
Handling Systems and the twenty twenty four Bowing Classic Gaugus
fifth through the eleventh. Now Beck to Sathian Dick Gon
Sports Radio ninety three point three kJ R FM.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Well, big day over you, Dub Dick.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
We're at the vMac for Seahawks training camp the Virginia
Mason Athletics Center. But today is the first day of
the rest of their lives in the Big Ten day
number one of who knows how many in the Big
ten conference. And like a proud papa, the AD at Washington,
Pat Chun joining us right now to talk about a
(00:40):
really really big day over at you, Pat?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
How are you man?
Speaker 4 (00:44):
I'm probably nothing more symbolic of how different the world
is that you guys are at the vMac today and
Pete Carroll's at our practice today on Mot Lake.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
And you are the AD at Washington. I mean think yeah,
I think right.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
The world has turned and spun at racey would have
ever imagined.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
The world that we lived in six months ago is
no longer recognizable to a lot of people, but I mean, Pat,
maybe just start there.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
How much of a transition is this?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
I mean we kind of think about professionally, you know,
obviously landmarks, you know, logos, things like that, but mentally
this is a transition, right. I mean there's people that
have worked for that school for a long time. You've
been a part of the PAC twelve, PAC ten for
a long time, the fans of this team that grew
up and lived and died in this conference. How much
of a shock to the system in some ways is this?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
For some people?
Speaker 4 (01:29):
You think, well, this is going to be different, and
the route to the top is going to be very different.
And although there are extraordinary benefits and opportunities as being
in the Big ten, you know, I've you know, once
you start to study you know, Washington and our history
and why and how we've been so successful, one of
those reasons is how we're structured in the support and
(01:50):
you know I've been I've been telling, you know, as
a meeting with with more Huskies and getting around town.
It's reminding everybody that, hey, I could give a pretty
fact based argument that the Huskies eve you know, it's
a top program in the PAC twelve and whether you're
measured by year, five years, ten years, fifty years, hundred years,
we could give you that argument. We also leave as
the second highest operating budget in the PAC twelve, and
(02:12):
now as we head into this new conference, we slide
in at number ten inside that conference. And it's really
just a byproduct of decisions made in the PAC twelve
over the years. And you know, and on top of that,
as we're entering the league that has invested and reinvested
in itself over and over while you know, our revenues
declined relative to what peers have. So it's just it's
a different challenge. But you know, at the end of
(02:34):
the day, it's still about us. It's still about us
being the best we're supposed to be. You know. It's
more it's really my responsibility, not anyone else's, to make
sure that, you know, we increase our revenue lines. And
you know, that's part of the challenge we I have
going forward.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
And so what's your expectations be based upon the numbers
that you just threw up there? How much should we
expect that the Huskies might struggle to compete financially with
the rest of the conference at least while they're receiving
a partial share.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Well, I go back to the cow Boys, Yankees, and
probably the Lakers. I mean, if if if revenues were
why everybody wins every year, then the rest of us
shouldn't shouldn't shouldn't even bother to compete. It's deeper than that,
you guys know, the Seahawks are probably a better examples.
I actually was talking about that with Pete Carroll today,
uh As he was just asked about about revenue share
that's on the horizon, how it impacts us, and you know, I,
(03:19):
you know, I use the same thing as the reason
why they you know, if it was that easy, the
Cowboys will win every year, but it's not so for us,
you know, on the go forward is I think it's
a blessing that the model changes h now that you know,
starting next year theoretically is upon basically you know, once approved,
will be in a revenue share model. And and and
it's my belief that for college athletics it's not going
(03:40):
to be about how much you spend. It's going to
be more and how smart you spend. Uh And I
just look at and I just look at it, and
you can look at that in terms of in pro sports,
it's you know, there's there's you know, there's a reason
why the the Seahawks have had more success than the
Cowboys over the last twenty five years because they've been
you know, they've just operated better. So for us, I think,
you know, I think it's really just incumbent on all
all of us at you Dub just to make sure
(04:02):
that hey, we're you know, we're being strategic, we're hiring
the right people, we're creating you know, we're enhancing our
environment and our culture. Because at the end of the day,
it's like like, you know, it's like, you know, I
talked to the football team yesterday and you know, just
reminded him it's our technically, yesterday was our last day
in the in the Pac twelve. And then you know,
Coach Fish opened that team meeting by talking about how
(04:23):
please you up at with practice, And I said, hey,
you know, in our last day in the Pac twelve,
you know you did what every every Husky football program
has done before you and try to maximize the day.
And then today when we wake up, we have another opportunity.
And it just so happens Durund the Big ten and
you know, we can't control anything down the road, but
we can't control today. So like, if you know, for us,
(04:43):
I would assume it's always been this way. And as
I've done this deeper dive and study into you, dub
and the Huskies and what has made us so successful,
I mean it is really really, you know, it's really
focused on being the best we're supposed to be in
history shows that that that can get you all the
way to the top of the mountain.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Well, I love the unprompted random shots at the Dallas Cowboys,
by the way, so I'm so keep those coming as
a as a Cleveland guy, I know you don't mind
taking shots at them either. But Pat shun is with
us on the radio show. So I mean, I'm just
gonna done this down as much as I can, more
for my purposes to be honest with you, than than
somebody else's.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
But what do you need right?
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Like, you've got a brand new basketball facility coming in.
You just mentioned it's more important to spend the money
wisely than to have this gigantic war chest and spend
it poorly.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
What do you need?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Like, if you're gonna go shopping with a shopping cart
and you have an unlimited budget, grab whatever you want. Uh,
you know, new stadium, new turf, new, you know, basketball court, new,
you know, golf, fitness center. What do you need over
there at You dubbed that maybe now we can go
out and get because we're gonna be in the big ten.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Well that changed Friday because now now now that we
are allowed to share you know, somewhere around twenty two
to twenty three million, that that's to be defined in
revenues with with you know, a segment of our student athletes.
You know, our budget hasn't changed, although what we need
to what we can share has changed. And the reality
for Washington is we have always been you know, whatever
(06:10):
the max the NCAA or whatever governor US governs US
has allowed for us to give to our student athletes
in terms of benefits and services, Washington has always been
at the top. And there is not a scenario where
I see that that changes. So for us, really, when
we talk about growing our budget, now, wh's really the
realities of a you know, I think we're at around
one hundred and sixty seven one hundred sixty seven hundred
(06:32):
and sixty eight million dollar budget. We're not at you know,
one eighty eight, one ninety. But we're gonna have to
We're gonna have to grow our revenue streams because for
us to go compete at the highest levels, we're gonna
have to go find dollars because ultimately there are more
dollars we can share with our athletes, which is you know,
obviously something that we're proponents of that you do.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
You know the Big Ten growing up there, you probably
know it better than most other Big ten commissions. You
spent basically the first you know, twenty five years of
your life. There is there an identity or an essence
that's unique to be in a Big ten team that
we need to learn about.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I think you've hurt you guys have heard me say it,
you know, over and over, like we we are a
Big ten institution where you know we're we're as We're
a school that you know is nationally and even globally
recognized for academic excellence, big research, big medical system, big athletics,
and just this, just this, you know, unbridled passion for
(07:26):
your alma mater and the school you love. So at
the end of the day when you when you when
you package it all all up, it's it just happens
to be a conference that wants to be great academically
and wants to be great athletically. And it's it's institutions
that have tried to marry the two, uh for you know,
for nearly a century. So that's probably where the biggest
share in And really it's it's you know, you know,
(07:48):
you make no secrets about it. It's you know, football
is a priority in the Big Ten, and football is
a priority at the University of Washington. We would not
have the history, you know, history we've had if we
didn't make it a priority. And you know, it's probably
no secret that the great coach in school history, you know,
has has Big Ten roots as well, grown up in
the state of Ohio and coach James. So when you
bundle everything up, I mean there's a reason why we
(08:08):
we look the way we look as an athletic department
because you know, at the end of the day, we've
always kind of mire, you know, we've mirrored those paths
of trying to be great academically and athletically as an institution.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Pat chun with us simply put, is going to the
Big Ten going to force you to pay coaches more. Well,
this cost you more because of now you're paying big
ten coaches and not pack twelve coaches.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Uh. You know, well, I think our you know, we're
doing it and it's no different than every other athletic
program in the country. With last Friday's official news about
revenue share, I think we're all taking a look of
where we're allocating resources because there is nothing more important
than who your student athletes are that are wearing those jerseys. So,
you know, the nice thing is there's there there. You know,
(08:52):
there will be a mechanism which which we can you know,
get more back to our student athletes, you know, and
and you know, what we look like going forward's going
to really dictate what our budget model looks like. And
there's just more questions right now than answers because, you know,
because of the revenue share on the horizon.
Speaker 5 (09:08):
I was reading an interview did with Christian Cable the
other day and you mentioned seating capacity and now you've
got revenue challenges having twenty five thousand less seats than
many Big ten schools.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
This is just spitball idea.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
Would you ever consider making a horseshoe of your own
in your own stadium and putting an upper deck on
the on the west side and getting it up to
ninety ninety five thousand, or do you even think there's
that type of hunger, that type of demand to fill
a ninety thousand seat stadium in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Well, we're a pro market and winning does matter in
a pro market. And the Seattle of yesterday is not
the same Seattle of today. So you know, we you know,
our community is to become more transient just with just
the volume of jobs and people that have come from
all over the globe and have made this home. So
we recognize that there are other ways that we need
to be more creative. I think, you know, this year's
going to be you know, good for me to educate
(09:58):
myself more on on what potential revenue opportunities are out there. Uh,
you know, it's it's nice to be able to go
to a Mariner's game, you know, I want to Seahawks
practice last Saturday just to kind of you know, in
the past, when I've gone, it's just more to you know,
spend time and just enjoy a game. But now I'm
kind of looking around a little bit more to see what,
you know, what's what's some of the best in the
(10:19):
business do relative to activating in a very crowded marketplace
for you know, for pro sports specifically. So I mean
there's you know, there's there's there's opportunity right beneath our
noses that you dub it's you know, uh, you know,
our athletics team is trying to figure those things out,
and uh, you know what, we're going to be as
entrepreneurial and creative as possible, you know, to try to
(10:39):
figure out where where we can find more dollars.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Well, Pat Chung today with us on the radio show
ad Over, you dubbed Day one and the Big Ten
is today. So a big day at Washington, big day
across the Big Ten for sure. But I'm looking at
the women's soccer schedule because I believe they will be
the first team to play games as a member of
the Big Ten. Uh, the first kind of non Pac
twelve you know, Big ten school at Maryland September nineteenth
(11:04):
and Rutgers that same weekend the twenty second.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
I assume they stay on the road.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
A lot of people Pat have asked about travel for
the non revenue sports football team will travel in style
on a charter. These these other teams will they all
be flying commercial all over the country. Will there be
something done to kind of alleviate maybe, uh, the the
hassle of travel for those sports?
Speaker 4 (11:23):
You think, well, at least with both both those locations,
you're pretty confident that there's a NonStop on Alaska that
are on some airline that'll get us get them back here.
So and it's working with it's working with the host
school and trying to trying to you know, package in
what what what, what kind of contests should start relative
to making sure they can get to the airport in
(11:45):
a functional time. So, you know, I've said that, you
know they're there. We're gonna we're going to be in
you know, information accumulation mode all year. You know, we're
going to try to you know, we're going to do
some things right. We're gonna you know, try to see
things that we need to approve on. But uh and
we need to you know, we're going to try to
figure out what the toll of travel is going in
the Coast of Coast conference. It has never been done before.
(12:07):
So there's not there's not really any you know, there's
no league you can call to just get advice on
how do you manage you know, a league schedule that
that's you know, multiple time zones, and it's just one
of those many things that we're gonna have to learn
and you know, and and try to you know, make
sure it becomes somewhat you know, we have to make
sure it's manageable and then try to make it as
strategic as possible and how we go forward travel.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
And is there something you can work with the conference
for that, because you know, Danny Sprinkle mentioned with us,
he said, you know, teams are gonna only come out
here once from the East, We're gonna have to go
back there four.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Or five times.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
So is it possible to get some scheduling adjustments to
benefit you because it does seem like an uneven playing
field when it comes to travel.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Yeah, So those are the things what will work, what
will work specifically with our conference to make sure as
we as we like, you know, this year is going
to be a lot of you know, learning and trying
to figure out as we go, uh simple simply because
of you know, just just because it's ever been done before.
And I think and as we get more, as we
get a better understanding of where, you know, you know,
(13:09):
the nice thing is everyone in the Big Ten. You know,
everyone understands what's to take. Everybody understands as strong and
is as deep as the league is is better for
the entire league. And you know, the the other reality
too is is you know this is you know there's
two power conferences out there now, and you know, you
know we're going to be judged on the depth of
(13:31):
our league and how many national championships we went across
the board. And you know, there's a reason why these
four schools are in the pack left the pack fall
for the Big Ten, and it's just just because we
strengthen that league in multiple multiple ways.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Pat, do we know can you share with us?
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Are there any plans for any kind of a throwback
or I guess alternate uniform game, helmet game. It feels
like once a year at didas as you guys do
something like that. Anything on the schedule that we can
talk about.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Yet not yet and I'm still the new guy and
try to figure out where we can you know, what
the right thing to do with that that and what
the opportunities are. But uh, you know, I'm a fan
at heart of sport in itself, so and I'm a
fan of always celebrating our history, and when you have
those opportunities, it's always great to be able to, you know,
be able to tell your young people, hey, these are
(14:17):
you know, these are these are these are the things
that happen during this era of whatever sport it is,
and it's part of the reason why where we are
what we are today. So as those opportunities come up,
you know, I've actually had some conversations with some of
our coaches on some of the things they've they've thought
of in terms of celebrating some of our past.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
Pat You got this great sixty million dollars practice facility
going in right now. How about Alaska Airlines arena? Is
it a long term solution as a big ten arena
or changes have to be made there?
Speaker 4 (14:46):
I would at the end, we have to make sure
it's it's a you know, I guess the first thing
first is we got to make sure it is a
tough home court environment for both our men and our women,
and that starts with our students. You know, we're going
into a conference that is very different than the one
we're leaving in both basketballs and you know, you just look,
you just look at the home court advantages in the
(15:09):
in the Big Ten in basketball, whether it's Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue,
you go right, Wisconsin, you go right down the list.
It's very different than the league we did that that
we just left. And for us to you know, manage
that league, we're gonna have to make it, make it,
make it, you know, a tough place to play, to
mirror the tough team that Danny, Danny teams that Danny
and teen are trying to put together. So those are
(15:30):
all things that like as we go forward, well we
we will, we will prioritize what we need to do.
But right now, my our number one priority is to
increase revenues simply because you know, we got we got
different bills to pay relatives to the revenue share.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Well, I know that the since the stadium reopened, what
twenty fourteen is that right Boise State game every year
was the locker room has been redone since then. I
mean it was phenomenal when it opened up. And the
football locker room has been reopened. Do you see any
need for any football facility upgrades and then your future.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Well, we've just we've just put about twenty million UH
into into our football facility. Uh and that really started
upon Jed's arrival as he looked to modernize some of
the things inside the football facility and doing it to
our fundrit fundraising team. Uh yeah, it's it's you know,
he wanted, you know, it's all student athletes driven. But
(16:21):
he's got you know it upgrades to our weight room,
upgrades to our our nutrition area. You know, we have
the big Don James Center project as well that that's
going to be the training table for our student athletes.
So there's just there's a handful of things that that
you know, upon arrival. Uh, he and Troy worked together
to prioritize, you know, what are some of the things
(16:42):
some of the improvements that that they deemed important. And
you know, as you see as you see those the
decisions that were made, you respect those decisions because you
know they're they're all done with the student athlete in mind.
So uh So, you know, it's it's you know, it's
it's I'm really proud of this our our athletic fundraising
team here because you know, on the heels of a
national champ chip and then for that coach to leave,
(17:02):
you know, it's kind of unprecedented to be able to
go fundraised twenty million dollars with a brand new coach.
But the reality is we are so fortunate for for
all the you know, just the just the transformative support
we get from Huskies all over the city, stayed and
low to make sure that we're putting in a position
accomplishment goals.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Well, all that sounds awesome, But I got one thing
to ask you. We need an upgrade with the media
food at the press box. Can you take care of that?
Speaker 4 (17:27):
Or do we feed you?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
What do we feed you right now? It's box lunches
with sandwiches.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
Okay, you want specific, something specific for use off here?
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yes, you can want the greater good right now.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
I want Well, I'm thinking about upgrades for all, but
specifically me, I have I have a list.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
I will send you up my list off here.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
I will file it appropriately, but I get it.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Yeah, the circular file. Good for you.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Pat, all right, man, Hey, congratulations, big day. We're fired
up for this, buddy, looking forward to it. And we'll
talk down the roadman.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Thank you. All right, Go Huskys, Go dogs.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Pat sewn with us on the radio show We're Gonna
Break Lake and Tomlinson Seahawk presumably starting left guard right
gonna join us, coming up from the Virginia Mason Athletics
Center right here on ninety three three kJ RFM
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