George Gives Summer Update At Casotti Classic
WINDSOR, Colo. ? University of Colorado Athletic Director Rick George sat down and met with the media who attended the 20th Annual Count Casotti Classic, named in honor of former Sports Information Director and Associate Athletic Director Fred Casotti, here at the Pelican Lakes Golf and Country Club.
Below is the transcript from the round table:
On Fundraising
GÇ£WeGÇÖre in the process of completing a gift that will put us over
the one-third mark of the project that was required by the Regents
probably in the next two weeks. ThatGÇÖs $47 million and
change. We anticipate that happening in the next couple of
weeks.
GÇ£Once we get this gift papered, weGÇÖll be over the number, but thatGÇÖs just the start. We will continue to fundraise toward this project for the next several months. That was always a number out there that we needed to hit, weGÇÖll be over that number and we still have a lot of fundraising to do.GÇ¥
On Hurdles Left With The New
Facilities
GÇ£The hurdles still left are the timeliness, getting the project
done in the time frame we wanted. When we started, we knew it
was aggressive to get this done by August of next year, and I think
weGÇÖll be into the fall before everything is completed. When
we put the new garage in, that will probably kick back the finality
of the indoor practice facility. TheyGÇÖre making great
progress, and they have a lot to do before this season, they took
out the north end zone seats, weGÇÖre building new seats with a club
and loge boxes in there, the northeast end zone, sections 121 and
122 we took out, so weGÇÖre building those back.
GÇ£WeGÇÖre starting to build up now which is positive. The inside of the stadium, the tunnel will be done. ItGÇÖs all down, thereGÇÖs still some dirt theyGÇÖre removing from the east side up near the stadium. They have to dig from the top down and build walls as they build down and they still have four or five days of that before itGÇÖs completely excavated. But if you come there you can see how itGÇÖs coming.GÇ¥
On How ItGÇÖs Been Fundraising For This
Project
GÇ£ItGÇÖs been challenging and daunting at times, but what weGÇÖve found
is we have a great team out there working on it. Kurt
Gulbrand and his staff have done a great job of raising the
money. We havenGÇÖt fund raised like this for a facility like
this since 1990-91 and if you remember back in those days, we were
just coming off one of the most successful runs weGÇÖve ever had in
Colorado Football history, winning a national championship, being
11-0 the year before being beat by Notre Dame. To do it with
all of the challenges that weGÇÖve had, when there are still people
that are upset that Gary Barnett left, that Jon EmbreeGÇÖs not here
that Mike BohnGÇÖs not here, there have been a series of
things. One of the things weGÇÖve done is trying to get
everybody back and focused on whatGÇÖs important, and thatGÇÖs the
student-athlete.
GÇ£As we look at this build and we talk about this build, itGÇÖs about the student-athletes. ThatGÇÖs been the rallying cry for our donor base and alumni to get back engaged and thatGÇÖs what weGÇÖve been trying to do.GÇ¥
On The Budget Now That The Fiscal Year
Has Ended
GÇ£When I got here we inherited a budget deficit of about $5.6
million and when itGÇÖs all said and done we will be under $4 million
when things closed out. We submitted a balanced budget to the
Regents for the fiscal year that weGÇÖre in now. WeGÇÖre really
happy about that. We had to make some tough decisions and not
do some of the things weGÇÖd like to do, but we will operate in a
fiscally responsible manner moving forward and weGÇÖre proud of that.
WeGÇÖve told the staff that itGÇÖs great that weGÇÖve submitted that, and
we need to finish that next June.GÇ¥
On Season Ticket Sales
GÇ£Season ticket sales are going well. Kevin Fenton and his
team are doing a great job. WeGÇÖre ahead of last year, not a
significant amount, but weGÇÖre ahead and thatGÇÖs positive.
WeGÇÖre having a lot of really good sales for our HawaiGÇÖi contest
because itGÇÖs Parents Weekend, but opening up with Arizona State in
a night game will be a real positive start for our home schedule in
Boulder.GÇ¥
On Interest In New Seating
Areas
GÇ£WeGÇÖve actually started selling some of our loge boxes in the north
end zone. WeGÇÖre still out there looking for corporate
partners as it relates to naming those areas. Right now we
call the north end zone the Touchdown Club and the northeast end
zone the Champions Club and then we have the terrace on top of that
building. We have three different areas out talking to our
corporate partners about.GÇ¥
On The Parking Garage Being Approved If
It Pushes the Timeline Back For The Indoor Practice
Facility
GÇ£We donGÇÖtGÇÖ know how much it pushes the timeline back, thatGÇÖs why
this is a fluid process. When we out as a design-build, there
are a lot of changes. There have been a lot of changes to
date, for example when the stadium club came up, it came up in the
last six weeks, when we looked at it we had this space where we
could build that will also serve training table moving forward in
that area.
GÇ£The timelines are fluid. It was just approved by the Regents on June 26, so we donGÇÖt have an adjustment on that timeline yet, but we will in the next several weeks. It will probably push it back but for the project itGÇÖs a real benefit. ItGÇÖs great for the students, with the Rec Center being at the top of the hill; it will be great for faculty, for staff, for the public functions we have. One of the things this facility will do will enable us to host different events in the stadium with these three new areas. With the Touchdown Club, Champions Club and Terrace, weGÇÖve built areas for different sizes and kinds of events and then adding parking right there that will allow us to have parking right there which has always been a problem for people in the stadium club, you have to go down and park by the grass practice fields. Having parking right there, going up an elevator where you can go all the way to the top of that facility will only help us.
On Parking On Franklin
Field
GÇ£With the approval of the parking structure, we will look at
Franklin Field. We will park there this year, we will
tailgate on that area looking forward long term but we havenGÇÖt
finalized how at this time. WeGÇÖll work on that in the next
six weeks. If you do it right there are ways you can do it
around the structure, and put tents up there with putting up tents
and not cars.
GÇ£With the build the way itGÇÖs going, thatGÇÖs why everything is fluid, building this parking structure, weGÇÖll only have two-thirds of Franklin Field and we wonGÇÖt be able to accommodate everybody. We had to go to some people and displace them this year with their parking.GÇ¥
On New Legislation Being Able To Feed
Student-Athletes More
GÇ£That comes into effect August 1, and actually itGÇÖs another area
that we are in the process of putting a plan together. It will be
for all student-athletes not just football. We want to do it
in a way where we can properly nutrition our
student-athletes. ItsGÇÖ not just the Dal Ward Center, itGÇÖs
also at the Coors Events Center and out on east campus, how we do
that the best way and can provide them nutrition throughout the
day. For football, they go with preseason practice so it wonGÇÖt be
much of a change right away, and for the other sports who are
practicing before the start of class, but once class starts and
kids are on campus, I envision two or three times a day where
snacks are available for all student-athletes? Do we
provide a training table for some sports? ThatGÇÖs possible during
their season, how that will look. We donGÇÖt have the space
yet. ThatGÇÖs a challenge at a lot of schools. OK, you
can do this, where will you do it? Our training table space
is also what we use for study table, and if we donGÇÖt have that
space for study tables and group study. WeGÇÖre working through
that.GÇ¥
On Reducing The Budget From A $5.6
Million Deficit To Under $4 Million
GÇ£ItGÇÖs been challenging, if you look at our revenue numbers, the
numbers were off. We had ticket sales that were way high for
what we brought in. We havenGÇÖt filled some positions that have
left. WeGÇÖve made some positions temporary. WeGÇÖve asked
our coaches and staff that have budget responsibility to spend what
they need and not what they want. ItGÇÖs been a group effort;
we incurred some loss with the flood. ItGÇÖs been a challenge
but everybody has been working together weGÇÖve been able to mitigate
it. Our challenge now moving forward, when we complete our
fiscal year June 30, that weGÇÖre at that zero or have some profit
where we can pay off some other deficits that we have.
On Student Attendance
GÇ£We have some plans in place to really engage the students when
they come back on campus. ThereGÇÖs nothing out there thatGÇÖs
the lightening idea that will bring the student in, we just have to
engage with them more. We met with the Tri-Execs over the
summer to engage with them creative ways that we can get students
in to the game, on time, and keep them there. ItGÇÖs a
challenge across the country right now but we will continue to work
on it, we will continue to work with different student groups to
encourage them to come. LetGÇÖs face it, our students create a
great atmosphere in the gym and we need to do that in the stadium
too.
On Letting Students Enter From More
Gates
GÇ£Right now itGÇÖs that concentrated entrance, but that doesnGÇÖt mean
thatGÇÖs how it will be against Arizona State; weGÇÖre looking at all
that. (Associate AD) Jim Senter has been coordinating an
effort on our game day on how we can enhance the experience across
all our sports. It starts with the ingress, people driving
in, how they get in the stadium, what they see when they get in the
stadium, we have a new concessionaire in Levy, they do the Pepsi
Center, I envision a different experience when you come in as it
related to food and beverage. At some point weGÇÖll need to fix
the sound system in there, the sound system in the Coors Events
Center, those are on the horizon but wonGÇÖt happen prior to this
year.
GÇ£WeGÇÖre looking at the game day experience and how we can make that better. ItGÇÖs great to but we need to keep people there weGÇÖre looking at all our social media and our digital efforts, things that we can do to try and enhance what weGÇÖre doing inside our stadium.GÇ¥
