Nearly three years ago, Santa Clara made a major commitment to Athletics. The President's Commission and Trustees gave the green light to invest in SCU Athletics becoming more competitive and nationally relevant in major sports.
Renee Baumgartner was hired to lead the effort to "stampede ahead" with the stated goal of success by 2020.
So, where are we?
If you view it as investors, you would be disappointed in your three year R.O.I. after the 2017-18 results in the "Major Seven" sports.
Women's soccer kept its deep NCAA tournament runs rolling and Women's Volleyball finished a .500 season following two prior winning seasons and another NCAA bid.
Men's Basketball regressed with an 11-20 meltdown. Women's Basketball was 9-21 and had its last winning season in 2015-16; going 23-9 under coach J.R. Payne.
This season Men's Baseball is 23-24; with about seven games left, but next to last in the WCC. This follows nine consecutive years of losing seasons. Women's Softball was 7-36; continuing to flounder.
Men's Soccer was 3-13 to mark three out of the past four seasons under .500.
At face value, with two winners and five losers in your portfolio, you might be pulling the plug afraid to stay the course. That's where many of our fans and season ticket holders are.
Certainly justifiable.
But, much like stock market swings, those who bail may miss the upside. Savvy investors know that investing in undervalued stocks and staying the course beats other methods handily over time.
At SCU, the level of investment in Athletics is the most significant in our history. Not just the obvious - replacing four of the seven Major Sports Coaching Staffs, but more importantly the investments in the foundations for sustained success, are happening as well. More staff, top flight facilities, and marketing to create awareness to the Bronco brand.
Our investments aren't just into the "M7" sports. For example, both Women's and Men's Golf now have more scholarships to start to compete. Both teams won three events this season and the Men are off to the NCAA regional for only the second time in SCU history.
The Trustees aren't investing for one "lightening in a bottle" season. They want sustained success - like Women's Soccer is producing as the model.
As great as Women's Soccer has been on the national stage, to meet the goal of being "nationally relevant" the bulls eye is on Men's Basketball to produce in the WCC and make NCAA's. The NCAA Men's Tournament generates huge world wide notoriety and money for the teams that earn bids. Hands down, nothing gets close to generating buzz than NCAA success.
Right now, MBB is in fast break mode to rebuild a roster after coaching and scholarship departures. Coach Hodge is moving on. Players Roche, Turner, and Walters from last season are transferring. Omar Silveiro de-committed to go back east. Looks like when the smoke clears, there will be at last eight new to the roster with perhaps adding another size 15 shoe or two in the mix. For many, not the chaos expected, but it may be just what we need to get this program moving up. Now.
For SCU fans and season ticket holders, it's hard to judge which is greater, the frustration of 20+ years of Athletics anonymity or the angst that the past three years has yet to show enough traction and success in major sports.
After all, three years in Silicon Valley culture is three entirely new product cycles - an eternity. Sounds crazy, but, IMHO it's easier to develop technology than competitive athletes. I'd love it if we could write some software to reprogram KJ Feagin into Kryie Irving!!
It feels like we've become a "pin cushion" Athletics' community. We have been strung along with so many unfulfilled promises that by now its hard to believe/feel anything. Students don't seem to care, season ticket holders are afraid to cheer, and now constant questions about everything are spreading like a virus.
It's time to dump the "Eeyore" it's all for naught tude. Let's go Freakanomics - the conventional wisdom is wrong.
Why? The investment is too big and the commitment from Fr. Engh and the Trustees is too public. Failure to meet the goal of nationally competitive in major sports will seal the fate of SCU as just another nice regional Catholic college while our competitors overshadow us on the national stage - a monumental wasted opportunity.
Maybe the progress is too slow. Along the way A.D.'s and Coaches may change, but the University Leadership must remain steadfast. EVERY success story of Catholic universities garnering national academic and athletics accolades has been done with a strong steady hand at the top.
Do I want success by 2020? Absolutely. What I really want is a program that is on the national map forever. To as good as we were in the 1950's when it's 2050...
