Larry D. Lauer

Of course, I would be thinking about football again. Who wouldn’t?  TCU just won the Rose Bowl, and questions abound about what this means for a high quality academic institution!

Some call this historic contest “the granddaddy of them all!”  In fact, the day after the game a New York Times article declared that with  this victory TCU “solidified its standing as one of the elite programs in all of college football.”

New visibility is happening nationwide, and that is truly exciting.  But this win is also a big challenge to keep it all in perspective. The real benefit is that such a victory definitely opens the door for more communication. But it therefore becomes critically important that all areas of the institution are prepared  to walk through that door and tell the institution’s unique and compelling academic story.

For all this to happen effectively, the athletic program must stay “integrated” with the insitution as a whole. This means that its management and coaching staff must reflect the leadership style and quality of the institution. Its’ brand identity and design must also convey that this is one institution, not two. An athletic program absolutely must not “look” and function like a separate organization. 

Athletic staff should promote campus and academic programs at games, and university marketing people should incorporate the vitality and benefits of college athletics into academic and campus materials.  Also, behaviors of fans should match the cultural values of the institution, since realistic lessons about winning and losing are important for everyone. The bottom line is that the ability of athletics to bring vitality to the total campus experience can be extremely positive, but making it happen is an integrated, campus-wide enterprise.  

Too often, however, althetic programs lose perspective. They operate as separate organizations. In fact, one college president once told me he didn’t even want his athletic program to be associated with his institution! In my way of thinking, there is no way to justify the existence of such a program.

This win was incredibly positive for TCU, there is no doubt about it. The visibiity and name recognition we are enjoying is beyond imagination.  But it is more clear to me than ever that academic, ethical, and financial integrity must be preserved. Only then will everyone continue to benefit.