UC Davis UC Davis Athletics 2011 UC Davis Strategic Athletics Athletics Audit Strategic Audit 2011 Strengths, Weaknesses Opportunities, & Threats collegiate athletics C A S A strategy advising
UC Davis Strategic Audit Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats Current Context of Aggie Athletics The eight core principles identified by the university in order to guide the process of moving from NCAA Division II to Division I were: 1. UC Davis must offer a program that does not compromise the University s focus on the academic integrity of student athletes 2. Admissions and graduation standards must in no way be specially altered or amended for student-athletes 3. There can be no tiering among UC Davis sports with some sports and their athletes receiving a better standard of treatment than others 4. UC Davis cannot retreat from its Title IX progress but must continue to expand its efforts and compliance 5. UC Davis cannot reduce its broad-based program but rather must seek to add sports 6. The athletics program cannot depend for its financial survival on its record of wins and losses 7. Permanent core funding must come from students and the institution rather than from a dependency on external resources 8. The athletics department at UC Davis must maintain a formal connection to the mission of the University, including preserving the teacher/coach role Many UCD administrators, faculty, coaches, alumni and staff that were interviewed referred to these principles and described them as representing the The Davis Way of athletics. Although worthy principles for NCAA Division III programs, principles 3, 5, 6, and 7 contradict the philosophy of NCAA Division I institutions. Principle 8 is also a principle seldom seen at Division I institutions. In the late 1970 s, NCAA Division I institutions established a principle of selfsufficiency for its intercollegiate athletics programs. As a result, Division I moved farther away from the educational model of athletics and more toward the SW 1
business model. At many institutions, especially those at the highest Division I level, athletics programs are treated as auxiliary enterprises within the university. This model has caused programs to place an emphasis upon potential revenue generating sports by reinvesting their resources to insure those sports that have the potential to generate income receive competitive funding to be successful. Men s basketball and football have historically received greater resources in an effort for these sports to be self-sufficient and, hopefully, provide revenues for the entire department. Often for Title IX purposes a selected number of women s sports have received comparable budgets. This practice has led to a tiering of sports. Many institutions have had to reduce the number of sport offerings and reinvest in those sports which the conference emphasizes in order to be competitive. Without being competitive it is difficult for programs to generate revenue to become as self-sufficient as possible. This need contradicts principles 3, 5, 6, and 7 in the core principles. Because of the need to be competitive, coaches have broadened their duties to include increased emphasis on recruiting and fundraising. The time commitments for these affect the teacher/coach model suggested in the core principles. A critical component of the transition from Division II to Division I was developing creative solutions to close the funding gap between the NCAA Division II past and the NCAA Division I future of the Aggies. Athletics is a part of UC Davis $1 billion campaign goal. A $16 million goal is established to be reached by 2014 with an ultimate goal of $30 million for a permanent endowment fund for intercollegiate athletics. The drive targets investment in four key building blocks for success: facilities, grants-in aid, endowments and student support services. The existing Davis level of support for each of these areas has historically been behind competitive Division I standards. The grants-in-aid, endowment, and student support deficiencies all continue to be priorities, but the greatest funding challenges for developing a strong competitive program is upgrading its athletic facilities. The next phases of the Aggie Stadium expansion project are intended to address the strength and conditioning, athletic medicine, administrative, coaching and academic support office spaces. Additionally, expanding seating in the football stadium will be required in an effort to increase revenue for the program. SW 2
Recommendations related to Current Context of Aggie Athletics 1. Evaluate and adjust the University s Core Principles to more closely coincide with NCAA Division I, Big West and Big Sky philosophies and practices. 2. Develop facility priorities that will attract outstanding student athletes by providing excellent training, tutoring, medical and fitness facilities. Secondly, provide spectator facility enhancements that will provide opportunity to significantly increase revenue. Obviously, the football seating and fan services should receive a high priority. 3. With increased expectations on coaching staffs, the teacher/coach role needs to be reviewed to determine whether another model might better serve students desiring to develop athletic skills and increase their fitness levels. SWOT Analysis Campus interviews and ongoing research have revealed a number of areas of strength as well as weakness that UC Davis faces as the school confronts the challenge of competing successfully at the Division I level and finding successful balance in competitive, academic and financial terms. Strengths High level academics: UC Davis is currently a top ten public research I institution and is in the internationally acclaimed crown of higher education that is the University of California system. It is in the most selective category of universities according to US News and World Report. UC Davis has a number of nationally-ranked academic departments and programs. Student-athlete development: With the transition to Division I athletics being a fairly recent change (officially marked by the 2004-2005 competitive season), the culture of athletics at UC Davis still retains a commendable sense of athletics participation being a co-curricular part of the undergraduate experience. Student-athletes continue to perform at a high level in the classroom even as the level of athletics has risen. Increases in resources have allowed some teams to SW 3
recruit athletes with considerable academic and athletic ability, raising the bar for performance in both areas. The bike-friendly setting, relative proximity to Sacramento and San Francisco and charming college town atmosphere give coaches powerful recruiting tools to use when appropriately leveraged. The opportunity to convince prospects as to the nature of the student-athlete experience at UC Davis as a holistic, balanced, and integrated chapter in their lives is a clear recruiting advantage. Effective and adaptable coaches: There are some very talented and motivated coaches within the department who have the potential to coach and lead teams to a higher competitive level. Their ability to gain relative success during the transition from Division II is a testament to the creative use of resources and adaptability to a changing and increasingly complex environment. The 2004-2005 season, the first season in which all UC Davis sports teams competed with Division I schedules, was evidence that UC Davis responded well to Division I competition. Football finished the year 6-4, men s basketball 11-17, women s basketball 9-18 and women s soccer 8-9-1. Given the logistics and timing of recruiting, it is expected that the Aggies will improve quickly with the recruitment of Division I caliber scholarship student-athletes as more full scholarships come online. Student body support: A key strength of the university is clearly the support of the undergraduate student body and their enthusiasm for quality competitive athletics. The transition to Division I was made possible by the Facilities and Campus Enhancement (FACE) initiative which levied a significant increase in student fees in order to largely fund campus upgrades that would improve athletic facilities. New projects include the Schaal Aquatics Center and the Multi Use Stadium, both of which are significant improvements of antiquated intercollegiate athletics and recreationally oriented facilities. Of the $22,542,7 83 million projected sources of funds for the 2010-2011 season, $18.7 million (76.3%) comes from the FACE ($2,975,507 million), the Student Activities and Services Initiative (SASI, $7,385,184 million) the Campus Expansion Initiative (CEI, $5.0 million) and the Student Services fee ($3,169,279 million). Students on campus are generally passionate about Aggie athletics and feel connected as a result of broad participation and the integration of intercollegiate athletics coaches into physical education activity programs. SW 4
Weaknesses Culture: The prevailing culture of the athletics program at UC Davis explains many of the challenges that the school faces in order to compete successfully at a higher level within Division I. What was a commendable and noteworthy example of competitive and participatory athletics program, integrated within an environment that truly emphasized participation as a developmental component of the undergraduate experience, leaves significant gaps when measured against the current world of Division I intercollegiate athletics. There are examples of schools that maintain high academic standards, support a large number of teams, and compete at the highest level in Division I. Stanford University and the University of Michigan are examples of institutions with high academic standards, outstanding facilities and huge operating budgets. They have only been able to do so as a result of a combination of fund raising and development, ticket sales particularly from football and basketball, television rights income, sponsorships and endowment funds. Their budgets are four to five times the current level at UC Davis. Much of the resistance from faculty and students to these types of initiatives comes from concerns that the Division I athletic culture would change UC Davis identity. However, without a cultural reorientation towards a model that is consistent with Division I, it will be difficult to elevate the Aggies s level of competitive success. The eight core principles that define the current culture are completely consistent with UC Davis history of athletics but at least five of the principles represent an impediment to increased competitiveness in Division I. There is a portion of the coaching, professional staff and alumni that adhere to these principles and will likely resist any cultural shift. Facilities: In spite of the upgrades that the 1999 FACE initiative made possible, many facilities are sub-standard when compared to institutions within even the lowest tier of Division I athletics. In many sports, UC Davis athletics facilities are also used by the Departments of Physical Education, Recreation and Intramurals. Competitive and practice facilities, academic support facilities, medical facilities, training facilities, and administrative and coaches offices are old and outdated. Furthermore, in spite of the improvements in the Multi Use Stadium, expansion will have to go beyond the planned 30,000 seat cap in order to create the scale of program that has the potential to generate revenues to support all programs through ticket sales and advertising. Currently, there is not a definitive date for the additional 20,000 seats that would get the stadium to that cap level. SW 5
Facility improvements have functional implications. They enhance the ability of teams to train and compete at the highest possible level; however, the most important impact is on recruiting. The condition of the current facilities creates a recruiting disadvantage with relevant and potential competitors. In addition, it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to generate additional revenues and improve attendance without major renovations or new facility projects. The basketball facility is adequate by Big West conference standards, but significant expansion would be needed to meet Mountain West standards let alone the PAC 12 benchmark. Attracting, retaining, and maintaining quality staff and student athletes will require considerable improvements in office spaces, athletic training and strength conditioning facilities and academic support operations. Operations: Key operational shortcomings that have been noted focus on business operations (accounting), development, game day operations and academic support. There are some coaches, staff and campus members who think that, particularly, the development staff is already too large. However, during the transition from Division II there has been only a moderate investment in scaling up administrative and operational staff, not simply in terms of abilities and skills but also in absolute numbers and processes. What was adequate for a Division II education based model does not meet the standard for athletic operations that are required to train and compete at a higher level, generate significant revenue from game day operations and develop fundraising streams. With an increase in expectations of competitive performances comes a substantial increase in administrative support requirements for coaches, in terms of compliance paperwork, promotions, recruiting correspondence, travel, etc. There will also be an inevitable need for greater levels of direct academic support for student athletes. Coaches currently multi-task and perform more administrative functions and teaching requirements than their counterparts at other institutions are required to do. This reduces coaching time that could be spent improving team performance. Division I Model: The key to being able to compete at the Division I level is finding creative ways to generate enough revenue from multiple sources in order to cross-subsidize the various intercollegiate athletics operations that are strictly cost centers. All of these opportunities require an investment in human resources and facilities that UC Davis has not made at this point. There is concern from different quarters of the campus about moving to a Division I athletic model. SW 6
There are aspects of the Division I model that are indispensable to an institution that hopes to compete on a level playing field with other universities that fully embrace the Division I philosophy. One important consideration is the scope of the athletic program. UC Davis has a broader program than most universities in the Big Sky, Big West, Mountain West and PAC-12 conferences. Only Stanford University and the University of California Berkeley have a more extensive program than UC Davis. UC Berkeley has struggled trying to maintain a broad based program and is faced with a huge annual financial deficit. Without a significant increase in revenues, UC Davis will need to consider reinvesting its resources in order to be competitive in even its current conference alignments. Opportunities Innovation in Division I model: There is an opportunity for UC Davis to pursue a new model that can leverage its existing strengths and address some of the key challenges facing the department. There is a demand for universities that can provide excellence in both academics and athletics, and yet provide an environment that preserves the notion of student-athlete development as a priority. An analysis of Stanford University s intercollegiate program to determine the possibility of UC Davis developing a version of its operation that preserves high levels of academic integrity but provides adequate resources for conference success in the Big West and Big Sky Conferences may be useful. ICA/PE/Recreation: Broad-based participation in recreation, intramurals, physical education and intercollegiate athletics is a critical part of UC Davis culture and should be retained, but as previously noted, a structural evaluation of the relationship may be beneficial for each unit. Sharing of facilities should be possible, but a fully allocated cost model should be created to better understand operating and replacement costs between the different units. A consistent concern expressed during interviews with current coaches indicates a weakness in communication among staffs in the separate areas. In athletics staff interviews many felt that intercollegiate athletics should be given greater flexibility and priority in scheduling use and access to various facilities. SW 7
Business Operation: UC Davis has an excellent record of fiscal responsibility. According to the EADA dataset included in the report, the department consistently operates within tight budget constraints. As the level of athletic performance improves the university must assert sound financial operation as part of a new model of sound athletic management which includes greater transparency. Added revenue: Opportunities for revenue come from high profile sports that attract fans and their disposable income for on-campus contests. Athletics must have administrative and operational responsibility for athletics support groups, event parking and concessions. In addition, ICA should have increased percentages of revenues from these areas as well as from online athletics apparel and licensing rights. The latter should be promoted by ICA in its publications and other marketing programs. Consideration should be given to revenues from major and gift campaigns to ICA. The athletics ticket office should be under the control of the Department of ICA. Not all of these areas can be improved concurrently, but the new department leadership should model the potential that each area has and engage the business office in creative solutions to increased profitability. Technology applications: In the face of limited resources, every effort should be made to leverage low-cost/no-cost opportunities for staff functions like marketing and promotions, broadcasting games and results, connecting with alumni and donors, etc. There are a wide variety of applications of social and digital media that are not currently being utilized but are critical to current fundraising/friendraising and public relations efforts. Several coaches discussed the relative invisibility of UC Davis athletics and that problem could be solved with minimal investment through the application of technology. The current administrative and coaching staffs may require training on various platforms; therefore, some thought should be given to the creation of a media lab facility where staff can obtain tutorials on the use of platforms such as Face book and Twitter. There may be opportunities to employ undergraduate interns to staff a lab and possibly provide regular support for teams and department activities. Travel management: Travel is reportedly inefficient in terms of organization and the ability to manage costs. Significant savings in cost and time management can be realized by either using a central travel agency or by training those who travel. Assistant coaches, secretaries, and other staff with minimal SW 8
training can benefit by learning to use internet sites. The possibility of value managed relationships with local providers (e.g. bus companies and hotels) should also be evaluated by the business office staff. Outsourcing: The business office should evaluate the possibility of an outsourcing contract with vendors to automate some of the bureaucratic requirements and manage administrative and oversight costs. It is possible to bridge the gap between current levels of administration and the need at the next level through the use of web-based data management tools to facilitate compliance audits and tracking of recruiting activities. Promotions and Marketing: Almost every coach expressed enthusiasm and passion for the brand that UC Davis could potentially have, but almost all believe that the brand is not currently being adequately promoted. Even within the local Sacramento media market, there is not sufficient awareness of Aggie events or results. This is another challenge that can be addressed through the application of digital media. For example, every sport should have sideline reporters who tweet results at a play-by-play level and the availability of each sport s Twitter feed should be well-publicized to current students, alumni, parents, fans and media. Professional sports are beginning to use this channel with great effect. The same technology conclusion is true for improvement in development/donor operations through use of digital media and web-based technologies for communication and friendraising. Game day experience: Another consistent theme is the difficulty of creating game day experiences that attract and retain fan interest. The relationship between Campus Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics apparently creates logistical complication and customer service issues that mitigate against increasing attendance. ICA control of the game day fan experience would open up opportunities for increased ticket sales and a deeper level of community connection as well as reduced game day stress for coaching staffs. Culture: There is an opportunity for the new leadership to dramatically improve department morale through the development of unifying departmental themes and approaches to training, competition, and team building. Many of the coaches do not have a sense of where the department is going as a whole, have little or no contact with their colleagues, and do not feel as if they have a clearly defined role in a larger enterprise. Though the athletic department offices are not yet centrally aggregated, an intentional effort by the new athletic director to regularly SW 9
meet with all head coaches will greatly aid in communication and unity. In addition, some consideration should be given to developing a best practice database for recruiting, marketing and development work in order to enable sharing and collaboration across the department. Resource limitations mean that coaches will have to follow an entrepreneurial model of management, but they should be able to access the significant expertise that already exists in the department among their colleagues. Other possible steps include regularly scheduled coaches roundtables, creation of a formal coaches leadership structure to increase their sense of empowerment and unity, and regular communication of policy changes and decisions by the athletic director. Not every decision must be explained or approved by the coaches, but there is a clear sense of disconnect that increases the sense of isolation by coaches from administrative functions. Service attitude: A frequent complaint from coaches across NCAA institutions is the attitude of service in administrative offices. UC Davis is no exception. The coaches perceive that the Athletics Department lacks a culture of customer service. Rather, the coaches often experience a sense of being policed by administrators and put into a mode of serving administrators, rather than being supported as the most direct influencers in the lives of student-athletes. In the interview process with coaches there was a number of comments regarding demotivating styles of leadership, management, and communications from administrative and support staff. Student pride: A relatively simple opportunity for cultural change would be to enhance and develop a culture of pride among student-athletes. Some student athletes expressed disappointment that is no annual recognition program for student-athletes in their sport. Recognition programs celebrate the achievements of student athletes and can help capture a sense of loyalty and institutional pride. Acculturating student-athletes to the idea of institutional support and annual giving is far easier before they are graduated than five years post-graduation. SW 10
Threats Haste: Appropriate and strategic pacing is rare in intercollegiate athletics when it comes to major departmental changes. No athletic department has successfully moved up through the hierarchy of Division levels and conferences without first achieving a leadership position in both athletic and financial performance at their current level. It is impossible to simply purchase a leap from one conference or Division to the next. Therefore, one of the greatest threats facing UC Davis is overreach, that is setting aspirations and goals for the athletic department that are not adequately matched by available resources. While it is possible to dramatically increase the amount of financial resources available for investment in facilities, operations, and coaching salaries, it will require judicious consideration of the order, scale, and timing of investments if the university is to avoid the overreach that characterizes the majority of programs that chase the elite success in intercollegiate athletics. Stagnation: Another threat is loss of momentum from the initial transition to Division I. Initially, there was considerable enthusiasm and excitement on campus and in the local community about the change. However, there appears to be a sense within the department that interest has lessened. No doubt the financial reductions across the campus as well as in athletics have affected that interest. There is currently a perception among the coaching staff that the department is not uniformly moving in the direction of being highly competitive in Division I. Leadership: The current culture seems to be fraught with a sense of futility, frustration, and concern for the lack of visible leadership. A number of coaches identified the absence of a clear and compelling vision for the department as one of the major stumbling blocks to progress. There are also coaches, administrators, and support staff who have lengthy tenures that have been unable to evolve their mindset regarding operations and expectations from the Division II past. The new athletic director will have to clearly delineate an elevated level of expectations in terms of performance and efficiency as he or she considers new and creative models that may require a re-organization in order to facilitate a more professionalized sport management approach. SW 11