The DU Division of Athletics and Recreation has created a new strategic plan for 2008-2013, which strives to encourage more student spirit, advance the existing programs and implement numerous new initiatives.
Although some of the initiatives were implemented starting in fall 2008, the division has made another set of initiatives for 2009 as well.
The strategic planning committee’s changes focus mostly on the men’s basketball and hockey programs, but strive to advance each sports program.
“It is bigger than just men’s basketball. It is about all of our 17 programs,” said Chief Financial Officer of Athletics and Recreation and chair of the strategic planning committee Dan Van Ackeren.
The reason men’s basketball is a main focus is because there are more opportunities to generate revenue with that particular program.
“It is not about devaluing hockey. It’s just that the revenue opportunities associated with men’s basketball are better,” said Van Ackeren. “Men’s basketball has great potential of revenue with ticket sales, concessions and parking.”
Almost all of the 2009 new initiatives have something to do with men’s basketball.
There are also many continuing initiatives from prior years that the department feels are important to maintain as part of the sports programs at DU.
The budget for the Division of Athletics and Recreation has been changed due to these proposals.
“An additional half million dollars was added to the budget to advance the strategic plan. The money came from being able to increase revenue from other sources,” said Van Ackeren.
One of the main goals of the new plan is to try and get the men’s basketball team into a different NCAA conference.
“In order to be sustainable, we need to get the men’s basketball team into a conference that better fits our needs, such as the Mountain West Conference, West Coast Conference, Missouri Valley Conference or Western Athletic Conference,” said Van Ackeren.
“The key to getting into one of these conferences is a successful basketball program. The conference benefits as well from a successful basketball program, as do institutions.”
The new initiatives for 2009 include several goals orientated towards increasing student spirit and involvement at the men’s basketball games.
“Everyone watches college basketball on TV. You look at any other school in the country and they have a great student section. I mean that’s what we are trying to build here and make this a basketball school, and in order to do it you have to play that way,” said men’s basketball head coach Joe Scott.
“You have to have good guys that people want to cheer for, normal Joe’s that are just like the students themselves and then have a way to win, care and play hard and then people will come to watch.”
Many of the proposals that are directed at students include enticing students to attend events with free giveaways and chances to win prizes by coming to games.
“We want students to realize that this is their program, so we created a student section in the best seats in the house,” said Van Ackeren. “We are trying to develop a collegiate atmosphere.”
An example of one of the iniatives in action was during Saturday night’s annual Pack the House men’s basketball game agasinst Sun Belt Conference leader Western Kentucky University.
In previous years, DU would give away $40,000 of tuition to a student if they could make a half court shot. However, no one ever managed to win the money.
This year’s Pack the House halftime game provided a more probable chance to win $10,000 in a mock “Deal or No Deal” game show.
Any student who entered the game through the new student entrance, which is also part of the new strategic plan, was eligible to win the money.
The game included all sorts of other prizes, ranging from Outback Steakhouse dinner gift certificates and Denver hoodies to $175. Sarah Lowry, anthropology graduate student, won $50 when she decided to open her own case and accept whatever was inside.
Proof of success so far with the new objectives was shown at Saturday night’s game, with 3,500 people in attendance and an almost full student section.
“Until we have a product, it is going to be difficult. We have to be patient,” said Van Ackeren.
