Student-Athletes Afforded Rare Opportunity

Four tables arranged in a square, allowing a bevy of unique individuals to have a clear view of one another.

Sitting side by side in a row were Colorado State Athletic Director John Weber on one end, with university President Amy Parsons on the other. Between them sat Teresa Gould, the commissioner for the rebranded Pac 12 and NCAA President Charlie Barker, who is overseeing one the greatest eras of change for college athletics.

Filling out the remaining spaces for a breakfast in the OCR Field Club at Canvas Stadium were representatives of nearly every team on campus – afforded an opportunity many of their national peers don't get when Baker visits a campus. There were introductions, then Baker spoke to each of the student-athletes in attendance, asking questions ranging from where they were from, their area of expertise and expressing admiration for their achievements. Baker, himself a former college athlete at Harvard, then had face-to-face time with those who approached after, adding speaking with student-athletes is the most enjoyable part of his job.

Both he and Gould fielded a few questions, centering around the myriad of change which has already taken place and the alterations still to come. The rebranded Pac 12 is one of them, and Gould feels this is the opportune time to create.

"I think the timing of launching the new Pac 12 is ideal given all the changing circumstances around us. A new conference hasn't been launched for decades, and we're in an industry and marketplace in intercollegiate athletics that is different than it's ever been," Gould said. "For us, the timing of this and creating something for our student-athletes that is relevant and modern, given the new industry we're living in, is an incredible opportunity.

"The way I look at it is we really have a clean, blank whiteboard and we can look at this and say, 'look, everything around us in our industry is changing. What do we build that is modern and appropriate, giving the experience to our student-athletes and in the current industry that we're living in."

Charlie Baker Erin Dawson

Conference realignment and Name, Image and Likeness have altered the game and the way they are played and seen. The House settlement, expected in early April, will be another shockwave felt.
For Gould, taking the base ideals of what college athletics have always been and blending in the upcoming changes is foremost on the mind of she and the Pac 12 leadership. There is reaching the biggest stages and always being prominent in national discussions while assuring student-athletes have a positive experience remains at the heart of what the conference provides.

"Student-athlete experience will always be front and center. Being nationally competitive and having access to the postseason will aways be a goal," she said. "And then we want to be nationally relevant brands. We want to be brands that are recognizable and makes sure the institutions have global presence and national brands."

Which is why Weber said Colorado State is excited for the next chapter for the athletic department. His goal is to push the envelope for the department and the university as a whole and this move is a key component.

Like Gould, he is in his first year in his role. Like Gould, his vision for the future is ambitious in nature.

"It aligns us with institutions that are very similar to us. It aligns us with other institutions that are also aggressive about their own growth and taking control of their own destiny," he said. "That move for us in the first place was really about us being able to grow, us being able to find new opportunities and really keep pace with all of collegiate athletics."

There are still questions to be answered. A media rights deal must be finalized, and an eighth football-playing member must be added to a conference which is already admired nationally in basketball.

The Pac 12 will be the only football conference in the West, but the goal is for the conference to be seen as a national player. She said an "open-minded approach" will be taken in regard to adding membership, but the base has to remain in the West.

"The Pac 12 really has been the preeminent West Coast college football brand for over 100 years, and I think as we have established the vision for this new Pac 12," Gould said. "It's really clear, given the members we have as our core eight members moving forward, that we want to stay rooted and anchored in the West while having a national presence and a national brand. I think with all the conference realignment and shifting that's going on, we have a real opportunity to be the best in the West and own the West. I think our communities in the West are looking for that and want a conference competing at the highest level in the western part of the country, and we intend to be that conference."

Weber has been clear his intention is to transform Colorado State into the most loved, most watched and most innovative school in this part of the country. Aligning with the Pac 12 was an important first step in the vision. By becoming one of the premier players in the West, it can help the university expand its reach.

Having the western time slot for athletics is viewed as a launching pad, and Weber's goal is to make sure every team on campus is ready to capitalize.

"That's exactly what we're focused on right now. We're doing a lot to ensure our programs are very competitive as we enter this last semester here and one more full competitive season we go through," he said. "There's a lot we're doing around supporting all of our programs to ensure that they can grow, that our coaches have the resources they need and are able to provide that for student-athletes. That's really important for us as we come into the Pac 12, that we enter on a competitive high note and stay there. We're really excited about the opportunity to do that with the Pac 12 and all of our new members."

When moments are rare, the task should always be viewed from all angles to take full advantage.

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