nancy zimpher comments
One of our news reporters, Cliff Peale, conducted an interview with Nancy Zimpher this morning. They touched on many issues, just a few of which were related to athletics. Here's some of what she had to say about athletics:
UC met its quota of 9,000 or so fans for the bowl game and ended up making a profit on the game.
On the bubble and practice fields that are included in Brian Kelly’s new contract, she said any project would have to go through the university's normal budget process and the athletic department would have to raise its own money, which is what Mike Thomas has said all along.
She acknowledged that the costs of big-time sports, including coach's contracts and practice fields, are kind of surprising to her.
"I think our business planning could have been more front-loaded,” she said. “This is sort of a referendum on what it takes to be competitive in the Big East. I don't think we aspire to be the biggest program in the Big East. But it hits the pocketbook when you talk about comparable facilities. It hits the pocketbook when you talk about comparable coaches' salaries.”