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Text of Rice President Malcom Gillis' letter to alumni RICE UNIVERSITY
Malcom Gillis
Many of you may have received inquiries from friends regarding the planned departure of eight schools from the Western Athletic Conference. Following meetings in California with the presidents of the WAC universities and after many follow-up discussions with them, I can report that - in contrast to the hysteria initially generated in the media - the WAC is very much alive and looking to the future with some confidence. Indeed, the eight schools, including Rice, that plan to remain in the WAC are in general better positioned to succeed than the collection of eight departing schools. The WAC has a commissioner; they do not. We have honored our commitments; in my view, they have not. Our reputation for forthright, transparent dealings is fully intact; in my view, theirs is not. We retain rights to ongoing basketball revenues from the NCAA tournament; they do not. These are, as you know, times of great change in intercollegiate athletics. For some time, universities like ours have been resisting the efforts of the large conferences aggressively seeking to dominate the entire television revenue market. Rice is in good company with many universities that are fighting to maintain a balanced playing field. Some of the departing WAC members seemed to be under the impression that their new conference would be better able to attract television revenue. That remains to be seen but, by redoubling our own efforts, Rice and the remaining WAC members should be able to find a way to obtain a better television package. We have outstanding, multitalented student-athletes and truly extraordinary coaches in men’s and women’s sports. They have demonstrated that, given the opportunity, Rice University can produce strong, competitive and winning teams. Six conference championships in the past five years attest to that. In the remaining year of the larger WAC and as we move forward in a more compact WAC (perhaps with a couple of new members in due time), we will continue to support the best interests of our student-athletes and provide them with a meaningful, competitive environment through which they can challenge themselves to excel- both on the field and off. Our recent invesments in athletic facilities have totaled nearly $5 million. These projects are largely made possible by our alumni and friends and have already begun to pay major dividends. These include new practice fields, stadium turf, practice gyms, and weight rooms. And this coming fiscal year we win be investing an additional $800,000 in refurbishment for Rice Stadium, as part of a longer-range effort to improve this storied facility. Should you have any specific questions or concerns that you wish me to address, please can, write, or send me a fax or e-mail. Office of the President-MS1 |
