The news conference pleasantries and welcoming handshakes soon will fade into reality for new Colorado State athletic director Paul Kowalczyk.
He inherits a department that ranks last in the Mountain West Conference in fundraising, coaching salaries, basketball attendance revenue and overall budget.
Though it played a major role in the creation of the conference, Colorado State no longer is dominant in any sport but women’s volleyball and track. Football remains in the bowl cycle but placed only one player, punter Jimmie Kaylor, on the 2005 all-MWC first team. Utah and TCU, competing with larger budgets, have changed the football landscape, and former power BYU is poised for resurgence.
Men’s basketball has placed last or next-to-last in the MWC the past three seasons. The women’s basketball team, once an NCAA Tournament regular, has fallen off since the departure of coach Tom Collen in 2002, whom the school could no longer afford.
That all adds up to a possible budget deficit of $1 million and the first major obstacle for Kowalczyk to clear. The overall status of CSU’s program and its financial situation are not far removed from the disarray Kowalczyk inherited at Southern Illinois in 2000.
“What’s happened here is very special,” SIU athletic development director Tommy Bell said of the invigorated basketball program’s five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, reorganized fundraising structure, repaired relations with boosters and facility improvements.
“He doesn’t sit in a room and expect people to come see him,” Bell said. “Paul will find areas he can improve and make it better. He will work tirelessly and look for solutions.”
For starters, Kowalczyk said: “No question basketball is an untapped resource. It’s ripe for the picking, and we can build it.”
Fundraising problems
Of the MWC’s six state institutions, CSU lags in annual fundraising support for scholarships and operations. UNLV leads at $4 million and CSU is last at $1.7 million. Figures for 2004-05 were supplied by the respective athletic departments and do not include funds earmarked for facility improvements.
“CSU has trailed other Mountain West schools in fundraising,” departing athletic director Mark Driscoll said before he returned to running a bank. “It’s indicative of the university as a whole. We are not as effective raising money as we need to be and as the future requires.”
CSU has a large alumni base living on the Front Range, but has struggled to get donations. Even Driscoll, with his deep ties to the Fort Collins business community, couldn’t fully tap the base.
“Everyone thought Mark Driscoll would be the golden hen to bring in all the boosters out of the woodwork,” said Joel Cantalamessa, Ram Club board of directors vice president.
With the dual role between the Ram Club and moderating the independent Ramnation.com Internet sounding board, Cantalamessa has heard every excuse when he solicits new members or renewals each spring. Many sign up, he said, but others cite reasons ranging from the football team not winning 10 games a season to people wanting to donate to only football.
Others want a basketball coaching change. Some protest the $300,000 “Let’s Go Rammin”‘ marketing campaign.
CSU president Larry Penley has requested a student fee hike from the current $2.4 million annual contribution. Penley fears a potential $1 million deficit for 2006-07, given escalating costs of scholarships and operations. Another BCS windfall could help, or the department could dip into its reserves.
“We need to get boosters to step up,” Penley said. “We need to put people in the seats.”
CSU has its share of longtime big donors, including former Rockies owner Jerry McMorris, Rockies president Keli McGregor, Pat Stryker, local businesses and car dealers. It’s the rank-and-file Ram Club numbers that fall short.
This year’s goals are $1.85 million for the spring campaign and 2,600 members, or 166 more members than last year’s $1.48 campaign. Consider Wyoming’s Cowboy Joe club claims more than 4,000 members.
Schools vary by generosity. When Tim Weiser left CSU for Kansas State in 2001, he discovered Kansas State alumni have an unusually high rate of giving back. The NCAA report listed $9.69 million in donations to Kansas State.
“The important thing for people to remember is there is no perfect job in the AD world,” Weiser said. “Every job has its challenges, some more than others.”
Driscoll’s predecessor, Jeff Hathaway, often said fundraising was about “building relationships.” He constantly courted donors but stayed only two years. Driscoll lasted 2 1/2 years. Kowal- czyk preached relationship- building in his introductory news conference and vows to stay longer.
San Diego State has had a similar turnover in ADs, yet went to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and found $700,000 to hire new football coach Chuck Long. CSU’s highest donor level is $10,000 a year. San Diego State associate AD Steve Becvar, with former San Diego State and current Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn, created a “directors cabinet,” with a $20,000 annual contribution from each member.
Staff salaries sore point
Kowalczyk is the sixth AD at CSU since football coach Sonny Lubick took over in January 1993.
Heading Lubick’s wish list is staff salaries. NFL jobs lured former assistants Steve Fairchild and John Benton, and former defensive coordinator Larry Kerr and special-teams guru Brian Schneider left for UCLA after the 2002 season.
According to a 2004-05 NCAA database published by The Indianapolis Star, CSU is next-to-last in MWC football staff budgets and well behind the pack in basketball.
When told CSU ranked last in league fundraising, Lubick said, “Well, then how can they gripe about it?”
At least CSU gained one donor when it lost its last AD. Driscoll, a major contributor before as a private citizen, said he will be even more supportive.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-820-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
