State of the U., Part II

Here’s Part II of this week’s conversation with Chris Hill, Utah’s athletics director. Hill met with media representatives in what he was calling a “state of the U.” luncheon, where he agreed to answer questions and clarify points. Among the issues he discussed:

– Attendance at Utah basketball has steadiy dropped since 2000. A significant problem occurred in 2002, when Hill said security blockades and Olympic traffic discouraged many fans from atttending games.

– For those recalling the days of a conference hookup with the Holiday Bowl, it doesn’t appear likely. Hill said, “If we could get in the Holiday Bowl, we would, but they’re not interested.”

– Hill said there needs to be a comprehensive study as to why there can’t be a national football playoff. He went on to say the argument that student-athletes would miss too much school is invalid, seeing how most of the games are on Saturday “and we don’t have a lot of Saturday classes at our school.”

– He said revenue generated from the NCAA basketball tournament dwarfs that of bowl games. “It’s the only time when you compare football to basketball that football doesn’t make more money.”

– The Ute A.D. said he used to want to play only home-and-home series with BCS teams, but he is willing to entertain 2-for-1 setups with major programs. “If it makes us stronger in the league, bring them on,” he said.
He added that scheduling big-name teams is “harder than it was” and that sometimes scheduling is “just luck.”

– Though the Sugar Bowl had an $18 million payout, last year, the Utes only cleared about $1.4 million. The rest went to expenses and dividing the money among other non-automatic qualifying programs and the conference.

– The U. only makes about $150,000 by hosting a first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. But it’s good advertising.

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