Editor's note: This is the second in a two-day series on the impact name, image and likeness has on East Tennessee State University's athletics department.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – German forward Tarik Panholzer takes the final two corner kicks and Scottish defender Chris McKenna puts them in the back of the Mercer net, ending his sixth year with the East Tennessee State University men's soccer team. It brought them their first regular season victory. last fall.
Athletic director Richard Sander told News Channel 11 this week that the Buccaneers' international presence on the field could fade in the coming years.
College athletic departments will better address the challenges posed by name, image, and likeness (NIL) and the funding Sander expects to shift from traditional athletic promotion funds to NIL. embarked on a strategic planning process.
Sander said that includes prioritizing sports that first get the funding they need to remain competitive in the Southern Conference.
“This strategic plan and the development of a vision for how we can compete ultimately comes down to allocating the resources that make the most sense to us and provide the greatest benefit to our university and our community. ” Sander said.
The initial survey, which received 390 responses, revealed a few things.
“Men's basketball was a top priority for people in our community. It wasn't even close to that,” Sander said.
“If we want to increase competitiveness and believe that men's basketball, women's basketball and football contribute the most to dance, then we have to allocate resources based on those priorities.
“I think that's where we're trying to get to, and it's a little bit different than how you know we've operated in the past. So there's going to be some tough decisions to be made.”
“Reset your goals”
ETSU's athletics website lists 17 sports, but 14 of them do not have basketball or football names.
Sander said its international character is likely to remain because of the small number of players, high competitiveness and special funding allocated to both the men's golf and tennis programs. Stated.
That means many programs, from soccer, baseball, softball and track and field to volleyball, cross country and triathlon, will face at least some degree of uncertainty.
“I don't foresee sports going away,” Sander said. “What I'm seeing is perhaps a refocus on specific sport goals.”
Key to these decisions is alignment with ETSU's mission to improve the quality of life in the region.
“Maybe one of the things we're doing now is setting guidelines, rather than recruiting players nationally in some sports, rather than playing nationally in some sports. ,” Sander said.
“We're going to recruit within the state, we're going to recruit regionally as well, and we're going to have contests with people who are geographically closer to us. That's going to be an example of how this is going to move forward.”
The Thunder could end up having their baseball or softball teams travel two hours to Radford for a nonconference series instead of traveling 16 hours to Waco, Texas, to play Baylor in 2022. He said there is.
That could mean more players from Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina, and fewer players from Montreal, Montenegro and Minneapolis.
“Instead of going to Kansas City, Missouri, and recruiting kids, why not adopt kids from Bristol,” Sander said.
“A kid from Kansas City, Missouri might be a little better. But hopefully we can bring that kid in from Bristol and coach them and then they have a great experience and They will remain in this community and contribute to improving the quality of life in this area.”
Sander said the department is considering how to deal with the expected but uncertain need to tighten belts, while also reviewing how coaches and staff interact with players in the post-corona era. .
“I think it has really changed their outlook on life. So it's a tough time. I think social media has had a huge impact on how young people react and how they interact and how they communicate.”
He said ETSU has assembled a great coaching staff and a great management group after a number of departures over the past few years.
“I think we all have the same shared mindset that we have to do everything we can to create great experiences that will help our student-athletes in their lives.”
The department is also looking at a half-dozen “functional areas” to maximize its value. This includes external engagements such as fundraising, marketing, communications, social media and business and finance.
“Video is a really important part of what we do with ESPN Plus. How can we make it better? How can we get the message across better? All of this is part of this strategic plan. will be included in.”
Sander knows that if any changes are implemented, even uncertain and interim ones, people may start to worry that the proverbial bull will be gored. There is.
“Whenever you make a change, there are going to be people who don't necessarily agree with you. I get it. The good thing is that people care. If no one cares about anything, you'll never… I don't say anything.
“Rather than just saying, 'Who cares?' I want people to care and say, 'Hey, I think you're an idiot for doing that.'”
He said the process was still very preliminary and nothing was “set in stone.” It looks like some good donations are in the pipeline and things could change.
And wherever a school's sports program enters a new financial ranking, he said there will be a consistent focus on back sports.
“We have young, dedicated, professional, motivated coaches who care a lot about their student-athletes, but there’s a scoreboard there and they’re going to win because they want to win. I also understand that.
“We want to be competitive. If you don't want to be the best you can be, I think you're probably in the wrong job.”
