Based on what we heard form their fan base during realignment I am not sure how much this will change. Seems like their biggest issue is their president who wont prioritize athletics.
Arizona State AD Ray Anderson steps down..
- Thread starter t-noah
- Start date
My impression is while most with ASU wasn’t necessarily happy with the idea of joining the Big 12, most had already accepted the reality of the situation and were in favor of joining the Big 12 because it was far far better than the alternatives - either accept the AppleTV Pac 12 streaming deal for maybe $20 mil/year, or the even worse option of having to join the MWC or an even worse conference for much less” - and this was long before the Pac 12 actually collapsed around Anderson.
As far as Utah… eff those fans. They never came around like ASU fans did and are still hoping for the Big 10 invite.
Utah fans are blinded by their hate of BYU and not wanting to be associated with them.
Unless I missed something, did anyone in Utah’s AD or any actual university representatives say anything that “bad” about the Big 12 outside of denying rumors (which everyone was)?
It seems the butt hurt against Utah is because of their vocal fan base on twitter and that’s about it.
Now on the other hand, ASU was very vocal even the day after the merger about how they didn’t want to go the Big 12.
It seems the butt hurt against Utah is because of their vocal fan base on twitter and that’s about it.
Now on the other hand, ASU was very vocal even the day after the merger about how they didn’t want to go the Big 12.
Cal/Stanford's ACC solution isn't a good result either had they ended up there...unless the ACC eventually became some gigantic conference that also includes the entire current Big 12.
The guy had one path to success and he unzipped and publicly urinated on it. Succeeded in spite of himself.
Comparing ASU and Ore St is really a "life's not fair" lesson.
I do think Arizona was 100% coming to the Big 12 whether ASU came or not. Everything I heard was it was a done deal before Colorado even joined, everybody with any power at the school wanted Big 12 as a basketball first athletic department. It's more likely this dip$hit and a few others had to realize what life would be like after AZ, Colorado, USC, UCLA (and later WA/Ore) were leaving rather than Arizona was waiting around hoping ASU made the right choice.
I think he was one of those that thought a continuation of the PAC 12 was possible, and that if it was possible, that it would be preferable to any other option. Add to that not wanting to put the final nail in the PAC 12's coffin.
I think a lot of those people were still thoroughly convinced that the PAC 12 was worth a ton of money even though pretty much every network told them it wasn't.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Agree. They just absolutely weren't going to leave until the house had entirely burned down. Which UW/UO did when they went to the B1G.
I get wanting to stay in your conference, but wanting to do it for $10-15M less annually is borderline malfeasance. I guess the plan was to just borrow the difference until you run out of OPM.
Interesting that the article quoted in post #1, did not mention donors, alumni, school president, or any others that might have wanted him gone. All of that was left to our imagination. It merely stated to he "is stepping down".
What is not said I think says a lot.
What is not said I think says a lot.
Nothing really except this which endeared himself to the Pac loyalists.
In response to Pac-12 rumors, Utah’s athletic director says ‘Give me a break.’ Good for him
Reacting to a piece by CBS Sports about the future of the Pac-12, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan called out the author Dennis Dodd.
Oh yeah. How could I have forgotten about him? I guess we will soon see where the donors and Board of Regents (?) stand on the Pres.
As far as the "resignation" of Ray Anderson, it's about time. There have been rumors of Ray Anderson's demise for over a year.
Also, I want everyone to know that the ASU community isn't unhappy about joining the Big 12. Although they are sad about the Pac 12's dissolution, they are also excited about the opportunities joining the Big 12 will bring. I've lived in Phoenix for 26 years and have 5 sons/stepsons who have attended ASU (including one who played baseball for ASU), so I've adopted the Sun Devils as my #2 college team. After USC and UCLA left the Pac-12, and it was evident there wasn't going to be a viable TV contract, Sun Devil fans were widely supportive of a move to the Big 12. They were frustrated that the Anderson and the President, Michael Crow, were dragging their feet and feared ASU was going to get left behind. ASU is an urban campus and has to compete with all four major professional sports teams in town, so the atmosphere is a lot different than in Ames. (ISU Women's basketball averages over 2,500 more fans per game than the ASU Men's basketball team.) But I think you'll find the fanbase is loyal and will be a good addition to the conference.
Also, I want everyone to know that the ASU community isn't unhappy about joining the Big 12. Although they are sad about the Pac 12's dissolution, they are also excited about the opportunities joining the Big 12 will bring. I've lived in Phoenix for 26 years and have 5 sons/stepsons who have attended ASU (including one who played baseball for ASU), so I've adopted the Sun Devils as my #2 college team. After USC and UCLA left the Pac-12, and it was evident there wasn't going to be a viable TV contract, Sun Devil fans were widely supportive of a move to the Big 12. They were frustrated that the Anderson and the President, Michael Crow, were dragging their feet and feared ASU was going to get left behind. ASU is an urban campus and has to compete with all four major professional sports teams in town, so the atmosphere is a lot different than in Ames. (ISU Women's basketball averages over 2,500 more fans per game than the ASU Men's basketball team.) But I think you'll find the fanbase is loyal and will be a good addition to the conference.
Despite his lack of vision for athletics, Michael Crow has done a lot for the university. When he started ASU was looked at as a party school and a joke academically. Under his leadership ASU is now among the top research universities in the country and is rated as number one in innovation.
And got them to be AAU. Meanwhile, AAU changes their criteria and we quit it before being kicked out - right in the middle of this last phase of realignment. Thanks a lot AAU. Luckily, it didn't bite us - this time. Ok, rant over.
So good tkts are available for mbb games? Also are the coeds as hot as the pics?
I was there once for work (years ago) and they absolutely are.
Can't speak to the tix though...
