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ASU's Anderson Discusses NCAA Reform, Fund-Raising For Sun Devil Stadium Upgrades

While Arizona State VP/Athletics Ray Anderson "oversees a new vision for Sun Devil Stadium, he also will have a hand in reshaping college athletics," according to Doug Haller of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. Anderson in a Q&A said, "It's just been a tremendous time to come into this environment simply because all those challenges are all the things that make it so much more than a normal athletic-director's position. It's pretty cool, actually." The following are excerpts from the interview:

Q: This money [to cover student-athletes' full cost of attendance] will have to come from somewhere. Have you guys started to think about the resources behind this?
Anderson: That's part of the challenge, and, very frankly, some of the consternation, because depending on how you apply it, it could be a significant additional cost to athletic departments and fund-raising pressures. ... For instance, you have programs like Stanford or UCLA that have all the varsity sports. Instead of the 500-plus student-athletes we have here, there are some programs that have 800-plus student-athletes. So that number could be all over the board, and you had some people saying, "In my program this could be an extra $2 million a year."

Q: You think this can be done while still protecting the amateurism of college sports?
Anderson: I do. The thing you worry about is, "What does this kind of thing do to the mid-majors or the lower divisions?" because very frankly, they just don't drive the revenues to pop up and try to compete with the Ohio States, the Michigans, the USCs, the Arizona States when it comes to being able to provide (everything). ... You don't want to end up with a significant gap between the haves and have nots. That would be unhealthy.

Q: Where are you guys with the fund-raising for the new Sun Devil Stadium?
Anderson: We're making progress. ... Given the vision we have without a lot of hard renderings, without a lot of hard drawings and flat-boards, we have to be very encouraged.

Q: Wells Fargo Arena is showing its age. How close is it to getting a face lift?
Anderson: That's down the road, but you can be sure that it's clearly in our focus, because to be an elite program your facilities have to be top notch.

Q: Every athletic director wants to win championships and excel academically. What else is on your wish list?
Anderson: I'd like to drive our fund-raising and donor efforts where, like Stanford and UCLA, we can provide whatever varsity sports people want to compete in. ... Some people may say you're nuts because of the financial commitment it takes to do that, but you know what? Others are doing it. Let us figure out how to do it (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 5/22).

A RAVE REVIEW: The AP's John Marshall wrote Anderson since assuming his position has "been exceptionally accessible, taking phone calls, exchanging emails and occasionally meeting in person with students, fans or boosters who have concerns." He has "been given an energy jolt since being hired in January and he's reciprocated, providing the university's athletic department with an infusion of vigor and a dash of business savvy during a critical juncture for its future" (AP, 5/21).

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