Q&A: Commissioner Bernadette McGlade Making A Major Push For The Atlantic 10
By BigLeadSports
The scandals at Penn State and Syracuse are serious situations that demand full attention. And powerhouses such as Ohio State and Miami getting busted for rules infractions by the NCAA have tended to overshadow the accomplishments of student athletes, coaches and universities nationwide.
The landscape of college sports also is changing, with major universities switching conferences and TV enterprises such as the Longhorn and Pac-12 Networks turning schools into media moguls.
The Atlantic 10 has not been without its own issues. On Dec. 10, a fight broke out during a game between A-10 member Xavier and Cincinnati. Players from both teams were subsequently suspended.
About that situation, Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade said in a statement, “This was an unfortunate incident that occurred, and is not representative of the values within the Atlantic 10 Conference. The additional disciplinary actions taken by Xavier University are fully supported by the conference. In the long run they will help the student-athletes and Xavier University in maintaining the high standards we expect. These penalties reinforce Xavier’s and the Atlantic 10’s commitment to sportsmanship and accountability and the importance we place on the integrity of intercollegiate athletics.”
In a reflection of the current state of college sports, there actually are 14 schools in the A-10: Charlotte, Dayton, Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, La Salle, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, St. Joseph’s, St. Louis, Temple and Xavier.
Big Lead Sports spoke to Commissioner McGlade about the current and future state of college sports and athletes.
Bernadette McGlade: The most recent scandals are truly tragic. However there are lessons for all. As the commissioner I understand that the athletic director and presidents in the A-10 have proactively addressed the importance of leadership, moral responsibility and legal responsibility on their campus. Protecting not only our student body, faculty and staff, but minors who frequent the many campuses for many reasons is certainly an area that has been, and I assume will continue to be, addressed institutionally. While these types of issues are primarily addressed on campus, the conference office constantly reminds our membership to be vigilant in all areas of responsibility, to “do the right thing,” whether there is an A-10 championship on campus or a regular season competition, responsible decision making and accountability is always a requirement.
BLS: What is the biggest challenge you face as commissioner during a time when college sports is so turbulent?
BM: A constant challenge is maintaining and improving our level of success in both men’s and women’s basketball as our Conference flagship sport. Nationally, the competition to recruit the best students, and most especially student-athletes, in Division I basketball is fierce;. So the A-10 must be vigilant in staying current. Additionally, challenges always exist in the finances of intercollegiate athletics and that is no different for a conference office; lastly conference membership and the strength of a conference’s membership is a daily challenge.
BLS: Is there a message that brands and marketers should know about the A-10 that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle?
BM: That we take our academic success as seriously as our athletic success, staying in the top three nationally amongst all division I conference is a top priority for the Conference. Secondly that the Atlantic 10 Conference approaches basketball success like the BCS schools approach football success; our basketball championship is similar to many institutions’ football Bowl appearances. The A-10 members have committed significant financial and staff resources to be the best basketball-only conference in the country and we intend to maintain that commitment and to be proud of it. At the NCAA Division I level there needs to be several great basketball conferences and basketball brands out there and the A-10 brand of basketball is among the best in the country.
BM: The A-10 gets a little crazy when we are referred to as “mid-major.” I know it’s just a term but we prefer to refer to ourselves as the best basketball-only conference in Division I and the best basketball conference outside of the “big six.” Over the last six years, the Atlantic 10 has had 10 at-large selections – the seventh most among all other Division I conferences – behind only the “big six.” Last year marked the fourth year in a row that the Atlantic 10 earned three bids into the NCAA Tournament. The A-10 also received multiple at-large bids for the fourth year in a row and 17th time overall. For four straight years, we have had a team advance to the Sweet 16. Our commitment to men’s and women’s basketball is one of our highest priorities. We make a very directed effort, from a conference perspective, to assure our programs have everything they need to be successful nationally.
BLS: Given all the attention directed toward BCS conferences, what can you say to brands about the power of mid-major conferences to connect with fans nationwide?
BM: Decisions like our recently announced five-year partnership with the Barclays Entertainment Group [and] moving our men’s basketball championship to New York beginning in 2013 is a real commitment to growing and building our A-10 brand and fan base. I believe positioning [the Conference] to enhance branding and grow your fan base is critical to “making it happen,” which is why the presidents and athletic directors approved this significant and lucrative partnership this past October.
BLS: Have you been consistent in your messages?
BM: Everything we do publicly is an avenue to market our brand to the fans and our alumni. Championships are one of our most visible vehicles. In addition, our media rights package and partnership with ESPN, CBS Sports Network, CBS and our regional media affiliates allows the league to enter the living room of the casual fan, the rabid fan, the A-10 alumni and most importantly the person or family that never has touched the Atlantic 10 conference. We take this opportunity to showcase the extraordinary opportunities available at our schools.
BLS: Considering the mass movement that is taking place among universities and conferences, what is the A-10 doing to maintain its focus?
BM: One of the most important things to do during these uncertain times is to clearly know who you are and what you stand for — which the A-10 does. We continue to make strong decisions such as agreeing to the five-year partnership . . . with the Barclays Center, adopting the new allowable NCAA scholarship increase by making it mandatory for basketball recruiting and student-athletes in the A-10 (Editor’s note: This legislation still needs final approval from NCAA member schools.) and moving forward on implementing our Strategic Initiative Plan dedicated to strengthening the conference academically and athletically. Individually and collectively these are decisions by the Atlantic 10 that say, We are not watching from the sidelines, we are getting better as a Conference while some in Division I are distracted by realignment.
BLS: That said, are there markets in which the A-10 would like to be?
BM: The Atlantic 10 Conference is currently in 20% of the national media markets, a pretty amazing and important statistic. Our goal is to leverage this presence so our members can benefit and as a league we compliment what each A-10 Institution does in their own market.
PHOTO: Tim Vizer/Icon SMI