Mike Holder provides statement on OSU scheduling issue
Published: 12/19/2012 9:31 AM
Last Modified: 12/19/2012 9:31 AM
I wrote a story in today's Tulsa World about the football scheduling disagreement at Oklahoma State and I talked to officials at other schools to get an idea for how scheduling is done at their institutions.
OSU athletic director Mike Holder contributed a statement for the story that I carved into two pieces and placed within the story.
If you want the pre-surgery statement (and I thought it was well-crafted), here's Holder's quote in its entirety:
"One of my priorities as athletic director is to do everything in my power to help our football coach build a championship team. A very prominent athletic director gave me some great advice my first month on the job when he suggested that I never say no to the head football coach. I’ve done my best to follow that advice. However, the realities of college athletics have forced me to compromise, reluctantly, on a few occasions. And to be quite honest, if the football coach and athletic director don’t have a difference of opinion on occasion, then neither one of us are doing our jobs.
"Coach Gundy and I have agreed on every non-conference game scheduled to date with the exception of the 2013 season opener versus Mississippi State in Houston or, potentially, Florida State in Dallas to open the 2014 season. I agreed to schedule the Mississippi State game for revenue, national exposure, and proximity to a great recruiting area for our university. My preference was to side with Coach Gundy and schedule a game in Boone Pickens Stadium, but the opportunity in Houston was too good to pass up. My hope is that our team continues to be successful and I face similar tough decisions in the future.
"I will continue to work in concert with Coach Gundy to make the best decision for our athletic department and university. These decisions may not always be correct, or popular, but they will be made for what we think are the right reasons."
Written by
Jimmie Tramel
Sports Writer
