ASU Athletic Director Steve Patterson takes stand vs. Notre Dame, Pitt
By Dan Bickley, columnistazcentral sports Fri Apr 12, 2013 12:03 AM
Arizona State has a national reputation. It’s Party School U. It just reclaimed the No. 1 ranking for student revelry in America. Long live the king.
But the football program no longer fits the sun-baked stereotype. Here, the Sun Devils are all
business
. And they’re beginning to get the country’s attention.
Start with Notre Dame, which is attempting to drop ASU from its 2014 schedule in a most unprofessional manner.
“The school didn’t have the courtesy to have the athletic
director call the athletic director at ASU to discuss it,†ASU Athletic Director Steve Patterson said. “They had their PR guy call (ASU Associate Athletic Director) Mark Brand to give us a message on Friday afternoon while everybody was out of town at the Final Four.
“At least in the little Catholic town I grew up in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, the good nuns wouldn’t have thought that was a very appropriate way to honor your word.â€
Those are fighting words, and a prelude to battle. Notre Dame might have its reasons for bailing out of a commitment, as its football team must shuffle its schedule to play five ACC games every season beginning in 2014.
But it’s a little late in the game for pulling out of a signed contract, preventing ASU from replacing Notre Dame with a quality opponent. It would rob ASU of its most attractive home game in years, a game that could galvanize a sleepy marketplace.
It would also be a slap in the face to a football program attempting to find higher ground, and Patterson is not going to let Notre Dame off the hook.
“If you want to talk 3-4 years down the line when someone has the chance to make an adjustment to their schedule, that’s a different thing,†Patterson said. “But when it’s 18 months out, everybody has their season already booked.
“Our position is, we’re playing the game. On October 25th, Notre Dame is going to be here. We’re going to play football.â€
Eventually, this matter will be settled. At the very least, ASU will get a nice chunk of
financial restitution and dignity restored. But Patterson is standing up for ASU in a way his predecessor could not, and think of how this changes next season’s showdown in Dallas.
Bad blood will underscore the contest. If Notre Dame dominates, it will appear somewhat justified in dismissing ASU from its schedule, proving the Sun Devils are not a competitive match or a traditional opponent.
If ASU prevails, Notre Dame will look like it is running away from a rising power in the Pac-12.
“Our ticket sales are up pretty dramatically,†Patterson said. “Our donations are up. The media is excited. (Coach) Todd (Graham) has done a great job of getting out in the community and connecting with everybody out there. So I think we’re a program on the way up, and people recognize that nationally.â€
Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick was unavailable for comment.
Meanwhile, another external conflict: The University of Pittsburgh recently blocked a freshman running back, Rushel Shell, from transferring to ASU or Arizona.
Shell originally was recruited to Pittsburgh by Graham, who famously left the Panthers after one season. The hard feelings still linger, so much that Pittsburgh apparently is taking out its frustration on a student-athlete.
That’s pig-headed and wrong. Normally, schools don’t block players from transferring out of conference, especially if it’s to another part of the country. But Pittsburgh would rather break protocol than contribute to Graham’s program in Tempe.
Patterson said he can’t comment much on this matter, which is under appeal. He said that he and Graham initially agreed not to contact any Pittsburgh coaches or players for 120 days, and they have fulfilled that commitment.
It makes for interesting drama at ASU, where the football program is taking flight. It’s causing more headaches for Patterson, who just dealt with angry boosters over Sparky’s controversial new look.
When it comes to the mascot, Patterson is willing to bend to the will of his people. But opponents who are playing games away from the field?
They’re discovering a new ASU.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/asu/articles/20130411asu-athletic-director-steve-patterson-takes-stand-vs-notre-dame-pitt.html
