Washington State University Official Athletic Site

220 FTP Server ready.

Athletics Director Jim Sterk

Cougar Chats presented by:

Chat with Director of Athletics Jim Sterk, Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 3 p.m.

Moderator: Good afternoon Cougar fans and thank you for visiting wsucougars.com and today's online chat with WSU Director of Athletics Jim Sterk. Before we begin, remember tomorrow's edition of Cougar Chats with Men's Basketball Coach Tony Bennett at 11 a.m. Information on that chat can be found on the men's basketball page of wsucougars.com. Without further delay, let's get going with today's chat. Jim thank you for joining us today.

Jim Sterk: Thank you for having me today. I feel a little intimidated being right in the middle of June and Tony. I look forward to answering your questions.

Pat-Spokane: How are the plans for the next phase of the stadium coming given the current credit climate and slower economy? January start still realistic? Thank and all others for all the hard work.

Jim Sterk: Great question. The economy will have an impact, but we don't know how much as of now. The University plans to put out an RFQ (Request for Quote) to regional and national financial institutions within the next week or so. The first two phases were funded through revenue bonds, and from what our financial advisors tell us, the bond market is not a viable option right now. So, the RFQ will determine what we will need to move forward with the $40 million Phase III project. January could possibly still be an option, however, right now we are continuing in the design phases with the architectural team that has been selected for the project, Ellerbe Becket and ALSC out of Spokane. We are designing with the notion that we could still go ahead and hit the January 1 timeline. If the results of the RFQ indicate we need additional gifts and/or revenue to cover the costs the timeline may be pushed back.

Linda, Leavenworth: I read that there is a new hydro works facility and a new rowing tank being installed. Can you give an update!

Jim Sterk: Linda, the hydrotherapy facility is scheduled to open November 1. This facility will house a Hydroworx underwater treadmill along with a chill tub and warm-water therapy tanks. This will be a big boost for our student-athletes' health and welfare as they recover from injuries and train at a high-intensity level. The rowing tank is currently under construction in the old Bohler Pool area. It should be completed sometime in mid-November, which coincides with our rowing team fall season ending, and when it will get a little too chilly down at the Snake River. This also gives me an opportunity to thank Tom and Barb Wilson for a $100,000 donation to assist with the funding of the indoor rowing facility. P.S. There are still gift opportunities with this project! :)

Sally, Sellah: Seems like there is a huge buzz out there for your mens and womens basketball teams. is it true that you have upgraded facilities to assist in recruiting? if so whats new on the Palouse?

Jim Sterk: There have been a number of upgrades to the facilities in basketball during the past couple of years, and this year is no different. The public, when they enter Beasley this basketball season, will notice the upgrade of the arena as many sections of the building have been painted and been branded with the Cougar logo. Within the lower areas, where the teams meet, that area has been painted and cleaned up. We plan to place a satellite weight room for the teams to work out in, as well. In Bohler, where our athletes spend a lot of time, the locker rooms for both men's and women's basketball has been renovated, along with the practice facility in the old P.E. Building.

Chris (Gig Harbor): Jim, lot's of disappointment in year with respect to the rebuilding of the football team. You've indicated Wulff has a plan and we as fans need to be patient. Are there specifics of that plan you can share?

Jim Sterk: All of us are disappointed in the results of this season to date. I do expect the second half of this season to be better. As far as Coach Wulff's plans for the future, he headed into this season knowing he was going to try to redshirt a number of players, which could be helping us right now, as an investment in the future. Another area is to develop our current players, of which, 17 underclassmen have been first time starters this year, to make them bigger, faster, and stronger. That goes along with the plans of our football strength coach. With that, it also relates to our plans of upgrading facilities (i.e., stadium renovation, hydrotherapy building, and modifying some existing facilities we have, such as the weight room, locker room, etc.). At the core, rebuilding is developing a team that's junior and senior laden. If you listen to Paul on his radio show, you will get a flavor of his plans. In short, it's a lot of hard work and we need to get it done.

Pete (Spokane): Could you talk about the needs of the department and the role alums/fans can play? Also, do you have the fundraising staff needed to accomplish your goals?

Jim Sterk: Pete, the alumni play a huge role in the success of any intercollegiate program. The ways they can help are through purchasing tickets, donations, sponsorships, and their volunteer efforts. In my time at WSU, I have seen our donor rolls grow from just 2,500 in 2000 to almost 6,000 currently. During this time, our donations have increased to over $13 million in the last fiscal year. This is an increase of nearly $10 million from when I arrived in 2000. Ticket sales and sponsorships have also continued to significantly increase. While that growth has been fantastic, we still have significant challenges in competing against our Pac-10 and BCS level competitors. For example, our budget was $14 million below the next lowest member of the Pac-10 last year. We need to continue to work toward completion of Phase III of the Martin Stadium renovation and the increase of other potential revenue areas, which will significantly boost our revenue on an annual basis and allow us to level this playing field. For example, our scholarship support on an annual basis is around $3.3 million, while the expense has grown to over $6 million per year. Regarding staff, we had, over the past year, a couple of openings on the Foundation staff. We filled one recently with the hiring of Chris Walker, who comes to WSU with over 10 years experience in fundraising. We also have staff members located in Pullman, Spokane, Vancouver and Seattle. This staff, which is led by Senior Associate Director of Athletics John Johnson, has continued to receive accolades as one of the best fundraising departments within WSU. I want to thank all of you who have stepped up and supported Cougar Athletics in the past, and I appreciate each and every one of you. I know the economics are tough at this time, but we deeply appreciate your support of the Cougs in the future.

COUG GIRL: Sir, how much are you involved in the recruiting process for the student-athletes? Do you meet/greet when they come for their visitations?

Jim Sterk: In recruiting, a number of teams will set up a time for me to meet with the parents and the student-athletes on their visit to Pullman. Along with that, President Floyd has made himself available to meet with recruits as well. The ultimate decision on who visits and who is offered a scholarship is determined by the head coach of that sport.

Jeff (Scottsdale): It was disheartening to see an empty student section last Saturday against USC. Is the AD making attempts to have an open dialogue with students about the importance of attending games? I even wrote to the Daily Evergreen about this early in the year.

Jim Sterk: Jeff, thank you for posting and also your note to the Evergreen earlier this fall. The student support of our programs is vitally important and creates a great Gameday atmosphere. Our students have purchased over 11,500 sports passes this year and voted to incur a $50 a year fee to help renovate the stadium in 2006. It was disheartening to see empty seats; however, as our team becomes more competitive, I expect the students will respond and again create one of the loudest student sections in the Pac-10. As far as attempting open dialogue with the students, I was invited by the student-body president today to serve PB & J sandwiches in the CUB, and I was able to thank them for supporting our sport programs. Both Coach Wulff and I will continue to be engaged with the student-body leadership and the students overall. They are the best!

Mark - Everett: There has been a lot of news lately about a University on the west side of the state trying to tap into $150 million of tax revenue for their stadium renovation. Does this affect what WSU is doing currently or will do in the future in regard to the Martin Stadium renovation?

Jim Sterk: Great question. As you are aware we have funded the renovation of our stadium through ticket revenues and fees, a student referendum, and donations. To date, we have generated over $40 million worth of support. We are planning to go more public with our campaign in the next few weeks and you will see more details of Phase III in our public unveiling of the project. Our President, and lobbyists in Olympia, are monitoring the development of the University of Washington's effort. The position the President has taken is that if the legislature decides to fund a portion, or all of, this request, Washington State University deserves an equal share. To date, the legislature has not funded stadium renovations; therefore, we are pushing ahead with our current plans. If that changes, we will certainly welcome legislative support for this project.

Moderator: Okay, that is all the time we have. Jim, thank you once again for joining us today.

Jim Sterk: Thank you for having me. With June and Tony on for chats this week as well, I'm looking forward to the start of basketball season and what lies ahead this season. Thank you once again to all of the Cougars out there for your support.

Moderator: Thank you to everyone for your questions. Please visit wsucougars.com tomorrow for the Tony Bennett chat at 11 a.m.