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ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY HOCKEY MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 18, 2014Ray AndersonDon MullettChris MullettGreg PowersRAY ANDERSON: Welcome, everyone, welcome. With that, on behalf of President Crow and all of us at Arizona State University, we are really, really proud to announce that commencing with the 2015 academic year, ASU hockey will compete as a Division I varsity program, all due to the incredible generosity of a group of donors, including Don and Chris Mullett and their family who are here with us today, and others who have requested to stay anonymous, and so we will certainly honor those wishes. You should know that the $32 million in combined donations includes the single largest donation ever to Sun Devil athletics, and as a result of this opportunity and significant commitment, we are equally proud to announce that with the 2016 academic year, ASU will be adding an additional women's varsity sport program still to be determined, but we will share with you that lacrosse is being considered as a primary focus and women's rowing or crew is also under consideration. So we have what amounts to significant startup funding for these new programs, hockey and lacrosse in the first instance, but we will be challenged going forward to fundraise and create revenue streams to support these new programs long‑term, so there's plenty of work ahead for all of us. But it's also critical to note that the donors' willingness to financially support the addition of new women's sports programs as part of this hockey initiative is phenomenal, and so on behalf of all of us at ASU, we thank you guys for that participation and that commitment. That is very meaningful to this University. You should know that this decision is a huge decision for ASU and Sun Devil athletics. We are adding sports at a time when many other institutions are considering cutting varsity sports. We're adding to ours because we believe that it's the right thing to do. We also believe that as the largest public institution in the country, we should be able to field varsity sports that want to compete with the Ohio States and UCLA and Stanfords who have 30 something varsity sports. We currently have 22. We are adding a 23rd in men's hockey and a 24th shortly in one of the women's sports I articulated. President Crow really required us as we went through this decision to really scrub the reality of it, because indeed, we are not a program in athletics that wants to continue to be at the subsidy level with our University. We want to operate as one of those that is profitable, that operates efficiently, and so we have had to scrub this opportunity. It's much more complex than somebody saying we've got $32 million, here, go do the program. So what we've had in the past here at Arizona State unfortunately is the experience of having to cut some varsity sports, and so part of our consideration was we have to do whatever we have to do because we will never suffer that pain here again at Arizona State under our leadership. So our due diligence in getting us to today's announcement was robust and very significant, and I really want to thank our senior administrators for their hard work and being able to support really an historic and bold decision, so Rick Shangraw, Dan Saftig, Morgan Olsen and Jim Rund and Christine Wilkinson and Jim O'Brien and my staff, Dave Cohen, Rocky Harris, Steve Webb, Amy Schramm, Cooper, Willis and others, really thank you all for the work in getting us here today because this is not a move without risk. Like I said, we have a lot of heavy lifting to do, but what this does is it represents what ASU is all about because we're entrepreneurial, we're proactive, we're innovative. We want to provide more opportunities for our student‑athletes and for our community, so it's yet another example of what ASU does and who we are, so it's a proud, proud day for us. Before I introduce our new head coach Greg Powers and our guests the Mulletts, I want to acknowledge one of your media colleagues and one of our ASU students from the Cronkite School who stepped forward and really planted the seed about support of ASU hockey. Is Justin Emerson here? Stand up, Justin. This young man, one of our proud Cronkite School students, came to my office and he was very persistent about getting his interview, and he came in and he was prepared, and he was pointed and he was succinct, and he told me about ASU hockey and encouraged us to support this hockey, and the conversation was simple. Justin, if we get the financial support to do this, then we as a University will do everything in our power to figure it out. Too many times people want to talk about why you can't do things. You got us thinking about how we get things done. So what I want to tell you, Justin, is you've really done this University, your Cronkite School and your media partners proud, because you were sincere, you were together, you were passionate, and you know what, you put a lot of pressure on me. You put a lot of pressure on me, because then a week later or so came that call, and that call came from Coach Powers, and it went something like this: Do you remember that article you did with Justin? You talked a lot? Really? I know some guys, and I know some guys who want to support this program. So Justin, we thank you profusely, and I want you to know that when we get to the question and answers, you will have the first question. Justin Emerson. So in some of the bio materials you can see about Coach Powers' accolades, his past performance, but what I want to tell you very frankly is the reason he is going to be the first varsity Arizona State University hockey coach is because he deserves to be. More than anything, the passion and the commitment for this sport and for these young men is what really inspired me because Coach has done this at the club level really as a second job, and I'm sure‑‑ is your wife here? GREG POWERS: She is. RAY ANDERSON: I'm sure she sacrificed a lot with you wanting you to get away from your executive search firm business, very successful, to come hang out with your hockey guys. GREG POWERS: You have no idea. RAY ANDERSON: So it was that passion and loyalty, and we had a chance to talk, and Greg really articulated the vision that he had for this program and for this institution in terms of varsity hockey. It was really inspiring. And again, the commitment from Greg and the donors to understand that we want to do this in the most passionate way, but we need your support in making sure we can also support additional women's programs, and he was unequivocal in his support for that. You can read about Greg Powers, but it is my absolute pleasure and honor to represent Arizona State in welcoming our new varsity hockey Division I coach, Greg Powers. GREG POWERS: Well, first and foremost, I have to thank Ray and all of Sun Devil athletics, Dave Cohen, who really helped spearhead this entire initiative, these guys to accomplish what has been accomplished in really just over 90 days during the busiest time of year for them, a very successful football season that we're having, is nothing short of a miracle. I think it speaks volumes to the future and the initiatives that Sun Devil athletics overall has, and I am thrilled to be a part of it, just absolutely thrilled. So thank you, Ray, thank you, Dave, thank you, everybody. I obviously want to thank my wife Jessica first and foremost. As Ray kindly alluded to, there were plenty of days and nights where she thought I was a madman for doing what I did, and without her unwavering support all the way through, to get to this point, there's no way that we would have achieved our success at the ACHA level that we did, so thank you, Jess, very much. I also want to recognize my daughter Isabel and son Jake who are here to celebrate this great day with us, as well. So many people to thank for this tremendous day, too many to name, so I'm not going to get too in detail with names, but every coach that's ever coached with me along the way, the guys here today, and clearly the staff and the people that started Sun Devil hockey here, all the way back to the early '80s, the guy that helped found or program, Mike Hoffarth is here, and then through the transition Wayne Reid and John Wold and Gene Hammett, so many people that have made this day possible, leading to our current regime and general manager Ken Lind, who really helped catapult our program into greatness and had a major, major role for making today happen, and Ken's support of me becoming a head coach when I didn't have very much experience, all I had was a diploma from Arizona State and a ton of passion for this University that I still have, and he believed in me to lead our program to where we are today. So I want to thank Ken, most importantly. And absolutely last but not least, I want to thank our players. Our players are the main reason we are here today. Our players, and for those of you that know and those of you that followed our program for the last two or three years now how good we really became. Those players believed in our vision for Sun Devil hockey. Many of them, all of them turned down some semblance of NCAA opportunity, and a good portion of them turned down scholarship money to come be a part of Sun Devil hockey and believe in our vision and winning national championships and giving them a first‑class college hockey experience, and today, boy, did that decision pay off for those kids. I love you guys, and I can't wait to start this journey with you, and I look forward to making you all a part of it. Thank you, guys. I think now is a great time to introduce Don and Chris Mullett. Don, to be quite frank, if Don's generosity for the last 15 years and his support and his passion for our hockey program didn't exist, we would not be here today. We wouldn't be here five years ago. We wouldn't be here 10 years ago. We are here, and Sun Devil hockey is here because of largely in part of one man, and he's sitting next to me right now, and his son Chris, who played for ASU back in the early 2000s is here today, too. With that, I'd like to introduce Don and Chris Mullett. DON MULLETT: Thank you. I would like to start out today by reading a little one‑liner that I have regularly followed throughout my personal and business career. The best successes are usually the ones you have risked the most to achieve. This donation is a huge commitment for me, my co‑donor, and our families. Since the year 2000, I have personally donated a significant amount of my time and resources to the ASU hockey program, and the ultimate question is why. I have firmly believed, and having seen an experienced growth in my family with my children, there are many life‑changing lessons to be learned by being involved in competitive sports, combined with one's first priority, the quest for a better education. For example, learning to be a team player, coping with competitive situations, how to lose gracefully, and my favorite, never quit. The game isn't over until the whistle blows. Along with my co‑donor, I would like to thank our families, Dr.Crow, president of ASU and his staff, the ones that I met so far. I heard a lot more today. Ray Anderson, vice president of university athletics, David Cohen, senior associate athletic director, and Rocky Harris, chief of staff, ASU. I'd like to thank them for their unwavering support of ASU hockey. Also I'd like to thank Greg Powers, head coach, for his personal dedication, support and leadership of ASU hockey. I have witnessed four coaches since I've been involved with this program. Greg exemplifies something beyond what I would have ever expected with a club program. Also I'd like to recognize‑‑ I know there's others before him, but the ones that I was intimately involved with while I was with this program: John Wold, who is not here tonight, Wayne Reid, who I've talked to, Ken Lind I saw in the audience here. These are three longtime people who have been involved with this hockey and supported this program ever since I've been here. And finally, to our players, alumni and fans without which there would be no ASU hockey, thank you to you all. CHRIS MULLETT: I guess it's my turn. I've got to tell you, this makes me feel like a much better hockey player than I ever really was. I'm quite excited to be up here. I don't have much to say. I just kind of want to reiterate what Greg and Mr.Anderson have said. Thank you so much to my dad and all the parents that have supported all of us players throughout the years. Dad, without you, the program‑‑ who knows where it would have been. I am here to support him and represent him moving forward. I will be at his side all the time through this, and on behalf of the players and all of their parents that get to see their kids go through this, thank you. And thank you to all of our co‑donors. Q. There have been other NCAA programs in the Southwest, in the past NAU used to have one, and the American International University in San Diego used to have one. Those lasted less than 10 years. What makes you believe that Arizona State will be successful? GREG POWERS: You're starting out with a bang. We're Arizona State. That's the difference. We're Arizona State. It's that simple. We are a large, successful, committed university, not to say that U.S. International and certainly NAU are not, but we are in a different market, it's a different time now than it was when those two programs launched. Hockey in general on the West Coast, to say it's growing is a gross understatement. Last year alone, 59 kids from the state of California played Division I hockey, 14 from Arizona. We have the NHL here in Phoenix, obviously, and two of the last four Stanley Cups belong to a West Coast team in the Los Angeles Kings. It's a different landscape now on the West Coast than it was when those two programs launched, but most importantly, we're Arizona State. Q. Ray, in this economic climate for college athletics, what convinces you that this is the right move for ASU now and then five, ten years down the road when the bills are coming due? RAY ANDERSON: Well, certainly one of the things that is important is that you have appropriate financing, and we believe we have appropriate financing as a startup business, and not to be flip, but we're Arizona State, so we don't have to have 15 years of guaranteed financing, but if we have startup capital as a new business that will run hockey and additional sports for 10, 12 years, then that's a really solid startup position that most folks out there, they'd take that. Well, we're going to take it and run with it. We're very confident about our ability to continue to fundraise and create revenue streams that very frankly will have us self‑sustaining in these sports going forward. Like I said before, it's not without risk, but part of our DNA is to be entrepreneurial, to be creative, to be a little bolder than some others might be willing to do. That's quite frankly why the Pac‑12 is excited that Arizona State is stepping up to start varsity hockey, because they haven't been able to get some of the other universities to quite take the move, so they're very supportive because the hope is that Arizona State will then tip the domino to get some of the northern schools in Washington and Oregon and our folks in California who have many programs and probably don't want to see Arizona State competing when they're not. We're getting a lot of support from a lot of folks, but they recognize that we're being ASU, which is being entrepreneurial and innovative and out there, and we're willing to do that. Q. Ray, is there a plan in place right now for the team's home rink? Will they stay at Oceanside? Will they move? There are some rumors, but what's the current status of the team's home rink? RAY ANDERSON: Well, I'll defer to coach in a second, but we are going to look at all viable options for our home ice. We certainly have the commitment to have a Division I quality home for our varsity team, and we will accomplish that. In terms of how we're going to roll it out and the timing, I'll defer to Coach. GREG POWERS: Well, we have a lot to figure out. The most important thing is immediately we have very viable options that will be suitable for first‑class college hockey. I can tell you that my goal personally as the head coach is to be on campus as soon as possible, and if somebody said this day wasn't possible, they were wrong, and one day hopefully soon we can find the support to be on campus in an environment that our student body can really enjoy college hockey. But until then, we'll certainly play somewhere that's suitable. Q. Now that the D‑I team is varsity, what's going to happen to the Pac‑8 team and the D‑II elite team? GREG POWERS: The ACHA program will absolutely still exist. We, led by Ken Lind's efforts, as far as the D‑II program goes, believe in providing as many students an opportunity to play hockey, so the ACHA program will still exist and it will still thrive, and after this we will sit down with the powers that be that will run that program and we'll figure out what that structure will look like, but it will exist. Q. Greg, can you talk about is there a conference move here in the offing? How is that going to go? And Ray, can you talk about the kind of reaction you were getting when you were sort of analyzing whether this was possible? Were people telling you this was a crazy thing to do, a great thing to do? What kind of feedback were you getting from your colleagues in the business? RAY ANDERSON: Well, let me, if I may, call up our guest and our friend here Mike Snee from college hockey. We got a lot of really positive response when Justin put it out there that we were contemplating this. Mike, do you mind commenting from your perspective as to how it was perceived in the hockey world, and then you can take the second part of the question? MIKE SNEE: I think the answer is unequivocally it was received positively. I can tell you in the past 20 minutes, it's been reinforced. The college hockey community, the hockey community is ecstatic, and I think there's a lot of people that would like to walk outside of the rink after practice in January in Tempe, Arizona. Nothing against the other 59 schools that sponsor Division I hockey, but it's universally received with open arms, and I think the entire college hockey community and hockey world is very excited for this. RAY ANDERSON: Jeff, from the University perspective, we wouldn't be sitting here if President Crow wasn't convinced that this was a really good move for ASU as the institution, and again, we scrubbed this very significantly to determine that this was the best decision for us, so we have campus‑wide support, and we're really excited about the support that we've gotten across campus. GREG POWERS: The rollout, Jeff, next year will be a hybrid season, so we'll play a good amount of ACHA games and half NCAA games, and that's something that I'll be looking to do immediately, to fill out a schedule. In '16‑'17 we'll play a full independent schedule of NCAA Division I play, and then in 2017‑'18 we will have conference affiliation at a to‑be‑determined conference. Q. You mentioned some conversations with Pac‑12 schools. I don't want to ask you to speak for them, but how much have you been able to test the waters on their willingness to step into this fray? RAY ANDERSON: Actually it's the Pac‑12 conference. When we first notified them that we were contemplating varsity hockey, they were as supportive as any group we've had contact with, and they will individually after this domino, go to the other schools and invite them to consider very seriously upgrading or adding varsity hockey. The individual schools I haven't spoken with because we had to get our own house in order first, but the Pac‑12 conference is certainly of the mind now, because hockey if run efficiently is a revenue sport at a lot of universities, and also it's a very TV‑worthy sport, so in terms of the content for the Pac‑12 Network, they are excited about those prospects by having others potentially join from our conference and playing varsity hockey. Q.  Ray, with the future of the Coyotes kind of in question in Arizona, what does this move mean for the future of hockey in terms of hockey players, hockey fans within the state as a whole? RAY ANDERSON: I would probably defer that to Coach. I really haven't thought a lot about the impact on the professional landscape. My responsibility has been to really evaluate this for what is best for ASU and our players and our fans and our alumni and our community, so I really haven't thought through what impact it might have on the Coyotes. Have you? GREG POWERS: I guess a little bit. Let's just be honest; the growth of the game in Arizona is largely in part due to the Phoenix Coyotes, and the popularity of the sport on the West Coast is due to the NHL teams. Whether or not they are in influx, it doesn't affect us. We are looking to be our own entity and provide a brand of hockey, a very exciting, hard‑hitting, fast‑paced brand of college hockey that doesn't exist here in the Valley now outside of our ACHA Division I program. But now Valley hockey fans have the opportunity to see college hockey at the very highest level, and I think they're going to really like what they see. Q. Coach, can you talk a little bit now about the mentality of the team moving forward? How do you guys stay focused competing at the ACHA level as you're transitioning into NCAA? GREG POWERS: Well, we had meetings yesterday. I met with each guy individually and made it abundantly clear that we have unfinished business to do this season, and not focusing on this team's goals in the ACHA in our last season of Division I play will not be acceptable. Now, we already had a target on our backs, and we've been dealing with that all season and dealt with it rather well. The target just got a lot bigger. We have a group of guys that will embrace that target, and it's certainly not a concern of mine. I love who we have to go to battle with, and I can't wait to get started back up. Q. I was wondering how soon you expect to be competitive at the NCAA level, especially now that you can use scholarships as an advantage in recruiting. GREG POWERS: Well again, we're Arizona State, so very quickly. Realistically, are we going to be a national championship contending team very quickly within a couple of years at the NCAA level? No, that's why we have a ramp‑up period where we play a hybrid schedule and then an independent schedule and then go into conference play, but we have proven at the ACHA level with student‑athletes turning down scholarship opportunities to come play here, that we ‑‑ and pushed the most unique college hockey experience in the country. Now we are truly the most unique college hockey experience in the country, and we're going to exploit that and use it to our advantage. Q. When it comes to the Title IX end of this, you mentioned adding the other women's sport. The size of the roster in hockey, does that sort of dictate that you would need to go up to something like the rowing level to balance that out, or can you do that with a lacrosse or field hockey or something like that? RAY ANDERSON: Yeah, our proportionality would allow us to be about where we are with the addition of lacrosse. For instance, rowing tends to have rosters that fluctuate higher, so with regard to either of those, we would be in pretty good stead when that rolls out. We are intent on making sure that in 2016 we're rolling in one of those at least. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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