May 26, 2010

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

I've been making a lot of speeches and meeting a lot of people recently. I'll be in Phoenix tonight, for example, to strengthen lines of communication with UA supporters. One of my themes in reaching out to people is to emphasize that everyone has the ability to make a difference when it comes to rallying support for the University of Arizona.

The simplest example is the wearing of the colors. Showing pride in the UA, whether through apparel, a flag in your lawn, a bumper or a window sticker, can make people think about us -- wherever we are. Opportunities to influence support for the Wildcats are abundant. We can't waste any chances to keep UA forefront in the minds of alums, parents, fans and, most importantly, prospective student-athletes.

It needs to be said that the chief method for making this statement is with our home crowds for sporting events. There is nothing as singularly emphatic as a full stadium or arena when a recruit for any of our sports visits our campus. On game days, we have to be a legion of ambassadors.

ADAPTING TO CHANGE

We're ordering a dozen copies of a best-selling book titled "Who Moved My Cheese," a quick read that I will encourage every one of our staff members to read. This book is a little allegory about adapting to change in business, communities, families, and careers. We all need to find out what our particular “cheese” is, and determine the best way to reach that goal or goals.

'VISION ARIZONA' IN PROGRESS

I continue to get questions about the north end zone project at Arizona Stadium.  The project involves seating, team locker rooms, coaching suites, in-game amenities for spectators, multi-purpose areas, you name it. What I can say now is that we're gathering information on a number of similar facilities around the country. We want to make sure our planning and projected cost is efficient as possible. I toured Arizona Stadium as well as all of our facilities and there's no question this project is part of the necessary updates we must make to reach long-term objectives.

SUPER WEEKEND(S)

I watched the Wildcat softball team clinch an NCAA Region title for the right to host a Super Regional this weekend against BYU. Wow. The team has some serious clutch in its makeup... Our track teams will send 31 student-athletes in 34 events to the first round (West Preliminary) of the NCAA Championships this week in Austin, Texas... Kudos to our women's golf squad for its fifth-place finish in the NCAA Championships in Wilmington, N.C., and to the men's team for its participation in the NCAA Southwest Regional in San Diego last week.

NEW WOMEN’S GOLF COACH

Speaking of women's golf, congratulations to our new Head Coach Laura Myerscough Ianello. We officially hired her today to run our outstanding program. I am confident she will do a great job taking us to the next level.

JOIN THE WILDCAT CLUB

One way to help UA Athletics is to become a member of the Wildcat Club, the fundraising arm of Arizona Athletics. Currently, the Wildcat Club is running a referral program to help spur growth. The Referral Program, part of the "Calling All Cats" Membership Drive, rewards current members who help us expand our membership. Click HERE for a full list of the outstanding prizes.

We need your help "Calling All Cats" by referring your friends, family and co-workers to the Wildcat Club. New membership in the Wildcat Club starts at $50 for Young Alumni (UA graduates within the last five years) and $100 for all other Arizona fans. Call 520-621-CLUB (2582) for additional information. The referral contest runs through June 30, so start recruiting today!

RED AND BLUE

Don't forget... be a part of our team. Wear your Wildcat colors proudly this Friday and every other chance you get. You think I'll quit saying this? Nope.

Bear Down,

Greg Byrne

Director of Athletics
University of Arizona
uofaad@arizona.edu