USD Men's Basketball 1996-1997

"It will always be importan t for women's teams to show they can draw and produce revenue," said Conradt, entering her 21st season in college athletics. " It legitimizes a program, that's the key word. It's viewed as a measuring stick. We've made great strides. There was a time no one believed women's basketball had potential to produce revenue." The Texas women have reached near-cult status in Austin not by accident. The school was among the first to create a fan base wi th innovative marketing tools like guest coaches, where fans sit on the bench during games and go into the locker room at halftime. ''Teams that have done well have gone out and promoted their programs," said Conradt, whose women's teams bring in $1 million annually. "No one in athletics, men's teams includ– ed, can just sit by and wai t for people to come. There is more and more competition for the entertainment dollar. Profes– sional teams have always been out there marketing and we're moving more and more in that direction." Texas, like Connecti cut and Tennessee, courts local compa– nies for support and also works the community groups like no one ever has. Conradt, Auriemma and Summitt are frequent guests at Kiwanis Club luncheons and local schools. It's hard work, bu t it pays off. "As long as there is a seal to be sold, there is going to be opportunity," said Conradt. "One thing that has happened here is that it started with basketball, but interest and support have spilled over to other sports. There are always niche mar– kets. We've just started women's soccer and the people that come to soccer are a little different than those that come to basketball." The finan cial picture isn't as bright at Iowa. Though the Hawkeyes have one of the best programs in the nation, money isn't flowing in th e door. "We are nowhere close to covering our expenses," said ath– leti c director Chri stine Grant. "Our scholarships alone-15 at $13,500 each-are a huge item just to think about. But with the hype of the Olympics, we believe we will take another step forward. I don't think there is any question that if we continue with the kinds of promotion of women's sports that we've seen the past few years, we could really start to realize income in several women's sports. Volleyball, softball and gymnastics have real potential. "Right now, the entire uni versity is struggling with tough finan cial situati ons. Athletics being a big part of the universi– ty, we're expected to contribute as much as we can to help bal– ance the budget." Grant, like so many others, sees marketing as the key.

In Division l men's basketball, 32 percent of all programs run annual defi cits averaging more than $200,000. Perkins said he realizes that all the stars aligned to create the Husky hysteria that rages in Storrs, Conn. The team has an energeti c and personable coach in Auriemma and drew players the town adored, like Olympian Rebecca Lobo and spunky point guard Jenn Rizzotti. "One of the biggest things for us is our kids hang around for hours after the games sign ing autographs, talking with the fan s," said Perkins. "They have really tri ed to make thi s a communi ty event." That's what's happening in Knoxville, Tenn., where Pat Summitt begins her 22nd season. Each time the men's basket– ball coaching positi on opens, fans are qui ck to try to draft Summitt to take over the men's team. She's quite happy where she is, thank you. So valued is Summ itt, whose teams have won four national championships, she now earns a total compensation package worth more than $230,000. Summitt made $8,900 her firs t year at Tennessee. Tennessee will spend nearly $1 million on its women's pro– gram this season. It's one of the best investments the school has ever made, acco rding to athleti c director Joan Cronan. "The last five years have been a tremendous growth period for women's basketball," said Cronan. "When you add up thi s year, it's even more tremendou s coming off what was one of the best Final Fours in history. Back that up with the Olympics and the tremendous media interest, and l can see a real bright future for women's athletics. "What we have to look at is the corporate dollar. Women's athletics has become a good buy. Companies aren't just doing it because it's a good thing to do." Cronan sa id a school does n't have to be in the running for the NCAA title to take its first step. "Without a doubt, we're very fortunate to have had a winning tradition," said Cronan. "Obviously it's easier to sell a winning team than a losing team, but you have to begin marketing at whatever point you are. If you have less than a .500 record, you build to .600 and market that. Pick out two or three games you really want to highlight." In beautiful Austin, Texas, coach Jody Conradt has created a program admired in every corner of the nation. A champi– onship banner hangs in the Texas gym and Conradt's team is once again ranked among the best in the coun try. The program also is self sustaining. Conradt's responsibili ty isn't just to win basketball games. She's also the athletic director. .. ... ~ ·····• ' . . • • Up, Up and Away

"We've got a lot of good things going in women's sports. We've just not done an especially good job in getting the word out to the general public. Some programs are now beginning to realize that their teams have potential they never realized before. "I spent three or four days at the Olympics and attended the semifinals of women's soccer. There

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• Attendance for all three divisions in 1996 up 5.5% over 1995 • Na tional attendance up 53 .6% over five-year period endi ng 1996 • National attendance reached all-time high for 15th straight year • Attendance nearly tripled since 1982, from 1.9 to 5.2 million in 1996 Division I Leads the Way • Attendance up 73% over fi ve-year period ending 1996 • An all-time hi gh of 1,285 fans per game was set last season • 64% of top 50 teams in attendance showed increases over 1995