This PR crisis struck me because it hit so close to home. I was on a cruise to Alaska during the second week of June, and I kept turning on ESPN as soon as we got to our cabin because I was so worried. If the Big 12 dissolved, Baylor would have been in trouble because the university would have likely had to go to a conference that does not have automatic BCS qualification, and Waco would have lost quite a bit of money.
I am impressed with the way President Ken Starr and Congressman Chet Edwards handled the problem. President Starr assumed presidency on June 1, the day the rumors began to circulate. Thus, he was suddenly thrust into a crisis as soon as he arrived at Baylor. His e-mails to students and alumni, which explained the situation for Baylor and asked for support, were effective.
Today, the Big 12 came out with its new football schedule, with nine conference games. This eliminates a non-conference game for Big 12 teams, which could be hurtful for the conference. Furthermore, the schedule is the same every year, with alternation home/away games for each team. I think it really takes away the unpredictability aspect. It'll be interesting to see how this turns out.
I can't wait to write about this crisis for my paper.
No comments:
Post a Comment