Gillin: We're not getting investment..we need from the local community

[T-Dog]

From Friday's Board of Trustee's Athletics Committee meeting.

Skip to 1:46:00 for the pertinent information. Gillin's entire comments to the BOT Athletics Committee start around 1:42:15.

https://www.youtube.com/live/Cxmpbrz2HSk?si=0YbqUG2ackM_pZhK&t=6360

And in shorter video.



Gillin also blames the Schaffer Center for the Brad Paisley concern not being promoted enough. That's at 1:48:30 of the above YouTube video. Gillin says the concerns don't make money and for Athletics, it's so much work for so little return.

IMO, it's quite something for an Athletics Director to call out both the local community and another university entity in his comments. I've never seen Gillin do this before and it make me wonder about his future with the chancellor search and organizational change.

[appdaze]

My guess is he is feeling a lot of heat and has circled the wagons for potential changes.

[ah59396]

Just to play devils advocate here, he could also be telling the truth…

[AppWyo]

Just to play devils advocate here, he could also be telling the truth…

I think you are right, he is telling the truth.

[rbarthle17]

Good on Gillin. Sometimes the hard truth needs to be spoken.

[AppSt91]

Maybe he’s ruffling the local feathers before he rides off into the sunset.

[Apptiger]

Maybe he’s ruffling the local feathers before he rides off into the sunset.

Maybe the professors are winning. The academic side of App has been upset and jealous of the attention the athletic department has been getting over the last 20 years or so. At App traditionally, athletics was considered a compliment to a well rounded education. Fine as long as it stayed in its place. Maybe things are going back to what they were. Maybe the "community" feels the growth is too much???

Peacock understood that athletics and revenue sports like football were the "front porch" of a university. Winning teams enhanced everything. The national championships and the victory over Michigan changed everything.

Enrollment up, applications up, unprecedented growth in almost every area. It basically facilitated all of the growth and major building programs over the last 2 decades plus.

The NC board of governors have also held App back. We have a veterinary technology program but no veterinary school. We have a nursing program but no other medical school save Psychology. The only doctoral programs we have are in Education and Psychology. Over the last 40 years, Med, law, engineering and vet colleges at App have been discussed but never granted. The population of NC has more than doubled in the last 50 years from a little over 5M to almost 11M. The programs needed in the UNC systems have not been added or were added elsewhere Med- ECU; Engineering- UNCC for example. With this growth it's time they added more options.

I say we should have it all. More academics and more sports.

[Stonewall]

Few local and regional businesses that benefit greatly from App athletics or the University at large have reciprocated in kind. Its great to see “ Go Apps” on sign but it doesn’t move the needle ahead.

[BambooRdApp]

Doug is absolutely correct. The concerts at the end of the year are probably not making money for athletics program.

He is also correct. The Boone and surrounding High Country is benefiting significantly more than they are investing back into the university Be athletics.

This is not a getting the heat kind of deal commentary Although it may not be popular, it is truth telling. ...and more people should have these crucial conversations...

[Tru2ASU]

Maybe they need to figure out a way to reach out to local buisnesses better. And tbh, as far as the locals, if they are not associated somehow with the university, a large margin hate the college with a passion, and what it has transformed Boone, and the local area into.

[yosef69]

Maybe they need to figure out a way to reach out to local buisnesses better. And tbh, as far as the locals, if they are not associated somehow with the university, a large margin hate the college with a passion, and what it has transformed Boone, and the local area into.

They can always move to Todd.

[BeauFoster]

Maybe they need to figure out a way to reach out to local buisnesses better. And tbh, as far as the locals, if they are not associated somehow with the university, a large margin hate the college with a passion, and what it has transformed Boone, and the local area into.

The university has been in Boone longer than any residents, so it’s not like they didn’t know what they were getting into. It gives way more back than it could ever receive.

Yes Boone has changed. But Watauga county would be as bad off as the rest of northwest NC if it weren’t for the university.

[appstatealum]

From Friday's Board of Trustee's Athletics Committee meeting.

Skip to 1:46:00 for the pertinent information. Gillin's entire comments to the BOT Athletics Committee start around 1:42:15.

https://www.youtube.com/live/Cxmpbrz2HSk?si=0YbqUG2ackM_pZhK&t=6360

And in shorter video.



Gillin also blames the Schaffer Center for the Brad Paisley concern not being promoted enough. That's at 1:48:30 of the above YouTube video. Gillin says the concerns don't make money and for Athletics, it's so much work for so little return.

IMO, it's quite something for an Athletics Director to call out both the local community and another university entity in his comments. I've never seen Gillin do this before and it make me wonder about his future with the chancellor search and organizational change.

I know enough stuff going on behind the scenes that makes these comments from DG nor very surprising. I'm sure some posters are savvy enough to look in to recent changes at the school for insight.

[yosef69]

From Friday's Board of Trustee's Athletics Committee meeting.

Skip to 1:46:00 for the pertinent information. Gillin's entire comments to the BOT Athletics Committee start around 1:42:15.

https://www.youtube.com/live/Cxmpbrz2HSk?si=0YbqUG2ackM_pZhK&t=6360

And in shorter video.



Gillin also blames the Schaffer Center for the Brad Paisley concern not being promoted enough. That's at 1:48:30 of the above YouTube video. Gillin says the concerns don't make money and for Athletics, it's so much work for so little return.

IMO, it's quite something for an Athletics Director to call out both the local community and another university entity in his comments. I've never seen Gillin do this before and it make me wonder about his future with the chancellor search and organizational change.

I know enough stuff going on behind the scenes that makes these comments from DG nor very surprising. I'm sure some posters are savvy enough to look in to recent changes at the school for insight.

Can you explain?

[mountaineerman]

It may be the truth but anyone with eyes would tell you this is absolutely damage control

[Mjohn1988]

Maybe they need to figure out a way to reach out to local buisnesses better. And tbh, as far as the locals, if they are not associated somehow with the university, a large margin hate the college with a passion, and what it has transformed Boone, and the local area into.

Maybe the university needs to reflect the values of the surrounding communities. I could be wrong but I bet many if not most of the professors and administrators at the university are at odds with a large chunk of the population that surrounds the university.

[yosef69]

Maybe they need to figure out a way to reach out to local buisnesses better. And tbh, as far as the locals, if they are not associated somehow with the university, a large margin hate the college with a passion, and what it has transformed Boone, and the local area into.

Maybe the university needs to reflect the values of the surrounding communities. I could be wrong but I bet many if not most of the professors and administrators at the university are at odds with a large chunk of the population that surrounds the university.

It’s a college town, man. It’s always like this.

[AppKing21]

Regarding concerts, wouldn't it be ideal to host them while students are in school? It makes zero sense to host big names at KBS while half of the town's population is gone for the summer. Take the Luke Combs concert for example. It was supposed to be held during finals week May 2020, then got delayed to September 2021. That concert was packed! Sure, Combs is a bigger name than Brad Paisley now, but there would be more than 10,000 people interested if this was promoted to students when they got to campus. I understand it would be a logistical nightmare to host concerts in the fall, but you would think the increased revenue would make the extra planning worth it.

[BambooRdApp]

Regarding concerts, wouldn't it be ideal to host them while students are in school? It makes zero sense to host big names at KBS while half of the town's population is gone for the summer. Take the Luke Combs concert for example. It was supposed to be held during finals week May 2020, then got delayed to September 2021. That concert was packed! Sure, Combs is a bigger name than Brad Paisley now, but there would be more than 10,000 people interested if this was promoted to students when they got to campus. I understand it would be a logistical nightmare to host concerts in the fall, but you would think the increased revenue would make the extra planning worth it.

I cannot remember. Did students have to pay full price (not aftermarket price)...to make it a profitable difference maker for the athletic dept to put on the event. .the students would need to pay face value. Just my opinion

[Mjohn1988]

Maybe they need to figure out a way to reach out to local buisnesses better. And tbh, as far as the locals, if they are not associated somehow with the university, a large margin hate the college with a passion, and what it has transformed Boone, and the local area into.

Maybe the university needs to reflect the values of the surrounding communities. I could be wrong but I bet many if not most of the professors and administrators at the university are at odds with a large chunk of the population that surrounds the university.

It’s a college town, man. It’s always like this.

And we just have to accept that and move on, right. Guess we should just accept our football team the way it is and just move on too.