PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – In trying to navigate the choppy waters of college athletics new Pitt Director of Athletics Allen Greene had two big words for Panthers fans.
"Don't overreact"
Greene told Pat Bostick on the Panthers Insider Show on 93.7 The Fan that covers any news, along with gossip or hot takes, you hear until somewhere around mid-April. That is when a judge is expected to render a final decision on the House vs. NCAA settlement that was given preliminary approval in October. That would set a permissive salary cap of between $20-22 million to pay student-athletes beginning in the 2025-26 school year.
Pitt, and other institutions, are planning as if this will be approved. Greene tells Pat Bostick on 93.7 The Fan it will mean a whole other set of circumstances to be outlined along with rules of engagement that need be learned before anything is implemented. There are still a number of unknowns in this situation as this is something that has never happened before in the history of college athletics.
That means fans need to understand this isn't your grandparents, parents or even slightly older siblings' college sports experience. While there were questions to how pure it really was in the past, there is no hiding this is different, and legal. These athletes are getting paid and it's a pair of men's sports funding the revenue stream.
"We have to understand what drives the train," Greene told Bostick on 93.7 The Fan. "What gives us the opportunity to support our entire department and what gives us the opportunity to support our university and our community and that is through the main mechanisms of football and basketball."
That means money won't be divided equally, rather a majority of that $20-22 million will go to two, maybe three sports. He separates the programs into a pair of buckets
· Business bucket (the sports that make money)—football, men's basketball & in Pitt's case, women's volleyball
· Enterprise bucket—every other sport
It doesn't mean they are giving up on other sports, Greene said they are deeply invested in every Pitt student-athlete, 365 days a year. They want all to be 'forever Panthers', but in order to survive in today's climate Pitt has to change and that might look unseemly, but is necessary.
"We got to treat our operation more as a business, meaning we are going to make more transactional decisions," Greene said on 93.7 The Fan. "It's the reality of where we are. If we are going to be in the game, let's play the game."
The focus of the monies coming into the university shifts from the bricks and mortar and athletic staff, straight to the athletes. It's how they acquire talent.
"It used to be about scholarships and about facilities and about some of the shiny stuff," Greene said. "It went from glitz and glam to green."
Allen Greene says they will 'squeeze all the juice out of the orange' they can from their athletic department and expenses. They will ask the university for help with those expenses so money can go to the student-athletes. If they have to pay more for a certain athlete than other schools, than they need to be able to make that happen.
The first-year Pitt AD is relying on the passion of the Pitt fan base to help them raise the needed funds to keep their athletic programs not just competitive, but able to compete for championships. He's asking for support in buying season tickets, making donations. He said every little bit helps. They will also explore fees on tickets as a fundraiser.
"It will come down to desire from the Pittsburgh community, from university leadership to athletic department leadership to community leadership," Greene said on the Panthers Insider Show on 93.7 The Fan. "If we can get those three things humming at the same time, we are going to have a tremendous opportunity to generate a lot of pride for our community."
Athletics is the front porch of the University of Pittsburgh. It's the largest marketing arm for the school. Greene says they have the support of the Chancellor and Board of Trustees.
Greene was hired to bring new ideas and lead Pitt through an unprecedented time. He said he will continue to be as transparent as possible through this historic evolution. He's asking for not only your money, but your understanding.
It's new. It's strange, but it's not changing back.
