UCLA is a blueblood for basketball. That carries a lot with fans and recruits.socaltownie said:Thought a decent amount about this.southseasbear said:And yet the Southern Branch (currently #1 in the conference) has not been restricted from having winning programs in basketball (or football). So maybe it is the chancellor and not the Regents, Legislature, or GovernoSFCityBear said:
I think Cal hired him to concentrate more on the non-revenue sports, and maybe de-emphasize the revenue sports. Since the latter part of the Waldorf era, with the recruiting scandals, there has been a tug of war between those who want to emphasize academics and those who want to emphasize sports. Throw in Title IX, and the withdrawal of State funding, and you have big problems for any AD. Knowlton is just a pawn in the game, in my opinion. The power to change direction lays with Christ or those above her, the Regents, the Legislature, and the Governor.
1) Chancellors have been there longer. Chancellor Young was at the SOuthern Branch for 29 years. Over that time he successfully built up political power inside and outside the campus. Critically Young was DEEPLY involved in both Pac 8 and NCAA affairs. I can't stress more that this was critical.
2) The Southern Branch has active (for both good and bad) involved alumni that are professional basketball and football players. They DEMAND excellence. I can't even imagine Bill Walton making excuses for a coach at UCLA as he makes for Fox.....actually it would be EXTREMELY funny to go to the tape and hear what Bill had to say about, for example, Alford.
3) They are located in the area where 65% of the state's population is. Probably higher precentage of college age kids. Definately a higher percentage of AA college aged students. Now UCLA (and U$C) can't offer everyone but it is why our next coach MUST be able to recruit in SOCAL. That is where the prospects are.
4) There are variations in respect to campus culture. Anderson sees itself as much more applied and practical. Having a Medical school I think helps as well. Ditto the flim school. So unlike Cal, which always seems to have some tension with humanity departments that see themselves as the last great hope of liberal arts and science schools that are very much focused on phD production and basic research, there is enough of a critical mass at UCLA that is focused on "practical" aspects of education.
5) The success of Wooden just makes it problematic to come after athletics at UCLA with the knives out. It is frankly unimaginable to be that they would give rise to Barksy (or whatever that CompSci Prof is) or that he would get traction and a voice in their student publication.
Now that all said, UCLA did face a significant issue with the deficit. The hand wringing by the regents is over the fact that really the student athletes ARE going to suffer.
Also, LA is a fun place to be with the weather, beaches, etc. I sometimes say, imagine SF if it had LA's weather and beaches.