Look out for Dr. Cowen....

[mbawavefan12]

if he cares so much, why is he building a stadium that will cement us in small time athletics?

This goes back to one of my earlier points, the situation is most likely more complex then many of us realize. I think Cowen knows the cost/benefit. You may not agree but when you consider the Nimby's, the space issues, legal concerns, the amount of capital available, the questionable state of the football program and the potential to expand later if need be, he may be making the right decision. I do think that 30k should be the min starting point but what the heck do i know? I mean we draw nothing and stink, what happens if they build a 50k and the team still stinks, then we have a joke on our hands where everyone is embarrassed. I am just happy there will be something and it has the potential to be expandable. The real issue is that this comes a bit too little too late as if we had a serious commitment to athletics a few years ago, we would be at a minimum in the big least right now. But hey, maybe we can pull things together fast enough for a B12 run, I just think there would have to be huge improvement in football and BBall and even then our facilities would need to upgrade quickly, I personally think it would be a pipe dream and would be happy enough to be similar to So. Miss athletics at this point. The sad thing is that being in NOLA and having a solid academic reputation are such major competitive advantages that this administration has squandered, but maybe there is still time. I mean there are very few major markets (and when you add up all the surrounding areas and its impact on the entire gulf south, I think NOLA is major) that have not been gobbled up by a BCS school. Think about it, what is left? Dallas and Houston were about it. Also, how many top tier DI universities located in a major city are available to plucked by a BCS school? Look, ultimately people are going to be all over the place on Cowen's legacy. He has certainly made many mistakes but he did lead the university through a major tragedy, for all we know things could have been much much worse.

[Bigschtick]

There has been no improvement in our academic standing under Cowen.

[msdos]

if the situation is so complex and we're not sure if we can fill something we build, why not continue playing in the best football stadium in the south?

[mbawavefan12]

There has been no improvement in our academic standing under Cowen.

Many of our academic metrics have gone up, average SAT/ACT, freshmen retention, % top ten in class, acceptance rate, endowment etc. US News is a strange bird, the real issues was our perception across the country was still poor based on a number of factors. But that's the point, we have either stalled or gone down and he wants his legacy to be that he saved AND improved the university.

if the situation is so complex and we're not sure if we can fill something we build, why not continue playing in the best football stadium in the south?

I guess, but the dome is not for college, especially a crappy D1 team. The fans of every D1 school that plays in an off campus NFL stadium are not happy (Miami, PITT, USF). I have been to Kentucky, Duke and Northwestern game days and they are hardly great but they do bring everyone together. A Sat tailgating experience in NOLA would be fantastic simply for the food and TU alums suck at getting together so it would help the academic side as well. I will tell you that even in the dome, this athletic department failed the students miserably. I can remember playing flag football on the field in front of the Wilson center on Sat mornings and students literally gave up waiting for the shuttle to the Dome. I mean, our athletic dept is so incompetent that even when a student actually wants to go to the game, they still fail.

[jonathanjoseph]

3 years ago, Cowen had an open and direct conversation with a number of MBA students, many of whom had undergraduate TU degrees and alot of passion for the University. In that discussion, Cowen said that he does not believe that a school president should remain for more then 10 years and then jokingly said that he had been there for over tens years, so um well, you figure it out. Since that time, obviously nothing happened but I can guarantee it is on his mind. IMO he is so concerned about his legacy and wants to make sure TU is on a more solid foundation before he moves on because I think he knows that he will be around NOLA for the rest of his career and does not want any negativity surrounding him. I think more of Scott then many alums, but I have only been involved with the university for a few years. I think there is a lot more to his decision making then many of us know and he understands both sides of issues. I also am sure that he loves the university/city. I think he is looking to at least break ground on the stadium, improve our academic rankings and ensure the long term safety of the endowment, before going. I do think that his head gets in the way as he thinks he is knowledgeable about all the challenges that TU faces when in reality he is learning on the job (especially when it comes to the athletic department).

An open and direct conversation with you? I guess the rest of us non-MBA members of the Tulane family should not consider ourselves worthy of open and direct communication? Who exactly qualifies for something other than the obvious and blatant bald faced lies about major issues generally every time he opens his mouth?

Since you "think more of Scott" please enlighten me about this viewpoint. I'm not being flippant, I really want to understand how Cowen and his administration could be viewed as anything other than an epic failure from which Tulane will probably never recover.

Also, it's fairly ridiculous to note that Cowen is moving towards 15 years in a job for which he says a term should never exceed 10 years and suggest that he is "still learning on the job". At that point the learning curve is over and if you are still not "knowledgable about the challenges TU faces" you are just an incompetent failure and further infuriating that he has not been fired.

[jonathanjoseph]

if he cares so much, why is he building a stadium that will cement us in small time athletics?

This goes back to one of my earlier points, the situation is most likely more complex then many of us realize. I think Cowen knows the cost/benefit. You may not agree but when you consider the Nimby's, the space issues, legal concerns, the amount of capital available, the questionable state of the football program and the potential to expand later if need be, he may be making the right decision. I do think that 30k should be the min starting point but what the heck do i know? I mean we draw nothing and stink, what happens if they build a 50k and the team still stinks, then we have a joke on our hands where everyone is embarrassed. I am just happy there will be something and it has the potential to be expandable. The real issue is that this comes a bit too little too late as if we had a serious commitment to athletics a few years ago, we would be at a minimum in the big least right now. But hey, maybe we can pull things together fast enough for a B12 run, I just think there would have to be huge improvement in football and BBall and even then our facilities would need to upgrade quickly, I personally think it would be a pipe dream and would be happy enough to be similar to So. Miss athletics at this point. The sad thing is that being in NOLA and having a solid academic reputation are such major competitive advantages that this administration has squandered, but maybe there is still time. I mean there are very few major markets (and when you add up all the surrounding areas and its impact on the entire gulf south, I think NOLA is major) that have not been gobbled up by a BCS school. Think about it, what is left? Dallas and Houston were about it. Also, how many top tier DI universities located in a major city are available to plucked by a BCS school? Look, ultimately people are going to be all over the place on Cowen's legacy. He has certainly made many mistakes but he did lead the university through a major tragedy, for all we know things could have been much much worse.

He MAY be making the right decision? Wow that's super reassuring.

You're basically confirming that this stadium decision is being made for Cowen's perceived legacy more than it is being made for football reasons. A subtle reminder that Tulane currently plays in a world class NFL stadium and can do so for as long as it wants. Perhaps it makes more sense to build a stadium when you have a better idea for what the necessary capacity is or when you'd have a more favorable capital situation?

Yes, as you note Cowen has squandered any number of advantages. Your statement "For all we know things could have been much much worse" is more damning with faint praise. Also, no I do not believe that things could be much worse right now for Tulane University. Cowen has done more damage than Katrina.

[jonathanjoseph]

Many of our academic metrics have gone up, average SAT/ACT, freshmen retention, % top ten in class, acceptance rate, endowment etc. US News is a strange bird, the real issues was our perception across the country was still poor based on a number of factors. But that's the point, we have either stalled or gone down and he wants his legacy to be that he saved AND improved the university.

It's easy to see why you "think more of Scott". He's got you fooled and seduced too.

I live in reality. In reality the US News rankings are disproportionately important, even if they are a "strange bird". Whether or not you'd believe that plummeting from 36 to outside the top 50 for going on 5 years now is a result of being a "strange bird" it's still a fact and an objective criticism of Cowen's career.

That's Cowen's problem; he wants that great legacy but it ain't gonna happen. He'll have overseen the decline of a once great university.

I guess, but the dome is not for college, especially a crappy D1 team. The fans of every D1 school that plays in an off campus NFL stadium are not happy (Miami, PITT, USF). I have been to Kentucky, Duke and Northwestern game days and they are hardly great but they do bring everyone together. A Sat tailgating experience in NOLA would be fantastic simply for the food and TU alums suck at getting together so it would help the academic side as well. I will tell you that even in the dome, this athletic department failed the students miserably. I can remember playing flag football on the field in front of the Wilson center on Sat mornings and students literally gave up waiting for the shuttle to the Dome. I mean, our athletic dept is so incompetent that even when a student actually wants to go to the game, they still fail.

Miami fans aren't happy? Nor USC fans? I think Miami fans were more than happy if they traded a too-small on-campus stadium to play in a stadium that allowed them to become "The U".

So what does it say about Cowen that he refuses to hold the Athletic department accountable? You know what they say about really weak leaders needing yes men around them? Dickson has done nothing to warrant job security other than being Cowen's yes man.

[Fred Dowler]

There has been no improvement in our academic standing under Cowen.

Many of our academic metrics have gone up, average SAT/ACT, freshmen retention, % top ten in class, acceptance rate, endowment etc. US News is a strange bird, the real issues was our perception across the country was still poor based on a number of factors. But that's the point, we have either stalled or gone down and he wants his legacy to be that he saved AND improved the university.

if the situation is so complex and we're not sure if we can fill something we build, why not continue playing in the best football stadium in the south?

I guess, but the dome is not for college, especially a crappy D1 team. The fans of every D1 school that plays in an off campus NFL stadium are not happy (Miami, PITT, USF). I have been to Kentucky, Duke and Northwestern game days and they are hardly great but they do bring everyone together. A Sat tailgating experience in NOLA would be fantastic simply for the food and TU alums suck at getting together so it would help the academic side as well. I will tell you that even in the dome, this athletic department failed the students miserably. I can remember playing flag football on the field in front of the Wilson center on Sat mornings and students literally gave up waiting for the shuttle to the Dome. I mean, our athletic dept is so incompetent that even when a student actually wants to go to the game, they still fail.

Here we go again with "the Superdome is The Big Problem." The turth is that it hasn't been. At least, not nearly so much as Tulane's own policies and philosophy toward trying to be fully committed to consistent winning football and doing everything to engender such.

If you can be drawing 35,000-40,000 night in and night out the Superdome would be fine, and, really and truly, Tulane needs to be thinking in terms of aiming to draw those kinds of numbers if the program is to have much of a future as a legit, viable Div. 1 FBS presence.

Difficult to do? Sure. I'm a realist above all. Still...it needs to be done or else you can start the countdown to Tulane dropping down in classification, which, with the way the conference situation is right now and seemingly stepping-down-in-class future non-conference schedules and the level of interest those kinds of games will draw Tulane is de facto almost there already.

[Fred Dowler]

Here we go again, too, with "how great the incoming students are" as well as "how crazy is U.S. News" when it comes to why Tulane's academic reputation has seemingly not improved.

All of you who are trying to tell us how great the Cowen regime actually has been and who seem to be unable to figure out why the school's academic reputation has not changed vis-a-vis Duke, Emory, Vanderbilt, Washington (Mo.), et al., how about such items as the quality of the faculty, the programs, research -- isn't Tulane supposed to be a research-oriented institution? -- publications, the library?

Those things matter, too. It's not just all about how great the incoming students are.

[mbawavefan12]

Wow, I guess the fanbase is angry. I barely defended the guy nor tried to big time anyone and get attacked. Jeez, I am on the same side as many of you as I love TU but was trying to make some general points. At the very least I hope you people were not so aggressive, I feel like a visiting fan at Tiger Stadium. I will do my best to clarify/respond.

First of all, I think a conversation with a small group of MBA students is very different then addressing undergrads. MBA students are generally older, getting no family support, little scholarship and are giving up two prime earning years to pay $60k a year, so they have the freedom to not care, if that makes sense. The discussion with Cowen was very very aggressive and he was getting crushed. I really am not sure if the summation of Cowen's time is positive or negative, but running a billion dollar university after the worst man made disaster in the history of this country all while being located in a city that gets very bad publicity is not easy. Maybe I am a glass half full person, but I think the University in a better position then many others believe. One cannot argue with the fact that the athletic program is not good and our academic rankings have gone down. i just think the academic problems were simmering for some time and the foundation is being laid to improve. Schools in the 30+ range rise in fall quickly, hopefully things will turn around. the MBA program has been solid lately and the law school is making changes that will improve the rankings soon. Undergrad they are building new dorms, improving the food choices but failing miserably on safety.

Miami fans are not happy. I know a few alums and the move off campus has hurt big time. USC is totally different because of the history of their stadium, location, long time fan base, large undergrad enrollment, lack of NFL team in the city and the impossibility of Cali politics. USF/PITT fans are not happy either, but are forced to deal with it. Those are facts.

The dome is great but college football is all about the experience. The tailgating stinks, the students don't show up for a variety of reason (many of which are their own fault) and the half empty dome looks horrible. Even if this team was just average a .500 record over the next decade, I think NOLA folks, TU students and TU fans will show up to a OCS because New Orleans folks love a party. The world class aspect of the dome is irrelevant in many ways. We have had the dome for 20+ years and still stink. I guess a new commitment can turn that around but ultimately I think the OCS will pay big dividends when it comes to undergrad student quality/experience, on field performance and alumni pride/contributions. if I am wrong, well sorry, no need to attack me for the opinion.

As far as my opinion on Cowen, I just think people are too negative. It almost feels like the way conservatives talk about Obama, and god please that is a more or a metaphor as I do not want a political discussion. No matter what Cowen does, people think he has these underlying nefarious goals. I think it is a tough job, under tough experiences with tough city politics to play. Again, I was clear that I am somewhat new to the TU game.

Many CEOs know they need to move on but stay for the best of the institution. I was pointing out that the guy cares enough to make sure not leave until the ship is in better shape. Maybe he is ultimately hurting TU and satisfying his on egoic legacy by staying on, I don't know, but at least it's better then a guy like Defilippo who is leaving after running BC athletics into the basement of the ACC. If I read these forums, i would think the guy is a monster, yet in all my dealings he is very sincere about improving TU athletics/academics and has a lot of tough choices.

To those jerks who comment about my opinion, ya that's right Cowen may or may not have done more good then harm. No one knows and I don't give two shits whether that comforts you or not.

Maybe we could have sunk even lower after Katrina. maybe the athletic department would have been gone. Maybe we drop the entire engineering department. Maybe law/MBA would be in LSU territory. I don't know. For those who think everyone has to have a solid opinion on all matters, despite not being privy to the inside dynamics, well I would say it is a mixed bag to negative. So you happy now.

As for the US News rankings, well they have become very competitive and thus there are many winners/losers and movement in the rankings. We are getting crushed on freshmen retention rates and peer opinion forms. Every other category has improved. Cowen is addressing the situation, perhaps too little too late. I have been privy, to the conversations with the business school dean(s) about this very subject and believe me they know exactly what is going on. The solution is difficult mainly because of the continued negative impressions from Katrina, NOLA unsavory business/social climate, rising private education costs etc. TO just sit on the sidelines bitching about it and attacking people who have positive things to say about TU or Cowen is pathetic IMO. What are you doing to improve things?

In the end, I have to say I am a big boy who loves a good argument, but I am shocked at how callous some of the responders on this website were to a new member who was just making some points. until this reply, I attacked no one and think some of you have some growing up to do.

[mbawavefan12]

BTW, I agree that unless TU admins place a larger focus on football, things will not improve simply because an OCS has been built.

Also, no matter how unfair US News rankings are, they matter more then any other list in the nation. TU knows and so don;t all of us.

[sader24]

Will an OCS make more gameday money than the Superdome for Tulane at current attendance levels? YES. Will OCS gameday money come close to equaling TV money from improved conference affiliation that can only be attained by consistent high level winning and increasing the fanbase to 35-40K consistently? Not even close. Would an IPF, Academic Center, and playing in the Dome be more conducive to what should be the goal? YES. Will the 23,500 seat stadium and lack of an IPF restrict CJ's ability to recruit? YES. Has every coach since Tommy Bowden asked for an IPF first and foremost? YES. Scott Cowen is a master of constructing the conversation in such a way that while his statements may be true on a micro level (gameday profit will increase) they dont jive on a macro level (the real money in today's age of technology and college athletics is in the TV money). He's chasing pennies while everyone else is chasing dollars. I can also tell you that as of today 2012, New Orleanians hold Tulane University in much lower regard than they did at the beginning of his tenure. He talks about Katrina as though Tulane University was the only institution that weathered Katrina and survived. The "Playbook" presentation he rolled out over a year ago was an embarassingly amateurish attempt at a business plan by a University that claims to be top notch. Every time I've ever heard him speak he has come across as egotistical, ignorant, and cartoonish.

[Fred Dowler]

College football is all about the experience?? No...in the south -- can't speak for other areas but we all do know how southerners feels about things -- it's all about winning. And if you aren't winning, the experience is not going to be a pleasant one.

That's just so typical Tulane.

As in seemingly trying to separate out the packaging from the product and overwhelm with the packaging "we're just going to have this awesome new stadium (that's going to bring back the magic that once was Tulane football) and it's going to be soooo great...."

No!! A thousand times no.

In the south -- and even though southern football has the best "packaging," bar none -- to state it simply, it's the product that matters. If the winning is not happening then whatever atmosphere there is will be a completely contrived one.

[Fred Dowler]

And here we go again with the "we need the new stadium for tailgating" line.

Good heavens almighty haven't we already discussed how with the myriad of satellite parking lots (needed because there's only going to be a very minute amount of parking available on campus to go highly-restricted neighborhood street access) tailgating is not going to be anything at all like at LSU or any of these well-noted places or like people imagine that it's going to be??!!

Once again, all very contrived.

[mbawavefan12]

Will an OCS make more gameday money than the Superdome for Tulane at current attendance levels? YES. Will OCS gameday money come close to equaling TV money from improved conference affiliation that can only be attained by consistent high level winning and increasing the fanbase to 35-40K consistently? Not even close. Would an IPF, Academic Center, and playing in the Dome be more conducive to what should be the goal? YES. Will the 23,500 seat stadium and lack of an IPF restrict CJ's ability to recruit? YES. Has every coach since Tommy Bowden asked for an IPF first and foremost? YES. Scott Cowen is a master of constructing the conversation in such a way that while his statements may be true on a micro level (gameday profit will increase) they dont jive on a macro level (the real money in today's age of technology and college athletics is in the TV money). He's chasing pennies while everyone else is chasing dollars. I can also tell you that as of today 2012, New Orleanians hold Tulane University in much lower regard than they did at the beginning of his tenure. He talks about Katrina as though Tulane University was the only institution that weathered Katrina and survived. The "Playbook" presentation he rolled out over a year ago was an embarassingly amateurish attempt at a business plan by a University that claims to be top notch. Every time I've ever heard him speak he has come across as egotistical, ignorant, and cartoonish.

23.5 is too small, though as an outside observer it would seem a little strange to build a 40k stadium for a terrible football team that currently draws like crap. I hope he is playing the game with NIMBYs and the size will be around 30K once built. I think most coaches have asked for an IPF because they never thought an OCS was possible. I grow tired of the katrina excuses and hate when leaders use it, but it did happen and is playing a major role in our peer assessment because outsiders still think the city is suffering (and peer assessment plays HUGE role on rankings).

I don't know whether the better route is to improve the play on the field and then work on a OCS. The movement in college football is so severe right now that the admin's think now was the time to start the ball rolling on the OCS. I just think that the program is doomed without the admin putting more $$ into athletics. If they do that and we have a stadium that is too small, I'd rather have that problem with the option to play huge games in the dome. I mean TU is not gonna go from 10k paid visitors to 30k overnight, so hopefully each off season the admins will add more seats as necessary. For those who don;t have a ticket, they will now be able to chill out on campus, get drunk and stuff their face with fried shrimp.

I guess I just question the fact that so many think Cowen runs around with his head up his ass with no clue about the ramifications of his choices. I truly believe he assesses all sides openly as that has been true when I talk with him and Bernstein about other issues. Maybe the guy is just incompetent, I don't know. Alot of people locally and nationally have great things to say about the guy. Some other schools (Emory, Vandy, Rice, SMU) have really benefited from an improved local business climate that has helped student quality and endowment size. I would love an analysis of outsiders like Wash U and Carn Melon as to why they were not effected. But I can tell you that the local business climate has as much to do with the university's quality as any other factor. In the end, for insiders who care about ranking TU is below the Vandy, Emory's but I have met with some huge hiring agents and TU's reputation is still solid.

[mbawavefan12]

College football is all about the experience?? No...in the south -- can't speak for other areas but we all do know how southerners feels about things -- it's all about winning. And if you aren't winning, the experience is not going to be a pleasant one.

That's just so typical Tulane.

As in seemingly trying to separate out the packaging from the product and overwhelm with the packaging "we're just going to have this awesome new stadium (that's going to bring back the magic that once was Tulane football) and it's going to be soooo great...."

No!! A thousand times no.

In the south -- and even though southern football has the best "packaging," bar none -- to state it simply, it's the product that matters. If the winning is not happening then whatever atmosphere there is will be a completely contrived one.

Well Freddy, have you been to an Ole Miss, Virginia, Clemson (when they stunk), Kentucky, Tenn, Texas A&M, Alabama (when they stunk), Northwestern, Vandy, Duke.....all those team stink or have stunk and believe me people show up. Some may not go into the game, but it brings the campus together. I disagree with your assessment as the OCS stadium is a rallying cry that goes well beyond football.

The dome tailgating stinks, I have no idea why your are arguing that point. People want to setup elaborate meals, play horseshoes, cornhole etc. The dome sucks for that and it just isn;t the same even in those satellite lots, I respect your opinion but totally disagree. Will it be better on TU's campus, well it better be and so many old timers talk about how much fun Tulane Stadium was and if the outside stadium experience is no better for the OCS then well this plan is f-ed. Not to mention that there will now be 7k students within walking distance along with all the frats/party houses on Broadway and all the local uptowners. I mean come on that does not even come close to tailgainting on a concrete jungle to go into a dome.

[jonathanjoseph]

Wow, I guess the fanbase is angry. I barely defended the guy nor tried to big time anyone and get attacked. Jeez, I am on the same side as many of you as I love TU but was trying to make some general points. At the very least I hope you people were not so aggressive, I feel like a visiting fan at Tiger Stadium. I will do my best to clarify/respond.

First of all, I think a conversation with a small group of MBA students is very different then addressing undergrads. MBA students are generally older, getting no family support, little scholarship and are giving up two prime earning years to pay $60k a year, so they have the freedom to not care, if that makes sense. The discussion with Cowen was very very aggressive and he was getting crushed. I really am not sure if the summation of Cowen's time is positive or negative, but running a billion dollar university after the worst man made disaster in the history of this country all while being located in a city that gets very bad publicity is not easy. Maybe I am a glass half full person, but I think the University in a better position then many others believe. One cannot argue with the fact that the athletic program is not good and our academic rankings have gone down. i just think the academic problems were simmering for some time and the foundation is being laid to improve. Schools in the 30+ range rise in fall quickly, hopefully things will turn around. the MBA program has been solid lately and the law school is making changes that will improve the rankings soon. Undergrad they are building new dorms, improving the food choices but failing miserably on safety.

Miami fans are not happy. I know a few alums and the move off campus has hurt big time. USC is totally different because of the history of their stadium, location, long time fan base, large undergrad enrollment, lack of NFL team in the city and the impossibility of Cali politics. USF/PITT fans are not happy either, but are forced to deal with it. Those are facts.

The dome is great but college football is all about the experience. The tailgating stinks, the students don't show up for a variety of reason (many of which are their own fault) and the half empty dome looks horrible. Even if this team was just average a .500 record over the next decade, I think NOLA folks, TU students and TU fans will show up to a OCS because New Orleans folks love a party. The world class aspect of the dome is irrelevant in many ways. We have had the dome for 20+ years and still stink. I guess a new commitment can turn that around but ultimately I think the OCS will pay big dividends when it comes to undergrad student quality/experience, on field performance and alumni pride/contributions. if I am wrong, well sorry, no need to attack me for the opinion.

As far as my opinion on Cowen, I just think people are too negative. It almost feels like the way conservatives talk about Obama, and god please that is a more or a metaphor as I do not want a political discussion. No matter what Cowen does, people think he has these underlying nefarious goals. I think it is a tough job, under tough experiences with tough city politics to play. Again, I was clear that I am somewhat new to the TU game.

Many CEOs know they need to move on but stay for the best of the institution. I was pointing out that the guy cares enough to make sure not leave until the ship is in better shape. Maybe he is ultimately hurting TU and satisfying his on egoic legacy by staying on, I don't know, but at least it's better then a guy like Defilippo who is leaving after running BC athletics into the basement of the ACC. If I read these forums, i would think the guy is a monster, yet in all my dealings he is very sincere about improving TU athletics/academics and has a lot of tough choices.

To those jerks who comment about my opinion, ya that's right Cowen may or may not have done more good then harm. No one knows and I don't give two shits whether that comforts you or not.

Maybe we could have sunk even lower after Katrina. maybe the athletic department would have been gone. Maybe we drop the entire engineering department. Maybe law/MBA would be in LSU territory. I don't know. For those who think everyone has to have a solid opinion on all matters, despite not being privy to the inside dynamics, well I would say it is a mixed bag to negative. So you happy now.

As for the US News rankings, well they have become very competitive and thus there are many winners/losers and movement in the rankings. We are getting crushed on freshmen retention rates and peer opinion forms. Every other category has improved. Cowen is addressing the situation, perhaps too little too late. I have been privy, to the conversations with the business school dean(s) about this very subject and believe me they know exactly what is going on. The solution is difficult mainly because of the continued negative impressions from Katrina, NOLA unsavory business/social climate, rising private education costs etc. TO just sit on the sidelines bitching about it and attacking people who have positive things to say about TU or Cowen is pathetic IMO. What are you doing to improve things?

In the end, I have to say I am a big boy who loves a good argument, but I am shocked at how callous some of the responders on this website were to a new member who was just making some points. until this reply, I attacked no one and think some of you have some growing up to do.

I apologize if you felt I was "attacking" you. At this point, I'm going to "attack" anyone who repeats the Scott Cowen-talking points (US News rankings are unfair, things would be worse without Cowen who heroically saved the university, his legacy will reflect positively on athletics, etc). I asked for a justification of those points and didn't really get a response, other than that you believe that Cowen's viewpoints may (and only may) be legitimate.

Tulane University is in a lot of trouble. Betting against athletics has probably cost the university a few hundred million in brand equity and at least a hundred million in revenue and donations, getting rid of engineering while claiming to be invested in "rebuilding NOLA" is nothing short of a disaster for the University and the city and state (which is so desperate for engineers that the state has enacted major financial/tax incentives to attract them), and the university's academic rankings plummeted well before Katrina and with the looming burst of the education bubble, perhaps no university in the country is in a worse position than Tulane. $250K for a tier 2 university that makes "volunteering/community service" a priority sounds like the poster-child for all the inevitable "who couldn't forsee that this would go wrong?" analyses written when the bubble bursts and many universities go out of business.

I'm angry because people are sticking their heads in the sand about this, thus what seems like an attack. You can suggest that Cowen's legacy has yet to be written if that's your opinion, but let's be 100% clear that his legacy to date has been nothing short of a worst case disaster. The political comparison is not conservatives and Obama but conservatives and Bush. Ignoring all these obvious disastrous mistakes and the next President will have the unenviable task of trying to save the University from financial ruin and the deep, deep hole Cowen will have left the University in. Anyone that wants to help save this man from spending his old age in shame for what he's done should save him from building a $50M mistake.

[jonathanjoseph]

23.5 is too small, though as an outside observer it would seem a little strange to build a 40k stadium for a terrible football team that currently draws like crap. I hope he is playing the game with NIMBYs and the size will be around 30K once built. I think most coaches have asked for an IPF because they never thought an OCS was possible. I grow tired of the katrina excuses and hate when leaders use it, but it did happen and is playing a major role in our peer assessment because outsiders still think the city is suffering (and peer assessment plays HUGE role on rankings).

I don't know whether the better route is to improve the play on the field and then work on a OCS. The movement in college football is so severe right now that the admin's think now was the time to start the ball rolling on the OCS. I just think that the program is doomed without the admin putting more $$ into athletics. If they do that and we have a stadium that is too small, I'd rather have that problem with the option to play huge games in the dome. I mean TU is not gonna go from 10k paid visitors to 30k overnight, so hopefully each off season the admins will add more seats as necessary. For those who don;t have a ticket, they will now be able to chill out on campus, get drunk and stuff their face with fried shrimp.

I guess I just question the fact that so many think Cowen runs around with his head up his ass with no clue about the ramifications of his choices. I truly believe he assesses all sides openly as that has been true when I talk with him and Bernstein about other issues. Maybe the guy is just incompetent, I don't know. Alot of people locally and nationally have great things to say about the guy. Some other schools (Emory, Vandy, Rice, SMU) have really benefited from an improved local business climate that has helped student quality and endowment size. I would love an analysis of outsiders like Wash U and Carn Melon as to why they were not effected. But I can tell you that the local business climate has as much to do with the university's quality as any other factor. In the end, for insiders who care about ranking TU is below the Vandy, Emory's but I have met with some huge hiring agents and TU's reputation is still solid.

1) Yes, it is foolish to build a football stadium before you know what capacity is needed. Which is why you don't make that decision while the program is at rock bottom. Again, we're talking about common sense, not some advanced topic that only Scott Cowen is smart enough to wrap his head around.

2) The program is doomed without putting more money into athletics is correct. So how is building the smallest AND cheapest D1A football stadium in decades going to address that? As you suggest, we need to play catch up (because Cowen's earlier bets against athletics were so disastrous) so going small and cheap doesn't solve that. Given that the product is so awful that there is no demand for it and Cowen/Dickson are unable to raise the capital that peers are able to raise is again an indictment of Cowen's leadership.

3) Business environment? That's a joke and another Cowen talking point. Baylor is moving up consistently and Waco, Texas is about one step removed from Detroit or Cleveland. They bet on athletics and engineering and they are rising in the rankings and now they are going to build a $250M stadium.

[AugWave]

Never-ending circle. What's up with that march??

[RWR]

He's a bigger prick than RD. He hates fans. He was also the guy who got the saints deal w/the state where we were paying them tens of millions in state subsidies that the NFL commissioner called the worst deal in the NFL for a state. Then he gets one stroke of conscience and voters show how stupid and short minded they are by electing him.

let's make sure I have this correct..he was employed by the Saints, to deal with the state of Louisiana..he works out a contract that benefits his employer, so he is a prick....sounds like someone my company needs to hire !!!!..and if he was not fan friendly, the Saints would be in San Antonio !!!..May I suggest you read the book "From Bags to Riches" by Jeff Duncan..it may open a few eyes to what actually happened with Benson and the Saints following Katrina

Read the book. Know him and like anybody that does they don't like him. Thinks he's better than everybody else. Then again maybe he is perfect for Tulane.

I give a rats azz less if anyone likes him..as long as he can get the job done !! This is business, not a popularity contest

Spoken like a non-Lousiana taxpayer. As an AD an ability to get along w/fans is huge. Look at the epic failure we have right now.

Tagliabue saved the saints not Arnie.

[Fred Dowler]

College football is all about the experience?? No...in the south -- can't speak for other areas but we all do know how southerners feels about things -- it's all about winning. And if you aren't winning, the experience is not going to be a pleasant one.

That's just so typical Tulane.

As in seemingly trying to separate out the packaging from the product and overwhelm with the packaging "we're just going to have this awesome new stadium (that's going to bring back the magic that once was Tulane football) and it's going to be soooo great...."

No!! A thousand times no.

In the south -- and even though southern football has the best "packaging," bar none -- to state it simply, it's the product that matters. If the winning is not happening then whatever atmosphere there is will be a completely contrived one.

Well Freddy, have you been to an Ole Miss, Virginia, Clemson (when they stunk), Kentucky, Tenn, Texas A&M, Alabama (when they stunk), Northwestern, Vandy, Duke.....all those team stink or have stunk and believe me people show up. Some may not go into the game, but it brings the campus together. I disagree with your assessment as the OCS stadium is a rallying cry that goes well beyond football.

The dome tailgating stinks, I have no idea why your are arguing that point. People want to setup elaborate meals, play horseshoes, cornhole etc. The dome sucks for that and it just isn;t the same even in those satellite lots, I respect your opinion but totally disagree. Will it be better on TU's campus, well it better be and so many old timers talk about how much fun Tulane Stadium was and if the outside stadium experience is no better for the OCS then well this plan is f-ed. Not to mention that there will now be 7k students within walking distance along with all the frats/party houses on Broadway and all the local uptowners. I mean come on that does not even come close to tailgainting on a concrete jungle to go into a dome.

Please do not tell me about all of these various places all around. Though I am a Tulane alum I'm from Baton Rouge, USA. Born and raised there. Got that? I know the scene very well. The best tailgating, period. They wrote the book on how to do it.

The new Tulane stadium is not going to allow for and there won't be anything at Tulane games even with the on-campus stadium remotely like that.

It's not at all going to be what you're imagining, what it seems like a lot of people must be imagining. I can guarantee it.

For one, look at LSU with parking space on campus equal to about 40 percent of what would be a full-size crowd. The set-up with the proposed new stadium at Tulane is going to have, given a full-size crowd, less than a ten percent ratio of parking spaces on campus to patrons and then with at least half of those in the Diboll garage and with the majority of game patrons having to make use of satellite lots scattered about at high schools or businesses or wherever (the CBD, Metairie??). Now what kind of tailgating is that going to be?

The quad? No doubt that will be the place -- where Tulane itself will be tightly controlling everything.

Not surprising in the least, though.

That's the Cowen regime for you. Always trying to impose tight control, their control, in every way on everything. Same story as with engineering. As with Newcomb. One chief and all the rest members of the tribe. Or, in Cowen-esque language, One CEO of Tulane Inc. and all the rest worker bees.

Please cut the "rallying cry" BS or the "student experience" rhetoric.

No...this project is all about the Cowen regime imposing its control as has been its wont in yet another aspect. Control that revenue stream/revenue streams. Get people to pay jacked-up ticket prices/make donations for Personal Seat Licenses. Make people who want to tailgate have to rent tents/buy catered food items. Hit 'em up for donations to their division or the school itself while they're there.

But...everyone will eventually find out. With a crappy team, crappy conference, the novelty of the stadium itself will wear off. The product won't sell.

Look at what's happened with interest in the baseball program since the new baseball stadium opened.

Look at SMU who hasn't drawn strong attendance in their new stadium unless they've happened to be playing long-time rival TCU.

And please do not begin to try to compare how people have done at these SEC programs with the situation at Tulane. Diametrically different mind-sets. At LSU or Alabama or Tennessee or wherever when their teams have been in down-year cycles they KNOW that something is going to be done about it. They'll be bringing in new and better players and/or new and better coaches very soon and be back to winning. 'Cause at those places winning is what it's about and there's no mistaking it. But here at Tulane it's all "we follow our own model."

[golfnut69]

He's a bigger prick than RD. He hates fans. He was also the guy who got the saints deal w/the state where we were paying them tens of millions in state subsidies that the NFL commissioner called the worst deal in the NFL for a state. Then he gets one stroke of conscience and voters show how stupid and short minded they are by electing him.

let's make sure I have this correct..he was employed by the Saints, to deal with the state of Louisiana..he works out a contract that benefits his employer, so he is a prick....sounds like someone my company needs to hire !!!!..and if he was not fan friendly, the Saints would be in San Antonio !!!..May I suggest you read the book "From Bags to Riches" by Jeff Duncan..it may open a few eyes to what actually happened with Benson and the Saints following Katrina

Read the book. Know him and like anybody that does they don't like him. Thinks he's better than everybody else. Then again maybe he is perfect for Tulane.

I give a rats azz less if anyone likes him..as long as he can get the job done !! This is business, not a popularity contest

Spoken like a non-Lousiana taxpayer. As an AD an ability to get along w/fans is huge. Look at the epic failure we have right now.

Tagliabue saved the saints not Arnie.

and FYI...I am a Louisiana Tax payer...not only in Business interest, but personal property... so get off your high azz horse..and, I again state...I give a rats azz less if he is popular, this is a business..and let me tell you now, from someone ,who at one time worked for the NFL, Arnie was instrumental in saving the Saints for New Orleans...

[RWR]

He's a bigger prick than RD. He hates fans. He was also the guy who got the saints deal w/the state where we were paying them tens of millions in state subsidies that the NFL commissioner called the worst deal in the NFL for a state. Then he gets one stroke of conscience and voters show how stupid and short minded they are by electing him.

let's make sure I have this correct..he was employed by the Saints, to deal with the state of Louisiana..he works out a contract that benefits his employer, so he is a prick....sounds like someone my company needs to hire !!!!..and if he was not fan friendly, the Saints would be in San Antonio !!!..May I suggest you read the book "From Bags to Riches" by Jeff Duncan..it may open a few eyes to what actually happened with Benson and the Saints following Katrina

Read the book. Know him and like anybody that does they don't like him. Thinks he's better than everybody else. Then again maybe he is perfect for Tulane.

I give a rats azz less if anyone likes him..as long as he can get the job done !! This is business, not a popularity contest

Spoken like a non-Lousiana taxpayer. As an AD an ability to get along w/fans is huge. Look at the epic failure we have right now.

Tagliabue saved the saints not Arnie.

and FYI...I am a Louisiana Tax payer...not only in Business interest, but personal property... so get off your high azz horse..and, I again state...I give a rats azz less if he is popular, this is a business..and let me tell you now, from someone ,who at one time worked for the NFL, Arnie was instrumental in saving the Saints for New Orleans...

Well you can't be paying much in taxes if you are the type to hire a college AD that wouldn't get along w/fans/donors. You sound just like Cowen.

[IM42lane]

F!RE Cowen & Dickson NOW!!!

[golfnut69]

He's a bigger prick than RD. He hates fans. He was also the guy who got the saints deal w/the state where we were paying them tens of millions in state subsidies that the NFL commissioner called the worst deal in the NFL for a state. Then he gets one stroke of conscience and voters show how stupid and short minded they are by electing him.

let's make sure I have this correct..he was employed by the Saints, to deal with the state of Louisiana..he works out a contract that benefits his employer, so he is a prick....sounds like someone my company needs to hire !!!!..and if he was not fan friendly, the Saints would be in San Antonio !!!..May I suggest you read the book "From Bags to Riches" by Jeff Duncan..it may open a few eyes to what actually happened with Benson and the Saints following Katrina

Read the book. Know him and like anybody that does they don't like him. Thinks he's better than everybody else. Then again maybe he is perfect for Tulane.

I give a rats azz less if anyone likes him..as long as he can get the job done !! This is business, not a popularity contest

Spoken like a non-Lousiana taxpayer. As an AD an ability to get along w/fans is huge. Look at the epic failure we have right now.

Tagliabue saved the saints not Arnie.

and FYI...I am a Louisiana Tax payer...not only in Business interest, but personal property... so get off your high azz horse..and, I again state...I give a rats azz less if he is popular, this is a business..and let me tell you now, from someone ,who at one time worked for the NFL, Arnie was instrumental in saving the Saints for New Orleans...

Well you can't be paying much in taxes if you are the type to hire a college AD that wouldn't get along w/fans/donors. You sound just like Cowen.

Taxes...That is why "offshore" accounts exist