Boise State University is officially in the Pac-12 Conference. The school held a big party last night on the blue turf to celebrate as they left the Mountain West Conference.
Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey says it means there will be some big changes, and he sat down with our All Things Considered host Troy Oppie to talk about them.
Read the full transcript:
GAUDETTE: More Idaho Matters now from the studios of Boise State Public Radio News. I'm Gemma Gaudette. Boise State University is officially in the Pac-12 conference. The school held a big party last night on the blue turf to celebrate as they left the Mountain West Conference. Boise State athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey says it means there will be some big changes. And he sat down with our All Things Considered host, Troy Oppie to talk about them. So let's take a listen.
DICKEY: There's a lot when you're building out a conference, and I don't believe a conference has has been built since maybe the early 2000 and it may have been the Mountain West, Actually, there are a lot of moving pieces. And, you know, it started off with adding teams, right. And getting up to the nine that we currently have. And, and then really digging into the operational side of what we want the conference to, to look like. And so I know the fans, you know, very early on were interested in where's the champ game going to be and what's the football schedule and so on and so forth. But um, you plan the work, work the plan. I can't point to one thing that I, that I think the fans would, would really be, you know, blown away by, um, and mind you, when we've been going through this, um, we've also been navigating NIL and rev share and, and presidential changes and, and so it has not been easy. Um, you know, I'll do my best, uh, you know, or not to get emotional, but it's been a lot, you know, and this job on a good day is hard. And so when you go through a conference change like we did, that's something that it is very heavy and, you know, you represent I know I represent something bigger than myself in terms of my responsibility as a leader of this team and department and this community. And, and so we've, we've done our very best. We've put our best foot forward. And, and we have so much more ahead of us.
OPPIE: The Mountain West, the Pac 12, Boise State, other schools are still negotiating over the millions of dollars in exit fees, poaching penalties. That's active litigation. I'm sure you can't talk about that specifically now. The settlement is expected later this fall. But in the context of that fight, what amount of money does that represent to Boise State and what are you maybe not able to do or having to wait on because that money is in limbo?
DICKEY: Yeah, all great questions and you hit it on the head. I've signed so many NDAs. It's it's amazing. Um, so I can't speak to specifics yet, but at some point we will be able to speak to, to what the settlement is and the litigation and so on and so forth. You know, what I will say is every dollar matters to us. You know, I'm so proud of our team. They're phenomenal. And and I think there's this, this, this, you know, perception of, you know, that we are funded at an extremely high level because of the successes that you see on and off the field of play. And the reality is we are self-funding at a very high level. And so when I think about any dollar that can come into this department that allows me to best serve our staff, student athletes and supporters, it matters. And, and that's important to me. And in time, we'll be able to have more conversations on what that meant for us during this two year run and what it ultimately means for us as we move forward.
OPPIE: But is it fair to say that money being in limbo is putting some things onto the back shelf right now that maybe you would rather be doing as you're entering this conference now and not having to wait to find out if you can do it?
DICKEY: To a certain extent, I think it's fair to say. But we also have a lot of partners. You know, I can't say enough about, you know, the foundation and the institution and Bronco Nation. You know, in general, um, you know, I'm not, I'm not someone who lives in excuses or, you know, I'm ready. Aim, fire. What's next? That's my mentality always. And so you look at what we've been able to do. I can't point to one specific thing that we weren't able to do because of, um, we found solutions to the challenges that were ahead of us. And I look at our facility and the north end zone project and, and getting control of our extra mile and rev share and what we've been able to do in these spaces. It takes a team and, and a lot of people have stepped up to help us get through the last two years. And, and that that creates a path forward for us. And I believe our future is very bright.
OPPIE: Uh, five, ten, even 15 years ago, I think there are a lot of Bronco fans that might have volunteered to give up an appendage to get the school to the Pac 12. Yeah, that's the reality now. But the Pac 12 is is different, which is a reality in and of itself and still not considered a or no longer considered a power conference. How are you going to guide Boise State and the new Pac 12 into a place of national prominence?
DICKEY: Yeah, first and foremost, I believe we are a power conference. Now, I know I'm biased, and I know not everyone agrees with that, but I know who we are, know what we represent. And especially speaking to Boise State, I know our brand has power. Um, we are the front porch and, and we do have a national, if not international brand. And I think combining efforts with a historic and traditional brand like the Pac 12, um, really gives us a lot of room to grow and be bar raisers. And that's something that's important to us. I do think combining efforts and, and having that representation and having two traditional legacy brands that are now partners, um, regardless of the change is inevitable. Everything has changed, right? And so regardless of that, I feel really confident and I'm very proud and I see a very positive path forward for us, you know, as partners in the Pac 12 and what it could be. Um, there's still a lot of work ahead of us, but I look at the foundation that we're building off of, and that's important to us, that's important to Broncos. And I think Bronco Nation is extremely excited with the announcement. Um, because I agree with you. There were a lot of, of, you know, donors and, and supporters that that probably would have given their left arm, you know, to, to get into the Pac 12. But, you know, I'm one with the chip on my shoulder and, you know, I believe in epic. And when I look at this partnership and what it means to us and what it will mean to us in the future, um, I believe epic is possible. And, and that's, that's what we're doubling down on. We're going to bet on ourselves.
OPPIE: Talking about Bronco Nation. I can recall a decade plus ago, one of your predecessors introduced seat licenses to to Boise State football seating. Some of the frustration about that process, where you have to make a donation in order to purchase tickets, was solved just by more winning and more success on the field. A similar thing is playing out for men's basketball right now, with some re juggling of season ticket locations and prices and all that kind of stuff. And I've seen some frustration out there about that process in the last week. Have you heard that frustration as well. And have you done anything about it to this point? And then I guess the second question would be, how do you make sure that you can do the things that you need to do to grow revenue without leaving segments of the fan base that has been so loyal behind?
DICKEY: Yeah. Um, one, of course, I hear the frustration. I'm very active on social. I'm very attentive to it. I believe that's a part of my job and the storytelling that goes along with it. Um, I believe we've built some trust with Bronco Nation over the course of time, at least my time here And, and I and I, I know what we represent. I believe they know what we represent. And change is inevitable. Um, nothing that I do from a from my chair is for personal gain. It is for the greater good of those we serve. And we represent something bigger than ourselves here. And when you look at extra mile and part of our process of one getting extra mile, you know, and tying it into sports and entertainment and, and then going through a receipt, I'm not sure there's a school out there. And I've been a part of a number of receipts. Um, there is no perfection in a receipt. Everyone has some type of, of, uh, personal opinion to how the process goes. What I do know is we have, we have communicated from the very beginning and we have sent emails and we have sent social media posts and we have, we have done, we've, I've done, I don't know how many interviews, you know, from a media standpoint. And, and, you know, we try to control what we can in the process. And, and part of me, you know, and my growth as a leader is empathy. I get it. You know, it still bothers me in terms of the north end zone and those those were diehards in the north end zone.
DICKEY: But I also know 90% of them renewed. And I also know we have the south end zone where a lot of them went to. That becomes a competitive advantage for us. We are doing everything we possibly can in, in a day and age in college athletics, where every dollar does count and, and our my job is to to compete on and off the field of play. Our, our why is to prepare our kids for life, which requires funding and resources and to compete for championships. That is, those are non-negotiables. And we are doing everything we possibly can to do that at the highest level. But the same people that are frustrated maybe with the receipt or the north end zone are the same people that will email me that we didn't win enough, you know, or that we didn't win by enough, or that we didn't go to the CFP or we didn't go to the right bowl game. That's the life of an athletic director. You know, I sit on barbed wire and no matter which direction I turn, it hurts sometimes. But if we do it with an open heart and a mind, and we can clearly communicate and define expectations and tell our story around that, we'll bring people along in the process. And those that decide that they don't want to be a part of the process will save them a seat, because I believe that we will be able to get them back.
DICKEY: And it's part of our overall strategy as a department. You know, when I look at Bronco Nation, it's not just Lyle Smith's. It's not just BA members. It's it's not just blue collar club members that they're donating 100 bucks. You know, every dollar counts to us. And they're all very important to me. And I care very much about them. And every decision I make, I think through what that looks like. And I know, you know, where there's risk, there's reward. I know change is inevitable, and I know my job is to make some tough decisions. That's what a leader is. And, and I'm going to continue to step into that with an open heart and mind and be empathetic because I know it's impacting people at a certain level. And and we want to create the best possible experience for them because they all matter to us. We have created an atmosphere here at Albertsons Stadium, and we're doing that now in extra mile and very intentionally and strategically as we move forward an extra mile. Football and men's basketball are extremely important to us. Um, that's like when you look at our industry and the changes that are being made, it starts with those two sport programs. And we like, we want to be elite. Our goal is to be elite. We are bar raisers, and I'm going to continue to make the tough decisions that I may not always be liked or loved for it, but I know that's what my job is.
OPPIE: The governor has assembled a interim committee to study the state of college athletics, and what Idaho's universities should be doing, could be doing to stay competitive on this new landscape that includes Nil may include some sort of legislative guardrails. Um, that committee has lawmakers. It has business leaders. You're not on the committee, but as I understand, you're going to be presenting and talking to them along with your colleagues at ISU and University of Idaho. What is your message going to be to that group? What are you going to tell them that you need?
DICKEY: Yeah. Short term solutions. Long term sustainability. Very simply, you know, overnight the hand we were holding changed and the cost of doing business went up. And in addition to that, which used to be a competitive advantage for us, the cost of living here was pretty low. And now it's not, as I'm sure you've experienced and anyone else in Idaho has experienced, especially in the Treasure Valley. And so we have a lot of opportunities ahead of us. Um, you know, we represent something bigger than ourselves. It's not just about winning and losing. It's, it's not just about graduating our student athletes very important. And I said earlier priorities for us. Um, it is about being the front porch of Idaho. It's about what I know as an outsider. And I got here as quickly as I could, but as as someone from outside this state, what I knew about this state, it was potatoes and blue turf and. And that is powerful. And when when I go to DC, which I was in DC last week and, and I, I have my Boise State gear always, I always am trying to represent at the highest level. Um, and I intentionally carry a backpack that has Boise State on it. Um, probably not the most professional thing to do, but I do it because you, you can't miss it. And that is intentional. And the number of people on the street from wherever they were from, most of them are tourists.
DICKEY: Right. Um, how many people said Boise State blue turf, Kellen Moore, Ashton Jeanty, coach Pete, so on and so forth. That's powerful. And that's when I say we represent something bigger than ourselves. It's that we serve this community extremely high level. We've released our Economic impact study, 350 million plus dollars, the institution in general, $2.2 billion. Um, that's important and people can't forget that. And my job is to remind them my job is to tell that story consistently as much as I possibly can, because a brand is really challenging and difficult to build and it is very easy to lose. And when you look at the hand we're holding and how it has changed, if we don't find solutions to some of the challenges that we have, we will lose this brand. And, and that's something on my watch that I don't want to happen. And I will fight tooth and nail to ensure that it doesn't. And so when I look at that working group, I want them to understand they represent something bigger than themselves. They are representing not Jeremiah, not Spencer Danielson. They are representing something that is extremely powerful and that many see value in, in this community and state, and even more so nationally. And that's worth fighting for.
OPPIE: That sounds like that's a lot of pressure on on you, on maybe your colleagues at other schools to those names. You just rattled off. Those are the legacy names, the names everybody knows and talks about, but they're gone. And so the pressure to keep this going and what's next? How do you manage that one?
DICKEY: My faith is extremely important to me. Um, I can't do it without that. And, you know, and and two, recognizing no one's making me do this. You know, I made a choice. My wife reminds me of that sometimes. Um, I made a choice. And, and I believe, and I'm very passionate about what we do on a daily basis and how we serve and the impact we're having. We have phenomenal student athletes. I love them to death. Our staff is is absolutely amazing and elite and, and has led to some attrition because people are recognizing how is Boise State doing that? Um, and it's not easy. You know, it does impact me. I'm human. You know, I, there's only so many hours in the day, but, you know, uh, it's worth fighting for and, and I'm willing to embrace what that means, you know, not just to me and my family and me personally, but what I represent. And, and that's something that, that, uh, you know, is important to me. You know, I think we've lost sight of that as an industry. And I think that ties into a lot of the chaos that we're navigating as an industry.
DICKEY: And, um, you know, I haven't figured out perfection in this, but, you know, my goal is, is to, is to be the best Christian husband, father and Adi that I possibly can be. And, and I know that there are certain things I can control. And I know there are certain things I can't. And I have to do a better job. I'm getting better at it of understanding what that looks like. And, and that allows me to step into some uncomfortable spaces that allows me to have those crucial conversations to tell our story, um, to fight for what's right. Because I believe it. And, and it starts there. And, and I know I have an amazing team that's around me and it truly takes a team. And if I can convince everyone of that, that will relieve some pressure. But pressure is a privilege, you know? And I'm a glass half full type guy and and I'm going to continue to embrace it. And I'm going to continue to to put my best foot forward, however imperfect it is. And at minimum, Bronco Nation in this community knows that it's coming from a good place. And that's my heart.
OPPIE: I know you've been supportive of what's at least based on your posts on social media, what's being proposed at the national level, protect American Sports Act, Save American Sports Act. Um, you've called it a good start. This is a funny way to ask a serious question. Uh, it's the if somebody hands you a lamp and a genie pops out and says, you get one wish, if you had the opportunity, you get one wish to change college athletics however you want. What would you do?
DICKEY: Oh, that's a good question. And, uh, you know, I have to be careful how I give my answer. Um, you know, uh. I, I believe in student athlete representation. Um, you know, the lawsuits continue to come and, and we have to stop the bleeding. You know, at the end of the day, our industry, we, we continue to dig. And as soon as you think we hit bottom and, you know, the bottom is when you stop digging, um, we find another way to keep going. And, and so if I was king for a day, um, it would be to, to eliminate these lawsuits and, and create infrastructure and, and guardrails that we could hold people accountable to and, and, and get people to fully understand that we do represent something bigger than ourselves. We represent these communities. If we lose this brand, if we lose this institution, um, it will forever impact this community and those we serve. And it's not replicated easily somewhere else. It doesn't move like an NFL team goes from Cleveland to Baltimore. It doesn't move like that. It's lost forever. And that's worth fighting for. And so I want rules, I want regulations, I want student athletes to have a seat at the table because that's our why and that's who we're serving.
DICKEY: And I want to stop these lawsuits and create something that is sustainable. I'm young enough and I don't know what else I would do. I'm young enough that I want to do this for another 15, 20 years. And, and that means, you know, we have to make some necessary changes, you know, or we will lose it all. And, and I'm not saying sport goes away. Sport is powerful and there's a lot of value in it. Um, but as we sit here today, we are hanging on by a thread and I know it's not just our institution, it's many. And I would be willing to bet it's not just, you know, G six versus Balfour. I would say that every conference in the country, every institution in the country, every president a D they're having the same conversations. How much longer can we do this? And and so that pushes us to make these decisions and, and really fight for what's right and, hopefully best position us because the why should matter. And and that's important to me.
OPPIE: Is the status quo sustainable for five seasons? Five years?
DICKEY: I don't think so. I don't think so. Um, I think we're well into that cycle. Um, I see the runway in every school is different, right? You know, but 138 FBS and a lot of this starts with football. And then there's men's basketball and it kind of dominoes. Um, I think some schools have much less than that. And, and, and time will tell for us. Um, our runway is running out, you know, uh, the cost of doing business has gone up and all the things that we've talked about and they were great questions. And I hope Bronco Nation listens because, you know, the only way we've survived, and I hate saying it that way because that's not how my mindset is. Um, is because Bronco Nation has stepped up. And when I can convince everyone in that foxhole or to get into that foxhole and to lock arms and to put our best foot forward, that's where epic lives. And the first step in me getting here was to get my team in that foxhole. And they are in. And the next was to get Bronco Nation. And now you see me trying to get other constituencies that are important to us and what it represents in this community.
OPPIE: State Board of Education is likely going to approve the sole finalist to be the next university president today, Doctor David Hahn. And I wonder, I feel it's safe to assume that you were involved in the search process in some way. What was that process like for you? What did you try to impress upon those people that you were going to need and demand as an athletic director of this school?
DICKEY: So I was very grateful and fortunate to be a part of a subcommittee early on in the process, and that led to some listening sessions within our community and some partnerships with donors that were also on the subcommittee, um, and other, you know, community leaders. And, um, we were able to, you know, provide a playbook of sorts of, of what we saw and how impactful that was going to be in the committee I was on was foundation and athletics. And so very grateful for our year and the foundation and there in the foxhole with us. And, um, and so we were able to tell our story around that and what was needed and, and the, the importance of that alignment. Um, you know, I think if you talk to any ad in the country, the most important relationship is with a D and president. And so very grateful for, for President Hahn and, and, um, you know, I've gotten to talk to him and I've talked to people who know him and he's a good man and he cares and has a lot of the qualities that I think will align with, with who we are. And, and, and ultimately what we need. Um, there's still a lot ahead of us, you know, uh, you know, the traditional sense because of the chaos.
DICKEY: Um, usually there's, you know, a president gets a little bit of a honeymoon and, you know, similar to an ad, You get some honeymoon. Um, you know, I didn't get a honeymoon. And unfortunately for him, I'm not sure he will either. Um, he he's going to hit the ground running, and we've already had a number of conversations on what it looks like and what's ahead of us and what that path is. And, um, and I'm very excited to have a partner and someone like him that, that cares. And we were able to do, you know, when he was here that week when the board first announced him and there were a bunch of dinners and events that we got to take him around and get to meet some of our most important partners, um, in Bronco Nation. And, uh, um, and he did a phenomenal job. And, and he's, and there was alignment in terms of what he was saying and what I've been saying. And, and that gives me a lot of hope in the process. And, you know, there's still a lot of work to do, but I'm, I'm really excited to have his feet on the ground here and, and to get more time with him and, and for us to lock arms and, and go accomplish something epic.
OPPIE: Jeremiah Dickey is Boise State's athletic director. Thank you so much for all your time.
DICKEY: Thank you Troy. I appreciate you having me on. Go Broncos.
GAUDETTE: And that was our All Things Considered host Troy Oppie, speaking with Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey, talking about the school's move to the Pac 12 conference.
