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THE NEW FACE OF OREGON ATHLETICS
Faculty and administrators respond to the hiring of the new athletic directors
by Luke Andrews | Sports Editor
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Kilkenny, the 55-year-old former CEO of Arrowhead General Insurance Agency out of San Diego, has donated nearly $6 million to various causes for Oregon athletics and brings a successful business background to Eugene, having built Arrowhead into an organization with written premiums of nearly $1 billion per year.
He has worked to nestle himself alongside student fans, interacting with them at home games in The Pit, and just yesterday he announced he will pay for tickets and a charter bus for students traveling to watch the Ducks play in the NCAA tournament in Spokane, Wash. this weekend.
Kilkenny is expected to revive Oregon's plans to build a new basketball arena, which carries a $200 million price tag and will replace the aging McArthur Court. The plans stalled under Moos due to a lack of funding.
Yet some question the decision, expressing concern about Kilkenny's lack of athletic director experience - or even a college degree - and the continuing perceived imbalance between athletics and academics this hire reflects, some of the University's top faculty say.
"It's out of the box, sure," University President Dave Frohnmayer said of the hire. "But Oregon's used to doing things in a sometimes visibly, unorthodox way. But did we make a good choice? Boy, I'm happy with it."
Some on the academic side say this hire is the last in a long line of questionable practices favoring athletics.
"The business of letting a major fund raiser become the force of the athletic department is just the last straw," 25-year professor Tom Givon said. "They go ahead and take this guy who has nothing to do with us - nothing to do with us. It's just a money bag. Excuse me, but I'm sick of seeing money bags creating this place into an athletic empire."
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Tim
posted 3/14/07 @ 8:23 AM PST
If the academic side of the college spent as much time being creative about raising funds as whining about how well the athletic side does it there would be no problem. (Continued…)
Jack R Titus
posted 3/14/07 @ 9:10 AM PST
I think Pat Kilkenny is the most "human" athletic director we've ever had at Oregon, dating from l950! He's a VERY successful businessman who obviously knows his
stuff, likely much better than the stuffed up academics who are criticising his hiring. (Continued…)
a random professor
posted 3/14/07 @ 2:19 PM PST
I for one welcome our new athletic overlords.
Hugh
posted 3/14/07 @ 7:31 PM PST
I attended Oregon in the same era as Pat Kilkenny. We were all dealing with VietNam and getting our feathers kicked on the football field. Dick Enrights annual salary was $23,500. (Continued…)
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