Are We Ready? When The Bell Tolls For Thee

 

Andrew Valmon, second from left, who partly owes his Olympic Gold Medal to Coach Groves, got a conditional reprieve the other day.  His Maryland Terrapins Men's Team can avoid the cutting of their program by simply coming up with 8 years of revenue to continue the entire indoor and outdoor, as well as the cross country teams.  That's where the problems start.  Absolutely no one expects them to raise that amount of cash in just a few months.

Despite the far-fetched notion that this could happen at PSU, are we ready for the same thing?  Without football revenue, PSU would face many of the problems nagging our neighbor to the south.  There are even  serious voices among the deciders calling for "the death penalty" for PSU football.  In any unlikely scenario of a substantial loss of revenue at any university, combined with Title IX, the men's track and cross country teams are always among the first teams to be placed on the block. It's all money and number of athletes. It has nothing to do with academics!

Would we be ready?

The goal of our group isn't primarily money.  It's probably way down on the list, but it needs to be there.  We desire companionship more than anything, followed by honoring Coach Groves and the past history of PSU Track.  Next would be the current team and the future team, both of which require revenue.  If the normal source of revenue were interrupted, would we be able to keep it going?  If Maryland requires $9,000,000.00 for 8 years, that would be $6,000 per living PSU Track Alum! What would Penn State require?  My guess would be much more. We need to be ready for any eventuality, no matter how remote.  

Let's start the ball rolling by making this year's Reunion and Coach Harry Groves Golf Tournament the biggest one yet.  Although only a small step along the course to fiscal independence, it would represent the biggest show of force to the new athletic administration we could make.