Chat with Athletics Director Mike Holder

Jason Wright:Phoenix:	Former POSSE employee here, just wanting to get the latest on the north side stadium expansion. What type of timeline do you have and how much will the final price tag be.

mike holder::	Phas II is on schedule and will be completed in time for the first football game in 2006. It is projected to cost approximately 55 million and we are currently within the budget.

Chris:Stillwater:	Mr. Holder, can you tell us what your plans are for improving the polices regarding students entrance to basketball games and purchase of tickets? As things are right now, it won't be long until somebody is severly injured.

mike holder::	If you have suggestions I would love to hear them. Our students are future season ticket holders and donors. We need to do a good job of earning their loyalty while they are in school. Tell us how we can improve our treatment of the students.

Aaron:OKC:	Mike - 2 Ideas for the stadium. 1. Brick the walls surrounding the sidelines. 2. Adda Sports Ticker that shows other game's scores to the jumbotron.

mike holder::	Good ideas. We will take it under consideration.

Kevin:OKC; current student @ OSU:	DO you go to the Football games?

mike holder::	Yes. I have sat in the same spot for the last 10 years and my plans are to remain there in the future.

Jimmy:Edmond:	When you say complete BPS, does that include phase-3?

Dustin:Yukon:	Are you planning on going forward with phase 3 of the stadium campaign (bowling in of the west end zone) or is that on a "wait and see" basis?

mike holder::	We plan on starting Phase III when we have the money. Currently, we have our hands full raising money to pay for Phase II.

SomeBeach:OKC:	Forgive me if this questions is out of line, but some in the press have questioned how good your relationship is with Coach Sutton (Eddie). Could you put the rumors to rest that the two of you don't get along very well?

mike holder::	I have a lot of respect for Eddie Sutton and the great job he has done as our basketball coach. I intend to help him continue his run of success as long as he wants to be our coach. When he decides to retire I will support Sean.

Jim:Broken Bow:	Will there be added security this weekend in Stillwater after the bomb at OU last weekend?

mike holder::	Yes.

Kevin:OSU:	How much will Season Basketball tickets be for the students? I am a student. I heard last year it was around 220.00

mike holder::	$215.

Jackie:Tulsa:	My husband is a professor at OSU and always talks about the poor relationship between the athletics department and the university....how do you plan on mending these ties?

mike holder::	Improve communication.

OklaStateU:Oklahoma City:	How much do you plan on raising the ticket prices for football and basketball? Do you intend to increase the priority seating donations as well?

mike holder::	I made a statement during my press conference about ticket prices. Since then I have not said anything publicly about ticket prices but the subject has taken on a life of its own. The Bonham Group was commisioned in July to study ticket prices and donor seating in our region. Their findings will be given to us in November. We will take their recommendations and develop a strategy.

Ed Graves:Wichita Falls, Texas:	You have indicated that you plan to get the debt on the Gallagher-Iba project paid off as top prioity. How will this be done? What was OSU's share of the Big 12's distribution from the 2004-2005 season?

mike holder::	If you have suggestions I am all ears. I apologize but I don't know our Big 12 distribution for 2004-2005.

OSUSTUD:Stillwater:	have you ever attended a soccer, softball, tennis, equestrian, or any of the non-high profile games??? if not, how do you plan on showing your support to these OSU teams?

mike holder::	I ahve spent 32 years focusing on golf. Now I will be a fan of all OSU sports. I will show my support by giving the coaches the resources to be competitive.

Darrcorp:Del City:	How much is currently raised?

mike holder::	The media reports 90 million, which isn't enought. I haven't had time to count it all yet.

Darrcorp:Del City:	Do you see us winning a championship in Basketball in the near future?

mike holder::	I like our chances with Eddie Sutton, his outstanding staff, and the nation's top recruiting class. If you referring to the women's team we have to be patient but I think Coach Budke will get us headed in that direction.

SomeBeach:OKC:	As you know, the succes of our Wrestling program is unmatched across the nation, and yet our attendance seems to be a disappointment. Are there any plans to put more funding towards marketing Wrestling in the OKC and Tulsa areas?

mike holder::	Yes. During my days as a student the wrestling matches we sellouts. I would love to return to those days. We must do more to draw fans given the success of our team.

Todd:Edmond:	There was a lot of contraversory surrounding your hire, do you feel that you are the best fit for the job and could you tell us a couple of goals that you have to make OSU the best it can be?

mike holder::	That is a tough question for me to answer. Please give me a little time and evaluate me on the positives and negatives surrounding my administration. I am committed to excellence and with your help anything is possible.

tony:tulsa:	So far, what do you like most and least about the AD job?

mike holder::	I like my energy level. This is a big challenge and I'm having lots of fun learning about our department. So far I haven't found anything that I dislike.

Chris:Stillwater:	Its good to hear that you are listening to student concerns. I have a suggested solution, but it would take far too much space here. What is the best way to reach you, e-mail, phone?

mike holder::	I would love to hear ideas about how to entice more students to attend football games. If you have suggestions just send me a letter. Anything to make students happier about their experience at athletic events is a good thing.

Darrcorp:Del City:	So how have you liked being the Athletic Director so far? Is it more stress than you thought, before you got the job?

mike holder::	So far low stress and lots of fun. As I learn more and need to make some tough decisions I'm sure the pressure will increase. Full speed ahead.

StateStudent:Kerr-Drummond:	I've been to other college arenas (duke) and noticed their seating arrangements in regards to students on the floor...will our seating ever change to be able to truly make GIA the rowdiest arena in the country?

mike holder::	What is the difference at Cameron Indoor.

tony:tulsa:	You have talked about excessive debt levels in the Athletic Department. How quickly do you think we can bring it down?

mike holder::	It all depends upon the generosity of our donors.

John Major:Salisaw:	Hi AD Holder, my friend trent whitekiller has joined the golf team this year, how will he and the other team members be affected by your leaving the golf program? and what do you think his chances of making the team are this year? john

mike holder::	I expect Mike McGraw to do a great job as our coach. He has a good nucleus of players and the team is currently ranked #2 in the country. My hope is that he improves on my record. Trent Whitekiller is very competitive and I like his attitude. I would guess that he might redshirt this year and I hope to see him be an All-American before he graduates.

Melford:Chickasha:	Is there a way we can get rid of the flaming OSU logo?

mike holder::	What is wrong with it?

Bill:Oklahoma City:	Our golf, basketball, and wrestling programs are nationally prominent. Obviously football takes on a competitive life of it's own, but what do you see as the biggest challenge in building a football team that is consistently competitive in the Big 12?

mike holder::	Providing the same resources as our competition.

mike holder::	Sorry that I couldn't answer all of the questions. If you enjoyed this forum then we may do it again in the future. Thank you for your interest.

Oklahoma State University Athletics

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