Board Votes To Keep Tulane Division I-A
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June 10, 2003
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NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Tulane Green Wave will remain in Division I-A and all programs will continue to compete at the highest levels of the NCAA, as the University's Board preserved a 110-year tradition Tuesday after a six-month review by an ad hoc committee of the Board.
A public campaign to retain Tulane's I-A status by increasing season ticket sales and donations resulted in the school's doubling its football season ticket sales in just five weeks while adding nearly $5 million to the athletics endowment and establishing a base for increases in fundraising and ticket sales across the board.
"This is a great day for the Tulane Family," said Tulane Director of Athletics Rick Dickson. "I want to thank our fans, our alumni, our friends and everyone in the New Orleans community and beyond who has bought tickets, sent a letter or made a public statement of support during the last five weeks. The response we have received has been tremendous and from the student-athletes, to the coaches, to the staff, we are all very grateful.
"We have said since this issue was initially raised that we believe Tulane should be the model for all Division I-A athletics programs and that the only area we were lacking was in support," he continued. "Well, with the kind of support exhibited over the last five weeks, I think many questions have been answered and now the only thing to do is to keep this momentum going."
Tulane met many of its "Think Green" campaign goals for the entire year in just five weeks by selling more than 12,000 football season tickets, including 6,700 new season ticket orders. The endowment was increased from $10 million to $14.5 million and the Tulane Athletics Fund reached its 2002-2003 goals while establishing a base of $2.1 million for the future with five-year pledges received on nearly all gifts and ticket sales.
Tulane President Scott Cowen announced in late April that an ad hoc committee of the Board of Tulane was studying the intercollegiate athletics program to determine what type of program was in the best long-term interests of the University.
The Green Wave will announce new initiatives and plans for keeping the "Think Green" momentum alive in the coming weeks.
