What do you say when someone emails you and asks if you'd like to speak with Clark Kellogg on Wednesday? You say "sure", and "thanks". As someone who's done some live broadcasting, I know how hard Kellogg's job at CBS is, and as someone who loves hoops to distraction, I know how cool Kellogg's job is, as well.
I knew Clark was peddling something, and that he'd be talking to several other bloggers throughout the day. Internet writers are kind of like the morning show/prime time talk circuit for sports figures these days. So we talked about that first, then shot the bull about hoops a little.
STF: Tell me about the Capital One Cup.
Clark Kellogg: I certainly will, Eric. It's a new, prestigious honor rewarding NCAA Division I athletic programs for their cumulative on-field performance across multiple men's and women's sports. It's the most comprehensive rewards program out there, because it covers 26 sports -- 13 men's sports and 13 women's sports. It will honor the program that accumulates the most points over all three sports seasons: fall, winter, and spring. One men's program and one women's program will recieve not only the Capital One Cup, but each winner will also recieve a $200,000 donation from Capital One to fund scholarships for graduate studies for student-athletes. So it rewards on-field excellence, but it also provides funding for post-graduate studies, so I think it's a phenomenal program and a win-win on many levels.
STF: The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics does something similar to this, but Stanford has won it every year but one. Will this be a little more wide-open?
CK: It'll be interesting, because there are a couple of differences. You're speaking of the Director's Cup.
STF: Right.
CK: The Capital One Cup is exclusive to DI championships. The Director's Cup is Divisions I, II, III and NAIA. The Capital One Cup distinguishes between women's and men's programs, so that's a big difference [editor's note: the Director's Cup is cumulative of all sports regardless of gender, so a school like Stanford or Texas that can afford to field more teams at a high level has a huge advantage]. Also, national championships and first-place finishes are rewarded more strongly than with any other program. The $200,000 scholarships to the two winning programs is a really prominent difference as well.
STF: When you say first-place finishes, does that mean regular-season finishes?
CK: That means national championships or a final No. 1 ranking in the official poll that governs a particular sport.
STF: Moving on to general basketball, I wondered if you've been able to keep up with what's going on out west. I know you've been doing interviews and traveling around a lot today.
CK: No! Give me an abridged update!
STF: Brigham Young basketball is going to join the West Coast Conference in basketball. There has been speculation that the league might now add a tenth member, and we've heard mention of Pacific, Denver or Seattle.
CK: Wow! I heard BYU was going independent in football, but not all that happened this morning. That's the instantaneous nature of the 24/7 news cycle! Since it's news to me, I'm going to hold off on making any judgment calls right now.
STF: What do you think about the new NCAA tourney format?
CK: I'm excited about it, Eric! Initially, I was opposed to any type of expansion when the subject was first broached. But as I heard more and more of the discussion about it, heard the NCAA's perspective on it, trying to increase the percentage of teams from the DI pool that would have a chance, that all made since. At the time, I didn't know where we would land in terms of the immediate expansion, but I think the incremental addition of three more teams and the format that's been laid out for how those teams will be involved in opening-round games sounds like it should be good.
Change is always uncomfortable. Especially when you aren't sure how it's going to play out, and you don't know until you do it. I think this is a natural, positive step as opposed to going full-blown 72, 96, or whatever the number might be in the future. But the field of 68 is intriguing, competitive and fair, and exciting for the fans and players. I think it's good.
STF: Looking at the new coaches coming into the Big East, which of those programs do you think might be able to play above .500 this season?
CK: Steve Lavin I know from working as a broadcaster, but also from his time as coach at UCLA, so I've got a pretty good feel for him. Mike Rice, I've just watched, but I was very impressed with what he was able to do at Robert Morris. Kevin Willard has a great coaching pedigree, but I don't know him or Mike Rice personally. Obviously, Steve has the most experience at that level, but it's not only going to be about who's leading the program, but also what kind of material you'll be able to put on the court that can help you succeed. That's where you have to balance your evaluation. Coaching is obviously critical, but the personnel these coaches have to put on the floor is going to dictate as much as anything where they end up in the rugged Big East.
STF: Willard might have fallen into the best situation, even though nobody knows much about him, because he still has Pope, Hazell and Robinson coming back, and now Eneil Polynice transferring in.
CK: That's exactly the point I'm making. Evaluate the personnel. Whether it's a new coach or a long-time incumbent, that's what you start looking at. Who's back, what's their chemistry, what's their health, what's their talent level. Then the leadership of the coach and leadership in the locker room are really important to help your team reach that potential and excel.
Read more about the Capital One Cup at capitalonecup.com.
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