Wednesday, January 18, 2023
St. Thomas' Big Day
A few weeks ago, my former St. Thomas Law School colleague, Rob Vischer, became the president of the university. And then yesterday, he had a big announcement to make: a $75 million donation from Lee and Penny Anderson (neither of whom went to St. Thomas). The gift is to go towards the construction of a big new arena on campus that will house both hockey and basketball games.
In 2020, St. Thomas got permission from the NCAA to do something unprecedented-- jump directly from Division III to Division I. So far, the move has been fairly fluid. The football team even won their new league's championship this year.
I'm conflicted about the larger narrative. I love college sports, but fear they play too big of a role in the culture (and economies) of many schools. I went from Baylor (which took sports way too seriously) to St. Thomas (which was in a super-cute all-Minnesota Div. III league) quite happily, but now it seems that St. Thomas is gunning to be the Baylor of the Upper Midwest.
Comments:
<< Home
543. That’s how many lawyers you could put through three years of UST law with seventy five million dollars.
Imagine the positive social impacts those 543 lawyers could have made. The wrongs righted. The indigent and underprivileged who would have been served. The changes they could have brought to systems that disenfranchise so many of our citizens.
Decades of service from 543 attorneys educated at an institution that prides itself on service to others, lost.
In exchange for what? A building? A chance at becoming a second-rate DI sports school, always trailing the U in popularity?
Big money donations come with strings attached and is earmarked for certain purposes. Benefactors want their name etched in limestone after all. I get it. But what does accepting it say about the school’s priorities and vision of itself?
Bigger isn’t always better, and for the sake of the school that gave me so much, I hope it’s leaders always remember the true purpose of the institution. And it sure as hell ain’t sports.
Imagine the positive social impacts those 543 lawyers could have made. The wrongs righted. The indigent and underprivileged who would have been served. The changes they could have brought to systems that disenfranchise so many of our citizens.
Decades of service from 543 attorneys educated at an institution that prides itself on service to others, lost.
In exchange for what? A building? A chance at becoming a second-rate DI sports school, always trailing the U in popularity?
Big money donations come with strings attached and is earmarked for certain purposes. Benefactors want their name etched in limestone after all. I get it. But what does accepting it say about the school’s priorities and vision of itself?
Bigger isn’t always better, and for the sake of the school that gave me so much, I hope it’s leaders always remember the true purpose of the institution. And it sure as hell ain’t sports.
I do not know St. Thomas … it’s culture, it’s aspirations. I also do not know the reason(s) that St. Thomas decided to forgo a successful D3 program. At face value, I think the move to D1 was a mistake. What I do know, is that most schools with D1 programs lose (lots) money on those programs, often heavily funded by student activity fees. A slippery slope in service of institutional (alumni?) ego. D3 programs are far more consistent with what college sports should stand for.
# posted by 
: 6:20 PM
: 6:20 PM
Craig & Gavin-- First of all, you two guys would get along great. Second... I totally agree. I love division III sports, and really loved the conference with the Tommies, the Johnnies, the Augies, the Oles, the Augies, the Gusties, etc. I don't see St. Thomas getting much of a net benefit from all this, but I hope (for the sake of the school) that I am wrong.
Post a Comment
<< Home
