Bob Lutz: Time is right to examine Wichita State’s place in college athletics

If you thought the football discussion at Wichita State had ceased for good 29 years after the program was dropped because, essentially, nobody cared — well, fasten your chin strap.

Wichita State president John Bardo, a rolling stone who most assuredly gathers no moss, is going to take a look at football. And soccer. And conference affiliation. And the moon and the stars, presumably.

Bardo said Tuesday that he and deputy athletic director Darron Boatright are embarking on a comprehensive examination of Shocker athletics to see what is realistic, what isn’t, what needs to be changed and how much money it all will cost.

Folks who had given up on the notion of a football program at WSU are awakening from a deep slumber. Same for those who thought a new conference affiliation was a pipe dream.

In Bardo’s world, there are no pipe dreams and little slumber. He’s been at Wichita State just more than three years and is already transforming the place into a world-class research university. The man puts words into action and that’s why this announcement is so provocative, so interesting.

Bardo, though, wants everyone to understand that while his investigation into athletics will be exhaustive and take at least a year, it by no means is an endorsement of football, changing conferences or anything else. It’s an investigation with no preconceived notions.

Given the analogy that the door to football appeared to be slammed shut and boarded up, Bardo said: “This (study) only unlocks the door in the sense that we’re going to look at see what’s behind it. And it may be that we go ‘whoa’ and close it and lock it up again.”

Bardo anticipates a wide array of reaction to this announcement. Some Shocker supporters who yearn for major changes in the athletic department will cheer wildly. Others will throw up a caution flag.

Just how many are in those camps is something Bardo wants to find out. And is there enough financial clout to support major change?

That’s part of what Bardo and Boatright are looking at. They’ve been at this for a few months now, Bardo said, and there are still dozens of calls to make and feelers to send out.

Bardo said some people are telling him WSU has to have football at the highest level to get to where he wants the university to be athletically. Others question his sanity.

I applaud Bardo and Boatright for taking this bite. Just understand it’s going to take some time to chew.

How many times have Shocker fans wondered about the possibility of football’s return? How often do we question WSU’s place in the Missouri Valley Conference?

Bardo says he’s out to get answers. And to assign dollar amounts to support the positions he ultimately takes. As time goes, it’s likely that consultants will be hired and committees will be formed to help navigate these choppy, exhilarating waters. First, though, this is about two men laying groundwork.

Wichita State hasn’t had football since 1986 and has been a member of the Missouri Valley Conference since 1945. In the dozen years after football was dropped, there were occasional rallies and petitions and even a study initiated to test the feasibility of bringing it back.

But even the spirit of the football die-hards has mostly died.

Likewise, most have have resigned themselves to the Valley, so often described as “mid-major.” Fifty years ago it was the “Valley of Death” in basketball with the likes of Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, Tulsa and others. Those universities found greener athletic pastures while WSU stayed behind.

Can Wichita State do better?

Bardo wants the university to excel and to reach its maximum potential. Athletically, though, he’s not sure what that is. And that’s the reason for this study, examination, voyage — whatever you want to call it.

Would WSU football do better today than it did back then? It’s important to remember that Shocker football was never very successful and that sparse crowds were the norm.

Perhaps a shiny new 30,000-seat stadium and affiliation in the Mountain West or the American Athletic conferences would be the kick-start football needs.

Can the Shockers afford to add football and offer enough new women’s opportunities to meet Title IX standards? Are men’s and women’s soccer programs viable? Could WSU forge its way into NCAA bowling? Does Koch Arena need to be expanded with a raised roof to accommodate luxury boxes?

An overhaul of athletics is possible. So is the status quo. Bardo’s eyes are wide open, but unsure of what they’ll discover.

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 5:59 AM with the headline "Bob Lutz: Time is right to examine Wichita State’s place in college athletics."