As expected, the Board of Trustees passed two major developments in the athletic department at their meeting on Friday afternoon.
The Board accepted President Nan Keohane's recommendation of Joe Alleva for the Athletic Director position and approved the construction of the $12.5 million Cameron Pavillion, an unconnected addition to Cameron Indoor Stadium.
"I am pleased to work with Joe because it is clear he shares the values that make Cameron special," Keohane said. "He is committed to keeping Duke as powerful in the future as it was in the past and taking it to new levels."
When Alleva took over as AD at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Tom Butters was officially relieved of his duties. Butters has served as AD for 31 years and announced his decision to retire following a heart attack last summer.
"It has been a wonderful ride for me," Butters said. "I cannot find a more wonderful moment to retire."
Along with Keohane, Butters expressed his strong faith in Alleva.
"None of [the accomplishments] have been done without the guidance and support of Joe there," Butters said. "Joe, I kind of wish I was sitting in your chair. You'll have a thrilling, thrilling time."
Addressing criticism from local media following Wednesday's decision, Tallman Trask, executive Vice-President and chair of the AD search committee, defended the committee's selection of Alleva.
"Our committee worked long and hard for five months," he said. "Contrary to a lot of speculation you've seen, Joe was on the list at the beginning and we're pleased to see he's on it at the end."
Alleva, meanwhile, stressed his committment to a friendly atmosphere in the department.
"The department is about relationships," Alleva said. "After all the winning and losing is over with, relationships are what build the university."
More specifically, Alleva mentioned several specific priorities as AD, including increasing gender equity, improving the football program and overseeing the construction of the Cameron Pavillion.
The Cameron Pavillion will include an academic center for student-athletes, locker rooms, men's and women's basketball offices and training facilities.
Construction of the six-story building is scheduled to begin in April and end by summer 1999.
"This project is about more than athletics," men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement. "This project is about Duke. We have one of the top athletics programs in the country, and this project will bring that point forward."
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