Vision is one of those words that can mean so much and so little at the same time. Any dynamic leader must have it, and any successful leader must turn it into something tangible. It is a buzzword and a cliche, sometimes full of ideas and other times hollow.
Since Joe Alleva assumed the reins as Duke's new athletic director in early March, the answers to seemingly all of the athletic department's challenges have revolved around his vision. Alleva, President Nan Keohane, men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski-they all say the right vision is the key to transforming Duke into an elite Division I program.
"I think Duke athletics is very healthy, and we have a good athletic department," Alleva said. "But we also have a long way to go and we can get a lot better. We're very good but we can still get a lot better. We have to have a plan and we have to have a vision for the future."
Thus the question lingers: Will Alleva's vision be full of strong ideas and answers or merely traditional thoughts that keep Duke athletics respectable, but a cut below the nation's finest?
It is easy to evaluate the Blue Devils' 26 teams now and point to their many successes. There is a men's basketball team that is one of the country's model programs for any sport, women's tennis and golf teams that should be favorites for national titles next year, consistent excellence in soccer, women's basketball, lacrosse and on and on.
But aside from these top programs, not all teams are of the caliber one might expect. Duke's scholarship endowment is just barely halfway to the full NCAA limit, leaving 11 of the 26 programs without any form of scholarship support. The much-anticipated Cameron Annex is slowly being built, but still lacks funding. Most notably, the football program lags behind in facilities-specifically its weight room-which hurts in recruiting and has contributed to the team's well-publicized woes.
All in all the problems add up to, among other standard-bearers, a 28th-place finish in this past year's Sears' Cup standings-a barometer for overall performance-and just three national championships in Duke's athletic history.
However, the scene isn't entirely bleak. Many schools would crave Duke's outstanding scholar-athlete reputation. But Alleva understands and agrees with those who feel the athletic department has many hurdles to jump.
"I don't think it's a tough situation," Krzyzewski said. "I just think it's a matter of having vision and a plan and getting out to the right people. When you try to sell [the program], you have to have a definite plan."
To most administrators, the department's problems center on fundraising which, in turn, affects the football program, scholarship endowment and women's athletics. All three areas need more money; all three demand a lot of it to run at full speed.
"I think Joe wants to see if he can take Duke to a little higher level," men's track coach Norm Ogilvie said. "But it's a big challenge, because to do that, the bottom line is you need money. Money will be the ultimate challenge."
The Football Dilemma
No program at Duke draws more debate these days than football. Can it overcome the high academic standards and be consistently successful or was 1994 a rare deviation from the norm? In '94, first-year coach Fred Goldsmith captured the attention
Blaming the players for playing poorly only scratches the surface of the problem. The first and most important step is recruiting, and Duke has fallen behind the pack.
Goldsmith calls it an arms race in the ACC, with every team trying to top the others with new facilities and eventually reach the level of a Florida State. Without the necessary money, the Blue Devils have slipped toward the bottom. The Murray Building has only one weight room, which is shared by all 26 varsity teams-a far cry from the top programs who give their football team a facility devoted entirely to them. Recruits visit Durham and instantly realize that other programs have more athletic intangibles to offer. Even if they desire strong academics, they often head elsewhere.
"I think close to 15 years ago we built the Murray Building," Alleva said. "When we built the Murray Building, it put us probably in the top three or four in the ACC in facilities. It put us in the middle of the pack. If Duke's in the middle of the pack with facilities, we can compete.
"The way to compete, in everybody's mind, is to build better facilities so you can attract better recruits. For us to be in the ACC, you've got to play football. If we're going to play football, let's be competitive."
Alleva remains convinced things can improve. He also knows there is still a demand for football among alumni.
"Joe heard loud and clear during the [AD] search, as did the rest of us, that Duke football has a lot of support and what are we going to do about it," Keohane said in April. "He has a number of strategic points in mind, of which improving the facilities are one. I'm very supportive of Joe's and Fred's hope to improve the football facilities. I'm confident we'll improve that."
Duke is taking the first step in facilities this fall. A new Jumbotron scoreboard is being installed in Wallace Wade that will show replays of the Blue Devils' games and others around the country. It is a gesture that attempts to draw in fans and recruits. In addition, banners displaying all eight of Duke's bowl appearances will be draped around the stadium.
But when will the ninth be added? Enter the head coach. Goldsmith has been named National Coach of the Year twice and last season did appear to be leading his team back to respectability.
The Blue Devils had a number of close calls last season and could have easily won two or three more games. They didn't, though, and Alleva said that fact must start changing this season. If it doesn't over the next few years, the new AD could send a strong message with personnel changes.
"I understand the dilemma that Fred's been in," Alleva said. "He came in and inherited a team that had a lot of seniors, and he was very lucky and successful and won eight games. But the cupboard was bare after that; there weren't many players left. He had to go out and recruit players and then play them before they were ready to play. You can't win with freshmen and sophomores in the ACC.
"Now those kids are getting older, though, and it's time to start seeing some results. I think the talent level is a lot better, but
"I think that every program has to be evaluated every year, and coaches have to be evaluated every year. We need to see progress and growth. I think we can compete. I don't see any reason why we can't compete."
Alleva admits a lot of money is already being put into football now, and the investment is not paying off. In his mind, though, the next financial push could be the crucial one.
And success on the field creates excitement in the entire department. Alleva feels there are enough investors willing to lead the charge who just need a reason to be excited about the team's performance. When Duke won in 1994, people came and brought their wallets with them.
"[Joe and I] both know what we need to get done," Goldsmith said. "We're trying to find the money to do some things. We're all on the same page, we just have to find a way to get it done. But we're not going to take a backseat to anyone."
175 Scholarships To Go
Football is a big enough program that it can be discussed separately. It also soaks up at least 85 of Duke's 200 athletic scholarships. The number 200 includes 24 women's endowments being added this year.
That still leaves another 175 scholarships before the Blue Devils would be up to the NCAA limit, based on Duke's 26 teams, of 375. Stanford, with its enormous endowment, has reached its limit. A comparable academic institution that is often compared to Duke, Stanford has also won the last four Sears' Cups. Duke cannot compete when 11 of its programs are non-scholarship. For every basketball team given the full allotment, there is a track or swimming team left empty-handed.
"We've got track, swimming, fencing and wrestling that don't have any scholarships at all," Alleva said. "It's hard to compete in the ACC without any scholarships. Again, that all comes down to resources. And right now, we don't have the resources to put scholarships in those sports. Not that I wouldn't like to."
In order for Duke to endow another 175 scholarships, it would need about $5.6 million a year. That is not an easy figure to attain.
The money for scholarships generally filters through the Iron Dukes, the University's primary athletic fund. They raise the money and hand it over to the athletic department for whichever sport the department chooses. Although they also help in such projects as the Cameron Annex and recent golf course renovations, the Iron Dukes' main commitment is to scholarship endowment.
"Our goal is to first fund every scholarship that's offered, and then it would be our goal to offer additional scholarships," executive director Ron Schmid said. "We would ultimately like to be able to offer the full NCAA allotment of scholarships in every sport."
Full allotment at this point is impossible. For now, Alleva is focused on the competitive difference scholarships can make in several women's sports, including women's lacrosse and field hockey. In addition, women's soccer was recently brought up to the NCAA limit.
"Ideally, sure we'd love to [reach 375]," Alleva said. "Realistically, it's going to take a lot of time. The reason Stanford's so good and the reason they have so many scholarships is they have huge athletic department endowments that spin off enough revenue for th
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.