Sports: Q & A with Ron Mason
The MSU Alumni Magazine recently caught up with new MSU athletics director Ron Mason in his office at Jenison Fieldhouse for his update on the state of Spartan athletics.
BAO: How are you enjoying your new job thus far?
MASON: It’s quite invigorating, really. Not everything’s new, but a lot of things are different. I feel fortunate that I’ve been here 23 years. Because of that, it’s made the adjustment a lot easier.
BAO: You’re replacing someone who had a positive impact in a short time.
MASON: Clarence (Underwood) brought this department together. He was able to calm the waters, and we’re a staff that’s pretty much united now. That’s something I want to continue. I’m working hard at moving it to a new level.
BAO: Where do you foresee this overall program going?
MASON: I’ve seen enough programs around the country over the years. And you’re only as good as your personnel to begin with. That’s where it all starts. We’ve got, I think, an excellent administrative staff here. I think our coaches, obviously the people on the outside identify very closely with football, basketball, primarily, also hockey, women's basketball and so on, are doing an excellent job across the board. That’s your foundation.
BAO: Then there’s the need for top-notch facilities.
MASON: Obviously. That helps you in recruiting and in presenting your product. The Breslin Center and the new Berkowitz addition are excellent. We’ve upgraded Spartan Stadium with grass and will have some more things. Munn arena, built in 1973, now is state of the art with boxes, club seating, and video boards. At Jenison all teams now have their own locker rooms. Everybody’s got air conditioning. We still have some things to do. The football building now has to be looked at as a primary goal.
BAO: Is this like the arms race, where you have to keep up?
MASON: If you get into an arms race, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. We want to do it because it’s needed and it’s right. I want to be the best of what we are.
BAO: To get there requires money. Do you have any plans in this area?
MASON: I hope we can organize the capital campaign to get some dollars to help us move ahead, especially in the facilities and the endowment area. As costs escalate, endowments for scholarships or coaches positions can help to lower expenses.
BAO: Is it true that MSU is one of very few Division 1-A programs that’s actually solvent? I read that somewhere.
MASON: It’s hard to measure where athletics departments really are. We’ve done a nice job here to stay in the black. Some schools are definitely in the red, although it could be a one-year operational deficit where they could have money in reserve. We’ve done a lot of things around here to help benefit student athletes—for example, the Smith Center. Here you have a former student-athlete who gives back to the university. We’re now national leaders in the student athletic support structure which is so critical to our athletes’ success.
BAO: How do we stand as far as Title IX compliance?
MASON: In terms of participation, we’re where we need to be, with a one percent difference in scholarships and that sort of thing. We’ll probably be pretty close to that by next year. I want to maintain a broad-based program. We have 25 sports. I want to maintain 25 sports. Being a land-grant university, we need to have a broad-based philosophy. Title IX has put a lot of pressure on schools that want to do that. We were forced to cut some sports here. I would hope right now that we would never ever have to look at doing that again.
BAO: What major projects can we look forward to under your watch?
MASON: We’re discussing improvements to the stadium. We have to look at improving the football building. Expanding that and bringing it up to speed. I’d like to look at Old College Field out here, and make sure we had lights where we could play soccer games at night or play other things.
BAO: I have a sense that all of our coaches, including those of our marquee programs, really pull for each other.
MASON: One beautiful thing about Michigan State is that all the sports can work together here. That doesn’t happen at all big-time universities.
BAO: Tell us about Rick Comley, the new hockey coach who you picked as your successor.
MASON: With his background, his experience, having won a national title, 597 games, started the only program at Northern Michigan, and been in this league, he can step right in and not lose a beat. It was a tough decision because of Tom Newton and Dave McCollough but I just felt if we could get a Rick Comley, we had to do it.
BAO: Will alumni get to see more of you?
MASON: I will be more visible now than I ever was before. I told all the coaches that I want to make one trip over the next two or three years with every team. You have a better appreciation for what coaches are doing when you see them on the road when you’re basically facing adversity.
BAO: Besides football and men’s basketball, which are both expected to do well this year, do we have any other sport that’s about to surge?
MASON: Volleyball was there and I think that it’s got a real good chance of getting back. I think women’s basketball is on the edge of making a big move, which would be great given the national exposure now. I think Joanne’s doing a good job.
BAO: Women’s golf has really made some moves.
MASON: Well Stacy (Slobodnik) isn’t about to make it—she’s done it. Just an outstanding job. She’s the kind of coach you’d love to have. She’s a Spartan through and through. And has come back and just done a marvelous job.
BAO: Ron, as hockey coach, you hit a lot of home runs. I can remember the national championship at Providence. A lot of Final Four appearances . . .
MASON: Not enough national championships.
BAO: But that one was sweet. You had the Cold War. That was another home run. So was putting the luxury boxes in Munn. As AD, are there some home runs that you can aim for?
MASON: I don’t think it’s as easy to hit a home run in this seat. You’re probably looked at five to ten years after you leave . . . like Doug Weaver. He got a lot more respect after he left. But before I make any decisions, it will be in the best interest of the University and our department. And, some of them may not be popular with the general public. But that’s my job. And I’ve been making those kinds of decisions my whole life. Because to be successful you have to know what it takes. I hope people will one day look back and say, “You know, when Ron Mason was there, there were a lot of really good things done.” But I don’t think you just go out and hit a home run.
BAO: Ron, from the point of view of the Alumni Association, representing the alumni, we certainly wish you well and hopefully we will be partners with you throughout this journey.
MASON: I’m looking forward to that, Bob. The people that are going to help us attain the goals that we want to attain, are Michigan State people. The bottom line is—as I used to tell our team—that every time you represent Michigan State, whether it’s in the classroom, on the rink, on a trip, or out casually, if you can represent yourself, the program, yourself and the university in a positive way, then you’re going to bring respect back to the school. I want everybody in the department to feel that way.