by DiamondM » Mon Jan 05, 2004 3:32 pm
I think by "no support" Valvano means no financial support, which we already know is true. I don't think we're talking about moral support or adminstrative support -- other than that which Dement doesn't get because SMU can't afford it. Plus, there is still the sense that football is king in Texas. Because Dallas does not pay attention to college basketball, we are not likely to pour money into the basketball program at the expense of the football budget. Even a consistent tourney appearance by SMU would get little attention as compared to football in the area. With Dement coming out of the Carolinas, including a short stint as an assistant at Duke, I'm sure he does feel unsupported -- by administration, by fans, by the media, by alumni.
I had a conversation a about 2 years ago with Jon Jackson while at my law school reunion and we were talking about his old stomping grounds at SMU. He said he talks to Dement now and then about recruiting budgets, marketing, etc. and is amazed by the difference in how Duke spends on its basketball team compared to us. A few years ago the basketball program had kicked off a campaign to establish an endowment that would make it completely self-sustaining without using any university funds or any of the main athletic budget. Don't know if they've reached the goal yet, but it's not an unrealistic goal for them. Of course, the Duke football program probably feels a bit "unsupported" by its administration.