Two ASU alumni donate to WVU following administration faux pas

The duo donated $700 worth of apple sauce, apple cider vinegar, and 60 other food products to the West Virginia University Food Pantry.

BY CHARACTER COUNTS

Aug 10, 2023, 1:34 PM

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(Facebook photo/The Rack/West Virginia University)

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A pair of Arizona State alumni are taking up a good cause following a faux pas by the school’s administration.

Nick Lough and Michael O’Connor donated $700 worth of apple sauce, apple cider vinegar and 60 other food products to The Rack: West Virginia Student Food Pantry.

Dear @gordongee, @WVUAlumniAssoc & @WestVirginiaU students…

Both @Mike__OC and I would like to apologize for comments ASU leaders made about your school a few days ago. Please accept this donation to your campus food bank. We are grateful you supported our Big12 move. #GoDevils pic.twitter.com/I2W1FnK3jm

— Nick Lough (@NickLough) August 9, 2023

This was prompted by what Ray Anderson, the ASU vice president for university athletics, admitted were “clumsy comments.”

He said on Saturday, “I promise I’m not going to Morgantown,” as he sat alongside university president Michael Crow.

“I’m going to assign that to (deputy athletic director) Jean Boyd. He can go to Morgantown. But send me to Texas and the rivalry with Arizona and starting a new one with BYU and Utah and Colorado,” Anderson said.

On Wednesday, speaking with Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta, Anderson apologized for those comments.

“Although those comments were said in jest and taken out of context, they were clumsy comments from me that I sincerely regret,” Anderson said. “Because I offended some people when no offense was intended, and for that I apologize. I sincerely do.

“So I called [West Virginia athletic director] Wren [Baker] Monday and we had a chance to talk and I explained the context. He graciously accepted my apology and certainly said he’d pass it on to their president Gordon Gee, who I know.”

The theme of apples came after the administration took a shot at the Pac-12’s proposed streaming deal with Apple.

That didn’t stop Lough and O’Connor from stepping up and doing good, though.

Here’s what Lough had to say in a press release issued by the Sun Devil fans:

First impressions are important and we want West Virginia University students, alumni and Big 12 leaders to know that many Arizona State Faithful are thankful for the opportunity to play against some wonderful institutions on the field and that we will support our new friends off it.

The Rack serves more than 200 students each week and has two locations on campus.