UA’s Byrne: No problem with being a ‘basketball school’

The University of Arizona men’s basketball program has long been established as one of the premier programs in the country.

The UA’s football program is not on the same level.

So, it’s no surprise or even insult that Arizona is known as a “basketball school,” which is something athletic director Greg Byrne says does not bother him.

“Well I think Rich (Rodriguez) talks about it, it’s good to be known for something,” Byrne told Doug and Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Friday as part of Newsmakers Week. “And the reality, you know we’ve won 21 national championships in a lot of different sports.

“And so you can win at a very high level at the UofA. Football has had success under Dick Tomey and Larry Smith and some people over the years.”

Yes, the Wildcats have had some good seasons on the gridiron, but they were usually fleeting and followed up by some disappointing seasons.

Since Rodriguez has arrived, though, the ‘Cats have won 26 games, a total that includes two bowl victories and a Pac-12 South title.

“It wasn’t sustained,” Byrne said. “Now, all of a sudden, we have a foundation in place, we have great support from our president, Dr. Hart, we’re trying to do things as an administration to support our football program, and obviously the job that Rich has done is off the charts.

“And so I think we are laying a foundation for long-term success.”

The process certainly appears to be underway. But until it’s complete, when people think of the University of Arizona, chances are they will still think of basketball.

And that’s perfectly fine with the A.D.

“I think it’s great to be known for something, I really do, and it gets people excited,” he said. “One of the cool things about our basketball program, on the men’s side, is I’ve literally been in China, I’ve been in Europe, I’ve been in New York, every place, and if I’m wearing a block A you’re going to run across somebody and they’re going to say, ‘Bear Down’, they’re going to say, ‘Go Cats.’

“So the basketball program has helped unite our fans and our alumni base, literally, worldwide at times and that’s just something to build upon.”

While the goal is for UA’s football program to reach similar heights as its basketball program, being good at one does not have to necessitate a drop in the other.

Byrne said there is a core group of football fans, totaling 45,000-50,000, who are just “lock-step in there every time,” and the last 10,000 or so are more finicky and tend to go to games when the team is having a good season.

“But I think the momentum that we’re seeing, we’re selling a lot more season tickets,” Byrne said. “And people are buying in and saying, ‘I like the direction.’ We went through about a 10-year down period that was pretty tough for us; I think we’re digging ourselves out of there right now and I think the future is extremely bright.”

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