EXCLUSIVE: Q&A with Baylor AD Mack Rhoades
Baylor Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades has navigated this athletic department through different times.
He’s made two football coaching hires that included the program’s trip a New Year’s Day Bowl, overseen a women’s basketball national championship and the men’s basketball program making an appearance in the Final Four for the first time in 71 years.
Rhoades also has had to apply safety and make tough financial decisions when the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the United States.
Through it all, he continues to find innovative means for this private school’s athletic department to not only compete at a P5 level but to ensure that it will compete at a championship P5 level.
SicEmSports recently visited with Rhoades on the state of Baylor athletics in this Question and Answer exchange that covered a variety of issues of where BU is and where Rhoades wants to position it.
SicEmSports: Give us an update as to where things stand with the proposed football operations building.
Mack Rhoades: We continue to raise money for it. Right now, the projected total project cost is $60 million. That includes the extension of the [Allison] Indoor Practice facility. It’s currently at 80 yards and we need to get that to 100. [Head Coach] Dave Aranda feels the same way. We would place it on the north side adjacent to the indoor right against the Brazos. We would attach it to the back end of Allison. We’re trying to create something unique that’s different from any other P5 campus. Between that and the indoor extension, you’re looking at creating a special football complex. Something that is state of the art.
We feel good with the fund raising. Right now, we’re at $20 million and we think can get to $30 million before we break ground. It’s a work in progress. We’ve identified a lead donor, but it’s way too early to speculate beyond that. With approvals, we’re hoping to break ground on it by June 2022 if not sooner. Once we break ground, you’re looking at a construction timetable of 12-18 months.
SicEmSports: Since you’re moving in that direction with the OPS building, what kind of progress have you made for the new Pavilion to house the basketball teams.
Mack Rhoades: We continue to raise money for that. Obviously, we had the anonymous donor for this $105 million project. We have been working with architects. There have been some challenges with the COVID period. But like the football operations building, we’re hoping to break ground no later than June 2022. The ready for use timeframe is fluid with a project construction timeline of 18-24 months.
As discussed previously, it’s 7,000 fixed seats with standing room capacity of 500, a development center, coaches offices, athletic medicine area and athletic performance area. We want the locker room, lounge and team meeting rooms to be inclusive.
We are still looking at sites. One is in the Ferrell Center Parking Lot. The other is a city site. COVID has impacted things to where we have a temporary pause on making a site selection.
SicEmSports: How do renovations to existing athletic facilities fit into this?
Mack Rhoades: Once both basketball programs move out of the Ferrell Center, we can then retrofit it for our nationally ranked volleyball and acrobatics and tumbling teams. We will raise money for that project.
When football leaves Simpson, we will capture all that space to expand the student athlete center for excellence. I think we will be able to do something special and create one of the best in the entire country. The ground floor of the Simpson now becomes more available to all of our student athletes.
SicEmSports: How will you be evaluating COVID-19 protocols for the 2021-22 athletic season?
Mack Rhoades: It’s a great question. COVID is fluid. So we will continue to evaluate where the nation, Texas and the Central Texas Region is regarding the number of COVID cases.
We’re hopeful and planning for a minimum of 75 percent capacity at McLane Stadium for the 2021 football season. There is some hope that 100 percent can be attained. We’d like to get to 100 percent. But it’s going to be about how people feel in general. Will they be comfortable? I don’t know that everybody will be. We certainly understand that. There are still so many unknowns at this point.
SicEmSports: Given that, how does that reflect how the football season ticket renewal process is going?
Mack Rhoades: We launched our season ticket campaign on Feb. 8. We were one of the earliest schools to launch with our Baylor ticket assurance program. It guarantees a refund for the cost of season tickets if capacity limitations prevent us from fulfilling those tickets.
There is no increase from Pre-COVID 2020 season ticket prices. And there is a seventh game for further value. Our renewal rate is at 92 percent. That’s comparable to previous seasons. The good news is that we sold more than 700 new season tickets. I think we’re in good shape.
(Note: Because of the men’s basketball team’s Final Four run, Baylor plans to extend the deadline for football ticket renewals. An announcement is expected soon.)
SicEmSports: Has the fine from the Big 12 been paid off and is the Big 12 still withholding that distribution?
Mack Rhoades: The fine has been paid off. The Big 12 is still withholding. But it’s no longer keeping 25 percent. That money is in a holding account. We’re anticipating receiving the withholding in 18 months.
SicEmSports: What is the size of the athletic department’s budget?
Mack Rhoades: We’re beyond $100 million.
SicEmSports: In relation to the NCAA investigation, do you have any sense when you will know more?
Mack Rhoades: We are hopeful we will receive some clarity on their initial finding in the spring. Maybe as soon as April and no later than the summer.
(NOTE: Depending on the findings of the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions report, Baylor has two options: 1) It can accept and immediately begin serving the sanction penalties. 2) It has the right to appeal those sanctions. That would add more time for the appeal to be heard and eventually ruled upon for a final judgment.)