back in the day - OSU Alumni Association

sectionTraining table in the Valley Football Center is a key part of OSU’s preparation to play. It alsoprovides comic relief and a chance for players to bond. Photo by Dennis Wolvertonone area it really helps is the spirit amongthe student body on this campus.”It’s something Riley has noticed aswell.“Those kinds of thoughts, whetherit’s spirit or attitude or physically wearingthe colors of the school and all that, Ithink those are the things that then transferinto that pride and that confidencethat is really fun to see. There’s nothinglike a change of attitude about a place,and this has been the biggest, biggestchange by far at Oregon State.”One of the turning points came inthe summer of 1999, when Al and Pat Reser,both 1960 graduates of OSU, made adonation of $5 million to the athletic department.Parker Stadium was renamedReser Stadium in their honor.The Resers — longtime supportersof OSU in both its academic and athleticendeavors — were inspired by theleadership of then-president Paul Risser,along with new athletic director MitchBarnhart and his staff.“There was energy in the athleticdepartment with Mitch and (then-associateathletic director, now athletic director)Bob De Carolis and (athletic fundraiser)Bob Westlund," said Pat Reser, who isco-chairperson of the OSU Foundation’sCampaign for OSU, a highly successfuleffort to take fundraising for all ofOSU to a higher level. “There was energywith the football coach, and the wholedeal of just not doing the same old thing.It was not business as usual. It was, ‘OregonState can be a ranking team in thePac-10.’”The Resers hoped that if theystepped forward and showed confidence,others might take a new look atthe school as well. Then came the FiestaBowl season and a sea of over 35,000orange-clad boosters on national television,and “the whole notion of loyaltyand pride was reborn,” Reser said.Enrollment has risen to near 20,000.Reser, who knows from experience whatit’s like to ask for financial support foracademic and athletic programs at OSU,believes Beaver football has served asa marketing tool for the university atlarge.“Whether it’s right, wrong or otherwise,the (football) scoreboard often getsthe first round of attention from anyone,”Reser said. “Once that is going well,then people start looking at what elseis going on. I think we can feel a greatdeal of pride when we realize that thepeople who give to the athletic programare becoming more and more aware ofwhat’s going on in the university as awhole and to see it as an amazing place.They’re showing that support and loyaltythrough the giving in the academicrealm, as well.”The numbers back up that claim.OSU President Dr. Edward Ray told agathering for the school’s capital campaignthat athletic donors often becomeacademic donors. Donors who gave $104million to Beaver athletics also gave $151million to academics from 2001-07.Now that the Beavers have consistentlyexceeded the minimal expectationsthe world set for them throughthe 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, expectationshave risen and it takes a lot more to keeppeople impressed.“I think there are the expectationsto win now — which I like,” Riley said.“I’d rather have people expect me to winand approach things that way. I needthat from our team and our staff. That’sone way to look at how the program isperceived.“The other way was back in the earlyera — the pressure there came from survival.That was always a question in people’smind: whether it was survival for aprogram or the people in it, survival forthe program to continue, survival to stayin the Pac-10.”For schools in Bowl ChampionshipSeries conferences, football is expectedto produce revenue to run the athleticdepartment and support other sports.Keep winning football games and theentire athletic department benefits.“Oh, yeah. I think it’s a necessity forus to continue to grow,” Riley said. “Thatis a very obvious part of the process ofcollege athletics in general and specificallyhere at Oregon State. We all knowthat.”Riley and his coaches don’t mindthe pressure; their competitive naturewould drive their efforts whether theywere playing for the financial health ofOSU athletics or for an ice cream soda.“Those parts of it don’t ever change,”Riley said. “We try to turn over everyrock in every way, and always have, towin a game ... When you’re in this thing,if you’re not in it just to compete andto win, then you’re in it for the wrongreason.”51Fall 2008