Jackson discussed the WCC's partnership with Oregon State and Washington State, and much more, with Dan Dickau and Adam Morrison on a special episode Talking Zags.
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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:06 >> Gonzaga Nation talking Zags special episode.
00:09 Myself Dan Dicko, Adam Morrison co-host with an esteemed guest,
00:13 none other than the WCC Commissioner, Stu Jackson.
00:17 So Stu, appreciate the time.
00:18 I know you're crazy busy when you're here in Vegas in Championship Week.
00:22 >> Yeah, but it's all for the reward of today, which is Championship Day.
00:27 And we get to crown a championship with both the women and the men.
00:30 So all's good, exciting time.
00:33 >> How has year one been with you being in charge?
00:37 It's been almost a year now, if my memory serves.
00:40 What have been the most difficult challenges and
00:43 obstacles overcome and what's it been like?
00:47 >> Well, yeah, it's been about a year since the announcement
00:50 of taking over the helm at the WCC.
00:54 But the interesting part is, Dan, what I signed up for originally,
00:58 in terms of the position and responsibilities, has changed.
01:02 And it changed very quickly with all of the changes in the collegiate landscape
01:07 that have taken place over the past year.
01:09 And I'm speaking specifically about NIL legislation or not.
01:14 The transfer portal,
01:16 certainly issues surrounding student athletes with respect to employment.
01:20 And the realignment that's taken place nationally has really changed,
01:25 I think, responsibilities for all commissioners in the NCAA.
01:30 And that's been the most challenging, yet fun part to try and navigate through.
01:36 >> Adam and I have talked extensively about realignment throughout the year.
01:39 And Mo, we've talked about the pluses and minuses.
01:43 DeGonzaga, unfortunately, staying in the conversation and leaving.
01:47 As you've gone the course of the year, Adam, really,
01:50 where do you stand with everything?
01:51 >> Well, I think the league has continued to be fantastic as far as at least being
01:56 a two-bit league.
01:56 Last year, two years ago, we had a three-bit league.
01:59 I think adding Washington State,
02:00 Oregon State is obviously gonna help the profile for basketball.
02:04 So I'm still up in the air on what the pros and cons really could be.
02:08 I think the league has done a good job of making it more competitive.
02:14 The top four is being really good.
02:17 Santa Clara, I think Santa Clara could be an NIT team.
02:20 I think USF is an NIT team.
02:22 And then obviously, I think both the teams tonight,
02:24 no matter who wins, are both gonna get in.
02:27 But I think Washington State and Oregon State are gonna be different next year.
02:30 So I wanna get your take on how did that come about?
02:34 Obviously, they got dumped to the side.
02:35 And I mean, that's the only way I can describe it.
02:37 But how did that come about?
02:39 What was the conversation like when the splits with money and all that stuff?
02:42 I know it was only a two-year deal, correct?
02:45 Was that something that just fell in your lap?
02:47 Or did you reach out right away and try to get them to join for basketball?
02:51 >> Yeah, it's interesting.
02:52 It's a little bit of both.
02:53 So understanding what was taking place with respect to realignment,
02:57 which was primarily focused on football motivated moves.
03:02 When it became apparent that the Pac-12 was going to dissolve,
03:06 at least in its recent structure, we called the several institutions and
03:12 just planted a seed and said that if it turns out that football is parked
03:20 somewhere else, we're here and available for a place for all the Olympic sports.
03:29 And certainly what happened specifically with Oregon State and
03:33 Washington State, after they crafted their football scheduling alliance.
03:40 >> Yeah, cuz they went mountain west in that regard, right?
03:42 >> That's correct, they went to the mountain west.
03:44 But then after that, they had to find a home for everywhere else.
03:47 And that's when they called us and said, we'd like to explore the possibility
03:53 of affiliating three of our sports with the WCC.
03:56 Are you interested?
03:59 Well, the answer has to be yes, we're interested.
04:02 I mean, you get two institutions like Oregon State and
04:04 Washington State at that level.
04:06 And just the tradition of branding and
04:08 everything that they have brought to the athletic landscape, it made sense for us.
04:14 But that conversation about three sports turned into a conversation about six
04:17 sports, and then we directed the conversation to what about basketball?
04:24 Cuz at the end of the day, that was a primary objective.
04:28 I felt if we could get both basketballs, men's and women's, into WCC,
04:34 now you have an opportunity to actually drive revenue on the behalf of
04:38 all the Olympic sports.
04:41 And fortunately, it came to bear, but at the end of the day, it's a win for them.
04:47 >> Yeah. >> Because they have a home for
04:49 two years, and it's a win for us in terms of strength.
04:52 >> It's obviously a great ad,
04:53 Washington State's probably gonna be a tournament team.
04:55 Girls' side was good last year.
04:57 I know they struggled in their conference tournament.
04:59 I know Oregon State women's basketball, so
05:01 the women's side of the league is gonna bolster it even more as well.
05:05 So I think that's a positive.
05:06 But I'm always curious to find out what the backroom deals, but
05:10 what the dollars and cents seem like.
05:13 So if it goes well, I don't know how to describe this,
05:17 would you try to lock them up long term?
05:19 Or do you think it's just two year make good and see what happens?
05:22 >> Well, it's two years, and I think any relationship with both schools going
05:27 forward is not totally in our control.
05:30 I mean, it's no big secret.
05:32 They are gonna use these two years to do one of two things,
05:37 Oregon State and Washington State.
05:38 They're either going to explore the possibility of joining
05:42 one of the power four conferences.
05:46 Or they're gonna try to rebuild the PAC 12 in some manner,
05:50 whether that's with the Mountain West and or other conferences.
05:56 They'll make an attempt to reconfigure.
05:58 Now, we don't know what that configuration is gonna look like.
06:02 Is it going to be football and all sports?
06:05 Or will it be some other sort of configuration?
06:09 We just don't know.
06:10 But we're welcome and open to anything that they have to say.
06:15 So far, they've been terrific partners and
06:17 I expect the relationship to go well.
06:21 >> So you got a lot of experience at the executive level in the NBA,
06:24 as well as in college.
06:26 Before coming to the WCC, you were at the Big East.
06:29 I've always had these aspirations of the West Coast Conference
06:33 of being like a Big East.
06:35 You've got some great cities.
06:36 They're, for the most part, private institutions.
06:38 They're Jesuit, just similar to the Big East.
06:41 How does the WCC become more like the Big East as far as
06:47 truly national recognition?
06:49 >> Well, it's a fair question.
06:51 The Big East was founded and eventually reconfigured
06:57 around the notionality that they're in big media markets.
07:02 And just to my vision, I think that the WCC has an opportunity
07:09 to do something similar just on the other side of the country.
07:12 And to that end, that's something we'd like to pursue.
07:16 It's certainly a consideration that we would weigh heavily
07:21 in terms of adding full-time membership,
07:25 you know, perhaps even when Oregon State
07:28 and Washington State are still affiliates, but certainly beyond.
07:31 And I think our ability to grow and continue to try
07:35 to stabilize our conference from a financial standpoint,
07:39 from a competitive standpoint, and to continue
07:41 to offer student athletes the kind
07:43 of experience they deserve in the WCC, yeah,
07:47 we would take all of that in consideration.
07:49 I think trying to expand in larger markets may help that a bit.
07:54 >> So obviously you are familiar with the landscape.
07:57 Like how much has it changed being an executive
08:00 with NIL and Transfer Party?
08:01 You've probably been asked this a ton, but we ask everybody
08:04 that comes on what's your overall thoughts on it.
08:07 I know it's one of those things you have
08:08 to be a little bit politically correct on how you describe it.
08:13 But do you think it's good for the game?
08:15 Do you think it's fair?
08:17 Because smaller institutions in the WCC are going to fight NIL
08:21 with the bigger ones, that's no question.
08:23 Not that they can't compete, but going against Ohio State,
08:27 you know, these big markets, that Texas, you're always going
08:31 to be behind the eight ball theoretically.
08:34 Like how much has that been an issue among coaches,
08:37 ADs in your world?
08:39 >> Well, it's an issue.
08:41 From a conference perspective, it's incumbent upon us
08:46 to see if there are ways creatively
08:49 that perhaps we could help, you know, all of our institutions.
08:53 But NIL by itself is an individual institution.
08:57 >> Yes.
08:58 >> You know, issue.
09:00 And you're right.
09:01 There are varying levels with respect to how each
09:04 of our individual institutions participate in NIL.
09:09 You know, do they have collectives?
09:10 How big they are?
09:12 What are their sources of income?
09:13 And that's going to vary.
09:15 But all of us understand that in order to compete.
09:18 >> Yes.
09:20 >> You know, at the highest level.
09:21 >> You have to have it.
09:22 >> You have to have it, right?
09:24 Or some level of it.
09:25 It doesn't need to be at the level of, you know,
09:27 Alabama football.
09:28 I'm not talking about that.
09:30 I'm talking about are there opportunities
09:32 that you can benefit student athletes at a level
09:35 that makes it attractive for them?
09:37 Because that, the reality is political or not,
09:40 the landscape has changed.
09:42 >> Yeah.
09:43 >> And, you know, student athletes in this era
09:46 where you can transfer anywhere at any time for as many times
09:50 as you would like, and you have no rules around NIL
09:56 or the people involved around NIL, be it representation.
10:00 >> Yeah.
10:01 >> Or protections of the student athlete.
10:03 It's a free-for-all.
10:04 >> It's free agency without a CBA.
10:06 And you're obviously work the NBA.
10:07 It's crazy.
10:09 >> Yes. Because at the NBA level, as you know, Adam.
10:12 >> In terms of restrictions.
10:13 >> The restrictions.
10:15 The restrictions that protect the athlete.
10:17 And the restrictions that protect the club.
10:20 >> Yep.
10:21 >> And it makes sense.
10:22 Here, my concern about NIL is the fact that student athletes
10:26 in this current environment
10:28 without guardrails are really left unprotected.
10:31 >> Yep.
10:32 >> And could potentially be taken advantage of.
10:34 >> Yep.
10:35 >> And that concerns me a lot.
10:36 But, yes, I mean, it's a big deal.
10:39 The transfer portal, on the other hand,
10:41 listen, I mean, I get the argument that, you know,
10:46 student athletes should be allowed to transfer because,
10:50 you know, a normal student can transfer as many times
10:52 as they want.
10:54 >> Yeah. It's true.
10:55 >> A coach can leave its program and go to another program.
10:58 My main concern about the portal is,
11:01 with respect to student athletes, is the data shows,
11:04 the more times they transfer,
11:06 the least likely they are to get a degree.
11:10 >> Wow.
11:11 >> Interesting.
11:12 >> Yeah. Because when you transfer, right,
11:14 you lose credit.
11:15 >> Yep.
11:16 >> We all know that.
11:17 >> Yep.
11:19 >> But if you do it multiple times,
11:20 it's very difficult to catch up,
11:21 albeit that you may have improved your athletic experience
11:24 but not your educational one.
11:25 >> Interesting.
11:26 >> Last question, because I know you got a lot of things going
11:29 on, it's championship night here in the WCC.
11:31 You spent time as a player at a high level, you spent time
11:34 as a coach at a high level.
11:35 So I'm sure you look at the game differently
11:38 than a lot of executives.
11:40 Tonight's game, Gonzaga-St. Mary's.
11:42 Put yourself in Randy Bennett's shoes.
11:44 What has he got to do to come out with a win?
11:46 Coach Fuse's shoes, what's he got to do to have Gonzaga come
11:49 out with a win?
11:51 And then, if you can, give us a prediction for tonight's game.
11:53 >> Well, you know, it's --
11:55 >> Yeah, yeah.
11:56 >> Let's go like this, and then we'll save you the --
11:59 >> This is the fun part of the interview,
12:01 and it really offers me an opportunity to be political.
12:03 >> Yeah.
12:04 >> But, you know, tonight's game, exciting matchup,
12:09 contrast in styles.
12:10 You know, if you're Randy Bennett, I mean,
12:12 you're doubling down on your ability to, you know, defend,
12:17 you know, make sure that you're defending early,
12:19 getting in the gaps, you finish plays
12:21 and rebound the basketball, and then, you know,
12:24 execute offensively.
12:25 On the other side, with Mark Few, obviously,
12:28 they are one of the, you know,
12:29 best offensive teams in the country.
12:31 You know, will they have the ability to create the pace
12:35 that they'll need to win this basketball game?
12:39 So, that's a struggle, and that's what makes the
12:41 matchup fun.
12:43 In terms of a prediction, I mean, I really can't call it.
12:47 >> Yeah.
12:48 >> Exactly.
12:50 >> I had that one out there.
12:51 >> Well, yeah, and listen --
12:52 >> The league wins anyway, either way,
12:53 because there's two teams going to the tournament.
12:55 >> Yeah, two teams going to the tournament.
12:57 You know, this may be a game that may affect each
13:01 of these teams' seating position.
13:03 >> Seat line, absolutely.
13:04 One way or the other, but from a conference standpoint,
13:08 we can't lose, and I just look forward to a pretty exciting game.
13:11 >> Both teams play hard tonight.
13:12 >> Yeah.
13:13 >> Both teams play hard.
13:14 >> Yeah, Rasheed Wallace gives a quote.
13:17 >> Yeah.
13:18 >> Anything else, Mo?
13:19 >> No, it's good.
13:20 I appreciate you coming on.
13:21 >> Yeah.
13:22 >> Thank you.
13:23 >> Thanks again for joining.
13:24 Stu, appreciate it.
13:25 For Gonzaga Nation, Talking Zags, Adam Morrison,
13:26 Dan Dickow, today's guest, Stu Jackson of the WCC.
13:30 [ Music ]