Q&A with Toledo AD Mike O'Brien

Last week Toledo held a ground-breaking celebration to kick off the renovation of Savage Hall and a new UT Athletics Complex, to be finished before the start of the 2008-09 basketball season. The University also announced plans build an indoor practice facility for 2009. Rocket Digest sat down with UT Director of Athletics, Mike O'Brien, to discuss these and other things pertaining UT athletics.

There is a lot going on in the University of Toledo athletic department these days. Just recently deals for football games against Florida and Missouri have been announced. The University had a ground-breaking celebration for the renovation of Savage Hall and a new Atletics Complex, and a major donation was announced for the construction of an indoor practice facility.

Rocket Digest recently caught up with University of Toledo Director of Athletics, Mike O'Brien, to discuss all the happenings going on with Toledo athletics. The following Q&A is the result of that discussion.


Rocket Digest: It appears that the NeXturf surface in the Glass Bowl is nearing the end of its life cycle. Do we have plans to replace it, and if so with what kind of a surface?

Mike O'Brien: We are replacing the surface for next year. We have to go through the bidding process, but all indications are that we will have it done for next fall.


Rocket Digest: The football team plays at Michigan in 2008. How many tickets has Toledo been allotted to sell for the game?

Mike O'Brien: 5,000.


Rocket Digest: How will the University go about selling those tickets to the fanbase?

Mike O'Brien: Season ticket holders and donors will be given access to buy them.


Rocket Digest: Will there be bus trips available?

Mike O'Brien: The Alumni Association will have some tickets available to setup bus trips.


Rocket Digest: Can you give us details on how the tickets for the Ohio State football game at Cleveland Browns stadium in 2009 will be distributed?

Mike O'Brien: Season ticket holders and donors will have first access to those tickets. Students will have the option to buy a lower priced ticket in the student section.


Rocket Digest: How many tickets have Ohio State been allotted?

Mike O'Brien: Ohio State receives 12,500 tickets.


Rocket Digest: You recently announced a home and home football deal against Missouri. Can you comment on that deal?

Mike O'Brien: We have been trying to work a deal with Missouri for some time now. Initially after all of the players that Coach Gary Pinkel recruited were gone, we would play. However, because of various scheduling issues we were not able to find dates until the 2013 and 2014 seasons.


Rocket Digest: How will the payouts be distributed for this series?

Mike O'Brien: We will both receive the same payout so they will cancel each other out.


Rocket Digest: What is Toledo's payout for the recently announced football game at Florida in 2013?

Mike O'Brien: $800,000.


Rocket Digest: To your knowledge are all of the football coaches from this past season still intact?

Mike O'Brien: Yes.


Rocket Digest: With a 13 school football conference, is there an interest among the MAC Athletic Director's and President's to add a 14th member soon?

Mike O'Brien: There has been initial discussion about the possibility of expansion, but there is always some mention of expansion originating from our commissioner, Rick Chryst. At this time, no schools are on the table.


Rocket Digest: Has there been any indication from the MAC Office as to whether or not Toledo will play 7 conference football games or 8 conference football games in 2008?

Mike O'Brien: To our knowledge it will be 8 conference games. We have four non-conference games scheduled, so it should be 8 conference games.


Rocket Digest: Is the Savage Hall and Athletics Complex renovation going to be complete in time for the start of the 2008-09 basketball season?

Mike O'Brien: Yes.


Rocket Digest: Have we lined up an opening opponent yet?

Mike O'Brien: Not yet. We are still working on various aspects of a deal for the initial game.


Rocket Digest: What home basketball games have been lined up for 2008-09 so far?

Mike O'Brien: A lot of these road games we are playing this year are because we are going to bring these schools into the newly renovated Savage Hall next season. UMASS, Dayton, Rhode Island, and Houston are all coming to Savage Hall in 2008-09.


Rocket Digest: How is the Building Champions campaign going?

Mike O'Brien: It's going really well. We have over $28 Million of the $30 Million right now. We want our fans to be aware of their options for seating arrangements at the new Savage Hall now, so we are doing presentations at 6:00pm before every home basketball game this year.


Rocket Digest: You recently announced a $1 Million donation for the construction of an indoor practice facility for all athletic teams at Toledo. When will the facility be ready to be used?

Mike O'Brien: It will be completed sometime during 2009.


Rocket Digest: Was this the first donation for that facility?

Mike O'Brien: It was not the first donation specifically for the indoor facility, but it is the most significant.


Rocket Digest: Is this part of the $30 Million Building Champions campaign?

Mike O'Brien: No. We have drawings for the facility, but not a figure for the cost yet. A ballpark figure is about $9-12 Million, but that could change. We built the "revenue piece" in Savage first to assist with the finances of the Indoor.


Rocket Digest: How have all of Toledo's athletic teams done with the APR in the past year?

Mike O'Brien: Every sport was over the 925 standard last spring. The football team was at 940 for the year. The football team continued to show vast improve from where we were the first year of the APR scores.