He's certainly rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

this is a very true statement. and why i think a lot of the reporting about the situation has been the way it has been.

I hope this guy knows what he's doing.

He's certainly rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

That happens virtually anytime people have been kept artificially comfortable ( nearly 1 Billion in debt) and then the hard decisions come that clean up the mess that was left by past leaders.

He has the full support of the OU BOR…He is doing the job they hired him to do….He also has the support of key leaders in state government.

My guess is that once the efficiency gain phase is over the state will then increases their appropriations to OU… Both state leaders and several very large donors are likely going to feel much more confident about the prospects of state money and their donations being utilized with more fiscal responsibility.

Anyone who has been as successful and operated with the oversight that JG did for so long isn’t afraid of offending people for the long term greater good..... which in this case is to double OU’s research and help make OU research an economic engine for our state with well paying private job growth spinoffs.

Again he is doing the job he was hired to do. IMHO we need to trust Gallogly and this OU BOR.

^

You can make needed changes without being a bull in a china shop.

Even if all his ideas are good ones, you still have to have a cohesive plan and communicate it effectively, especially when you manage thousands of people.


Lots of alums and supporters of the university have been put off by Gallogly and it didn't have to be that way, needed changes or no.

^

You can make needed changes without being a bull in a china shop.

Even if all his ideas are good ones, you still have to have a cohesive plan and communicate it effectively, especially when you manage thousands of people.


Lots of alums and supporters of the university have been put off by Gallogly and it didn't have to be that way, needed changes or no.

Pete,
what are some areas where you feel they have misfired the worst?

holding people/departments accountable for their spending and budget.... The nerve!

He conveniently leaves out the fact the school has an endowment of $1.65 BILLION; that number was less than $200 million when Boren took over.

I'm no Boren lover, I just find Gallogly's rhetoric to be all about making the previous administration look bad... Which doesn't make a lot of sense.

Why not just say, "We are going to do some things differently and I will work hard to balance the budget and make the university even better."


It seems Gallogly is more concerned with denigrating what was done in the past and promoting himself as a "financial expert" (his words) than trying to work with people to make positive change. And that concerns me greatly.

^

You can make needed changes without being a bull in a china shop.

Even if all his ideas are good ones, you still have to have a cohesive plan and communicate it effectively, especially when you manage thousands of people.


Lots of alums and supporters of the university have been put off by Gallogly and it didn't have to be that way, needed changes or no.
I have worked under new corporate management teams several times when they came in and cleaned up messes that were left behind. The quicker these painful things are done the quicker everyone can move on to more productive pursuits.

Gallogly has plenty of world class experience in reorganizing that virtually every professional analyst has had high praise for.
Every OU BOR who hired him understood from the start that action was needed and that it was going to anger people for doing the job they want him doing.

A Bull in a China Shop implies that his decisions are not well thought out and researched….That’s been anything but the case. Gallogly has a very long history that strongly suggests that he makes good decisions.
Unfortunately this situation was created by others.

Any anger should be directed at Boren and his brand of leadership….It was Boren who put OU in this position. There are several well know and not so well known reasons why Boren was not allowed to stay and reach his personal goal of becoming OU longest serving president…At the heart of this was Boren’s poor fiscal management of the university and the way he embarrassed the university, several times.

There were always going to be plenty of people who would not like Gallogly or anyone who was hired regardless of what they did…. just because they were not Boren. I’m pretty sure most of the major OU decision makers knew this before they made the hire.

He conveniently leaves out the fact the school has an endowment of $1.65 BILLION; that number was less than $200 million when Boren took over.

I'm no Boren lover, I just find Gallogly's rhetoric to be all about making the previous administration look bad... Which doesn't make a lot of sense.

Why not just say, "We are going to do some things differently and I will work hard to balance the budget and make the university even better."


It seems Gallogly is more concerned with denigrating what was done in the past and promoting himself as a "financial expert" (his words) than trying to work with people to make positive change. And that concerns me greatly.

^Could not agree more. Bad look in my view and uncalled for. As an alum, I really don't appreciate it or approve (not that that matters). Have to wonder if there is some directive from some Regents to extract a pound of flesh along the way.

^

Exactly how did Boren "embarrass the university several times"?

This sounds like you have an ax to grind with him and are happy that Gallogly is throwing him under the bus without giving him credit for the immense good he did (and there is a ton of things that could be listed here).


It was certainly time to make a change and I think Boren slightly overstayed his welcome. But give the man his due.


And I've seen tons of people come in and make big changes in a business or organization and do it all in a positive way, and not spend a lot of time blaming their predecessor. To me, that smacks of insecurity and self-promotion rather than just getting things done.

^Could not agree more. Bad look in my view and uncalled for. As an alum, I really don't appreciate it or approve (not that that matters). Have to wonder if there is some directive from some Regents to extract a pound of flesh along the way.

It has to be said: You cannot ignore the poitics in all this; who Boren was and his political role vs. the mindset of the current board of regents and their own political views, especially given the current national leadership.

There are very strong parrells between this situation and the current vs. previous POTUS and there is no way that is coincidental.

It has to be said: You cannot ignore the poitics in all this; who Boren was and his political role vs. the mindset of the current board of regents and their own political views, especially given the current national leadership.

There are very strong parrells between this situation and the current vs. previous POTUS and there is no way that is coincidental.

Add to that a somewhat small, but VERY powerful donor group who truly hate Boren's guts over the SAE deal. They are dancing in the streets everytime Boren's name gets assailed.

I remain convinced that Gallogly is going to be a disaster for OU and for the state.

It's very simple: You can come in and make big changes and still praise your predecessor.

In fact, that's a very astute thing to do. That person is gone. They spent a ton of time and effort doing what they thought was right. You now are facing a new era and new challenges.

Most people know I just bought the OK Gazette. And of course all I do is give credit to my predecessor and why wouldn't I? He worked his tail off for decades and everyone here worked along side him. I'm in the process of changing virtually everything and I don't have to rake him over the coals to explain my motivation. When I've had bosses that did that I always thought it showed a great weakness of character.


Anyway as an alum and donor, I really want Gallogly to succeed. He runs the university I deeply love. But I believe I have very good reason to question his judgment thus far and I've heard the same from lots of people who love the school.

^

Exactly how did Boren "embarrass the university several times"?

This sounds like you have an ax to grind with him and are happy that Gallogly is throwing him under the bus without giving him credit for the immense good he did (and there is a ton of things that could be listed here).


It was certainly time to make a change and I think Boren slightly overstayed his welcome. But give the man his due.


And I've seen tons of people come in and make big changes in a business or organization and do it all in a positive way, and not spend a lot of time blaming their predecessor. To me, that smacks of insecurity and self-promotion rather than just getting things done.
The hiring of an unqualified band director in exchange for a donation of art … The stolen Nazi art… The fact that OU is nearly one Billion in debt is a huge embarrassment… His wallflower comment and how he has handled conference realignment issues embarrassed OU several times. He was woefully unprepared!

Boren’s politics alienated a number of key OU donors when he didn’t need to…He did a very poor job of timing football facilities improvement to the state’s economy showing how out of touch he had become with the state’s economy. It didn’t bother me but some people hated how there was no due process in the SEC incident…some withdrew their support for Boren over this.

Boren sacrificed OU’s academic integrity when Hamm got involved with wastewater injection / earthquake research. This was a huge embarrassment for OU’s academics and showed what Boren was capable of when he felt nobody was watching.

This is just off the top of my head... I’m sure there are others.

Boren did do many good things for OU but we seldom heard much about the bad in our local media… Gallogly won’t be able to sneeze without pissing off the Norman transcript.

IMHO Boren stayed at OU about 10 year to long. That’s about when his job performance began declining significantly.

Sometimes the truth hurts when the truth is found out. We need transparency…Gallogly told the OU BOR before he was hired that he would be very transparent. This is very clearly not a case of ” insecurity and self-promotion” or anything like that! He is only telling the truth and being transparent as promised.

The man has a long record of proven success at a very high level and is very wealthy…He can afford to make the correct decisions even if they offend a few people.

This is what the OU BOR wanted… It’s too bad and sad that so many have problems hearing the truth even if it makes Boren look bad. …Because getting through this phase and to a better place is what will make OU a stronger and a much better place in the long term.

When will people realize that universities and governments are not the same as for profit corporations and serve a completely different purpose in society.

Tightening up the finances is always a good idea. But, Gallogy's moves are straight out of the uber conservative playbook to quash intellectuals and academics. Decrease public funding and turn universities into satellites of corporations through research grants is a preferred tactic. Professors who have to rely on outside private companies and management experts instead of academic experts will be forced to toe the company line and students will be taught how to work for a company rather than how to start a company or a movement.

We've seen this play before, and it doesn't end well.

The hiring of an unqualified band director in exchange for a donation of art … The stolen Nazi art… The fact that OU is nearly one Billion in debt is a huge embarrassment… His wallflower comment and how he has handled conference realignment issues embarrassed OU several times. He was woefully unprepared!

Boren’s politics alienated a number of key OU donors when he didn’t need to…He did a very poor job of timing football facilities improvement to the state’s economy showing how out of touch he had become with the state’s economy. It didn’t bother me but some people hated how there was no due process in the SEC incident…some withdrew their support for Boren over this.

Boren sacrificed OU’s academic integrity when Hamm got involved with wastewater injection / earthquake research. This was a huge embarrassment for OU’s academics and showed what Boren was capable of when he felt nobody was watching.

This is just off the top of my head... I’m sure there are others.

Boren did do many good things for OU but we seldom heard much about the bad in our local media… Gallogly won’t be able to sneeze without pissing off the Norman transcript.

IMHO Boren stayed at OU about 10 year to long. That’s about when his job performance began declining significantly.

Sometimes the truth hurts when the truth is found out. We need transparency…Gallogly told the OU BOR before he was hired that he would be very transparent. This is very clearly not a case of ” insecurity and self-promotion” or anything like that! He is only telling the truth and being transparent as promised.

The man has a long record of proven success at a very high level and is very wealthy…He can afford to make the correct decisions even if they offend a few people.

This is what the OU BOR wanted… It’s too bad and sad that so many have problems hearing the truth even if it makes Boren look bad. …Because getting through this phase and to a better place is what will make OU a stronger and a much better place in the long term.

He is wealthy and ran private corporations... of course it makes him an expert on higher education.

And yes, Boren did clash with the tea party like citizens of this state. Thank God. We and Mississippi will be the last two states turning out that ultra red light.

^

I would argue that none of those things were 'huge' embarrassments for the school. Nothing that had any real lasting effects on anything. And there is a big long list of great acheivements over several decades.

And absolutely nobody has an issue with 'hearing the truth'. You can be transparent and effective and not be a total jackass in the process.

The guy started slamming Boren before he even took office. Not only does that illustrate he has some sort of other agenda, it also shows just plain bad judgment.

^

I would argue that none of those things were 'huge' embarrassments for the school. Nothing that had any real lasting effects on anything. And there is a big long list of great acheivements over several decades.

And absolutely nobody has an issue with 'hearing the truth'. You can be transparent and effective and not be a total jackass in the process.

The guy started slamming Boren before he even took office. Not only does that illustrate he has some sort of other agenda, it also shows just plain bad judgment.

They were embarrassments! … that gradually whittled away at Boren’s support base to the point where he was made to see the writing on the wall. That is not even arguable. They allowed Boren to retire with dignity…Several of the BOR knew OU was in a big fiscal mess but I don’t think they knew how big it was until they saw how poorly the books were maintained.

Pasta Gate wasn’t even an NCAA violation but Boren’s compliance department reported it any way…
In his last few years we saw Boren taking hits from different areas including academic integrity which was a serious issue …
Anyone would be living in a fantasy land to not believe that these things were not why Boren left before he wanted.

it is impossible to believe that nobody at OU had any idea financial mismanagement was bankrupting the University. The Board Of Regents (I assume that is what is meant when BOR is used in this thread) are supposed to be the greatest leaders and visionaries in Oklahoma. How did they not see this "crisis" coming and raise awareness? They have to be either complicit or incompetent for failing to properly warn us about Mr. Boren's rouge activities, with a megaphone, in 2013-17.

Being OU President is a political job. Sound financial management is a large part of it, but, anything outside of business degrees are not driven by dollars and cents. If all a school cares about is money, then they become the University of Phoenix, a trade school, or some other "for profit" educational enterprise.

^

And even if all that is true, it does not excuse Gallogly making all types of outrageous claims, such as the CFO of the university 'not even knowing until I told him' that the school had lost money the last two years. By the way, that was the first time that had happened in 16 years and the loss was less than the amount of funding cuts from the state.

The CFO pointed out they had audited annual financial statements that clearly showed their profits and losses.


Gallogly just seems like a jackass completely independent of any needed changes. And I'm highly skeptical that he is the right man for the job.

He is wealthy and ran private corporations... of course it makes him an expert on higher education.

And yes, Boren did clash with the tea party like citizens of this state. Thank God. We and Mississippi will be the last two states turning out that ultra red light.
JG was hired by like minded people who in many cases have very significant business experience of their own… They were appointed by the states governor who was elected by the people….This is a direct reflection of the views and opinions of a significant majority of this state’s population… Like it or not.

Gallogys desire to double OU’s research and to make OU an economic engine for the state is supported by many in state government and by many key OU donors.

Fiscal responsibility and accountability of any state agency and its employees is a very fundamental core value of good management… As you can see OU is nearly one billion in debt. Boren’s debt and poor management will hinder OU for some time to come?

There will never, ever, be a person who can come in as a University President and make everyone happy. Changes were apparently necessary regarding the financial oversight of the school and this probably is rubbing some of the good ol' boys the wrong way. Donors will be gained and donors will be lost. lts inevitable. lf there is truly a problem, like with Trump, it will be very apparent before long. He was hired to bust some butts but this will soon stop once the finances are under control.

JG was hired by like minded people who in many cases have very significant business experience of their own… They were appointed by the states governor who was elected by the people….This is a direct reflection of the views and opinions of a significant majority of this state’s population… Like it or not.

Yes, because all elected and appointed officials are infalable and perfect for their jobs.

No mistakes are ever made, no sense in keeping tabs on them or continuing to monitor their activities or even having an opinion. Just go along with the rich and powerful once they are in place.

Fiscal responsibility and accountability of any state agency and its employees is a very fundamental core value of good management… As you can see OU is nearly one billion in debt. Boren’s debt and poor management will hinder OU for some time to come?

And you think this because one man with zero experience in this field told you.

Did you know that OSU has almost the same amount of debt? Did you know that this debt amount is common among universities of a similar size?


ALL businesses carry debt. That in itself is not a bad thing, especially at historically low interest rates. And again a reminder that Boren also built a $1.65 billion endowment and has tons of new buildings and assets to show for the spending. It's not like he just irresponsibly squandered it.

It's completely disengenuous to only talk about debt without any sort of context.


I agree it was time for Boren to go and to do things differently. But bashing Boren after 23 years of great accomplishments over these few points -- without giving him credit for all the great accomplishments -- clearly indicates an agenda and people should at least be honest about it.

During the realignment talks Boren did not look out for what was best for the university of oklahoma, instead he went into politician mode and now OU is stuck in a junk conference.

I will definitely critize Gallogy if/when he gives Steve Russell a high paying job at the health science center like Boren did for a political who lost their respective election

JG was hired by like minded people who in many cases have very significant business experience of their own… They were appointed by the states governor who was elected by the people….This is a direct reflection of the views and opinions of a significant majority of this state’s population… Like it or not.

Gallogys desire to double OU’s research and to make OU an economic engine for the state is supported by many in state government and by many key OU donors.

Fiscal responsibility and accountability of any state agency and its employees is a very fundamental core value of good management… As you can see OU is nearly one billion in debt. Boren’s debt and poor management will hinder OU for some time to come?

What a spin. Smh

Hopefully some of the more recent spending sprees Boren endorsed pay off! But the residential colleges need to get more kids!

Hopefully some of the more recent spending sprees Boren endorsed pay off! But the residential colleges need to get more kids!

Gallogy looks as the residential colleges like he would an apartment complex. Completely fails to see the values. It is p&l and short term... like a business.

Yes, because all elected and appointed officials are infalable and perfect for their jobs.

No mistakes are ever made, no sense in keeping tabs on them or continuing to monitor their activities or even having an opinion. Just go along with the rich and powerful once they are in place.
As is the case with you… and anyone reading this thread and it was also the case with OU’s BOR who were often handpicked Boren yes people who seldom ask the tough questions of accountability.

We are dealing with humans who are in a powerful public position. Of course they should held accountable, receive scrutiny and be transparent… that is already occurring far more so than Boren ever was until his last few years .

The coddling days are over. This reflects the will of the OU BOR… Do your job well and they will keep you…. or find something else for you.

Yes everyone knows about the OSU debt. Key difference is their BOR are kept well informed and apparently have a sound easy to decipher accounting system which would make a lot of sense since they have a banker in charge.

The OU accounting system under Boren was reported to be very convoluted even to very experience eyes. It’s why Gallogly fired the people in charge of it in his first hours on the job. There has been speculation that it was operated in a way that deliberately made it hard to figure out for the OU BOR.

Again the OU BOR is fully on board with Gallogly…They anticipated and are well prepared to accept the types of reactions that you and others have had over these changes…They know they will led to long term OU improvement.

During the realignment talks Boren did not look out for what was best for the university of oklahoma, instead he went into politician mode and now OU is stuck in a junk conference.



^This is true in the eyes of many OU people... that Boren would not do what was best for OU in conference realignment. The question remains why?

Boren spoke publicly about his affinity for OSU and his personal OSU connections….But his job was to put these feelings aside and position OU in its best possible place, independent of OSU, yet he would not do that it when matted…This caused further harm to Boren and OU and left OU stuck in a self-admitted disadvantaged conference that he had a very large hand in creating. Plenty of OU people feel like Boren was coddling the pokes at OU’s expense…when OU could have basically moved to any major conference it desired.

Boren also very publicly embarrassed OU when the PAC refused to take OU with OSU…the folks in Texas had a great laugh at this.

It seems likely that OU will be moving in a few years either to the SEC or Big Ten.

Gallogy looks as the residential colleges like he would an apartment complex. Completely fails to see the values. It is p&l and short term... like a business.

Just as it should be when you’re nearly a billion dollars in debt and its still growing….
What are your solutions?

I have wondered if eventually some of the space could not be turned into condos or hotel space. IDK

Just as it should be when you’re nearly a billion dollars in debt and its still growing….
What are your solutions?

I have wondered if eventually some of the space could not be turned into condos or hotel space. IDK
So apparently you don’t understand either.

You keep quoting the billion without any understanding or context. Just like Trump... keep promoting a misconception or lie and hope if you say it enough everyone starts believing. Pete tried to correct you misrepresentation but you are relentless. Borden must have stolen you cookie and milk.

Saw where OU is going to be paying the fees for OHLAP students. So a lot of them are going tuition and fee free! I think this is awesome, and a much better use of OU resources. The article was a NewsOK exclusive, so I do not think linking it will do much good.

^This is true in the eyes of many OU people... that Boren would not do what was best for OU in conference realignment. The question remains why?

Boren spoke publicly about his affinity for OSU and his personal OSU connections….But his job was to put these feelings aside and position OU in its best possible place, independent of OSU, yet he would not do that it when matted…This caused further harm to Boren and OU and left OU stuck in a self-admitted disadvantaged conference that he had a very large hand in creating. Plenty of OU people feel like Boren was coddling the pokes at OU’s expense…when OU could have basically moved to any major conference it desired.

Boren also very publicly embarrassed OU when the PAC refused to take OU with OSU…the folks in Texas had a great laugh at this.

It seems likely that OU will be moving in a few years either to the SEC or Big Ten.
OU is bound to OSU and that is the will of the people of the state of Oklahoma. University of Texas is bound to OU and that is the will of both states and ESPN/Longhorn Network. OU has done very well in Playoff qualifying since the realignment craze. OSU has done much better than UT in football since realignment.
I would argue that the schools that fled OU (Nebraska and Missouri) have done poorly since leaving, and the school that fled UT (Texas A&M) has stayed the same. It pays to link with the Crimson and Cream.
All powerful UT couldn’t join the Big 12 until they promised Texas governor Ann Richards they would take Baylor with them.

When you receive a ton of money from the state legislature, you don't want to piss them off by kicking the other state school to the curb.

Boren was a Rhodes Scholar and by all accounts a brilliant man. He also held very high national positions and was universally respected.

That doesn't mean he was always right but it's ridculous to assume that he wouldn't act in what he thought was in the best interest of the university just because you don't understand all factors involved.

David Boren completely transformed the University for the better. He was a master at cultivating interest in the University and it translated into a MUCH higher endowment figure and new infrastructural investments on campus (and, frankly, throughout the City of Norman).

It's amazing that so many of you are wanting to throw him under the bus. Give me D-Bo every day of the week. As a (recent) OU alum, I was inspired by his leadership that I donated (a little) on a regular basis to my College at the University. Now? Not so much - no longer inspired by the person in the office. If you don't think Gallogly's rhetoric and demeanor isn't having a negative effect on the University and its alums, you're sadly mistaken.

So now we are getting to the source of the “outrage” re Boren. It isn’t about the state of finances(which are not accurately portrayed), or about academics, but rather FOOTBALL. The anger is about not joining the SEC. LOL.

As a state, we will only be taken seriously when we get as angry about academics as we do about sports. While sports has certainly been good for OU, it is still just a game, whereas cultivating our next generations of leaders is LIFE.

I'm just going to add that there is a long, long history of business people thinking they know better than everyone else how to do education... and there's a long history of failure. If you come in thinking you can rule by decree at a university, you're going to fail. It's really important Gallogly is a clear communicator and good listener. From my understanding, beyond any disagreements, Boren always had a good relationship with faculty. He understood the work and actually taught a class once a year. People really underestimate how important all this is because if faculty lose faith in the adminstration, see them as cutting university resources, or feel out of the loop - they'll either fight back or leave. Either is really bad for a university. There are universities across the country and retaining and recruiting your best faculty is largely dependent on the direction of the university. Has Gallogly considered how bad it looks for retention and recruitment to state that the university is in a financial crisis? That's not the headlines a university wants and I would argue as big of a mistake as any Boren ever made. I am not on the inside and I don't know enough to know how Gallogly is handling this, but coming in an not being "afraid to offend" people is not the ways people at universities tend to work.

OU is bound to OSU and that is the will of the people of the state of Oklahoma. University of Texas is bound to OU and that is the will of both states and ESPN/Longhorn Network. OU has done very well in Playoff qualifying since the realignment craze. OSU has done much better than UT in football since realignment.
I would argue that the schools that fled OU (Nebraska and Missouri) have done poorly since leaving, and the school that fled UT (Texas A&M) has stayed the same. It pays to link with the Crimson and Cream.
All powerful UT couldn’t join the Big 12 until they promised Texas governor Ann Richards they would take Baylor with them.
By state law and our states constitution OU and OSU are not bound as far as CR goes. This was changed in the early 1940’s to prevent political interference with our states universities. Our state laws prevent what Ann Richards and other Texas politicians did to force Baylor and Texas Tech on the Big 12. OU is not legally bound to UT or the Big 12 past the grant of rights. All that is legally required for OU to leave the Big 12 is the universities presidents’ approval and a simple majority vote by the OU BOR.

It’s becoming increasingly clear the new TV contracts would likely put OU at a significant money disadvantage if OU stayed in the Big 12 when compared to the Big Ten and SEC and their much larger fan bases and TV viewers.

At one point Boren indicated this would be one of the items that would cause OU to leave the Big 12. Boren indicated OU could not stay nationally competitive over the long term if the difference in conference distributions became too great….It looks like that’s where this is headed….?

There are other factors to consider such as stability and increased academic / research collaboration opportunities.

So apparently you don’t understand either.

You keep quoting the billion without any understanding or context. Just like Trump... keep promoting a misconception or lie and hope if you say it enough everyone starts believing. Pete tried to correct you misrepresentation but you are relentless. Borden must have stolen you cookie and milk.
I ask you for solutions. It doesn’t appear you have any….but to deride the efforts of those who have great track records of success… Boren did a very good job of operating and advancing OU IMO until his last 10 years or so…..

You do know that Boren had never been a university president before he became OU’s president. Yet you and others won’t give this guy time enough to see how he transforms the university. This IMO is exceptionally closed minded!!!!!

Very clearly the OU BOR and other key people who have track records of success believe this is the correct long term path for OU and for our state.

There are very real economic reasons why these very successful business minds see a need for OU research to become an economic engine for the state. This also includes key people in state government. They want to build a more innovative state economy.

It will require the correct asset allocation of limited resources

I ask you for solutions. It doesn’t appear you have any….but to deride the efforts of those who have great track records of success… Boren did a very good job of operating and advancing OU IMO until his last 10 years or so…..

You do know that Boren had never been a university president before he became OU’s president. Yet you and others won’t give this guy a chance to see how he transforms the university. This IMO is exceptionally closed minded!!!!!

Very clearly the OU BOR and other key people who have track records of success believe this is the correct long term path for OU and for our state.

There are very real economic reasons why these very successful business minds see a need for OU research to become an economic engine for the state. This also includes key people in state government.

It will require the correct asset allocation of limited resources

Scared money don't make money. If OU wants to become a major research institution and help the economy, they will have to spend money.

I ask you for solutions. It doesn’t appear you have any….but to deride the efforts of those who have great track records of success… Boren did a very good job of operating and advancing OU IMO until his last 10 years or so…..

You do know that Boren had never been a university president before he became OU’s president. Yet you and others won’t give this guy time enough to see how he transforms the university. This IMO is exceptionally closed minded!!!!!

Very clearly the OU BOR and other key people who have track records of success believe this is the correct long term path for OU and for our state.

There are very real economic reasons why these very successful business minds see a need for OU research to become an economic engine for the state. This also includes key people in state government. They want to build a more innovative state economy.

It will require the correct asset allocation of limited resources
Research money is great when it comes with no strings. When corporations use it to advance narrow agendas that benefit their shareholders it is an appropriation of state resources to do what they should do themselves ... invest in R&D. Gallogy will turn OU into a university for hire. That is way different than developing academics and leadership. This naive radical right belief in the purity of corporate type governance is just silly.

Boren’s Understanding and passion for academics was understood from the start. Gallogy’s political leaning and profit seeking is also understood from his start. He has no plan for academic excellence because he doesn’t understand it nor is it a real priority.

BTW, the BOR IS political, so if the law is supposed to shield that, it fails.

Sorry the football thing rubs you wrong. Maybe you and Gallogy will just try to spin the team off as a pro franchise. Could probably get money for it. Forbes says it is worth $1 billion or so. That would retire your debt issue. Lol.

How the debt is structured is more important overall than how much debt they or any corporation has, cash flow is king. If it is mainly long term debt like bonds and such with reasonable pay back terms then it isn't as huge of a concern as short term debt and balloon payments. That is what has killed many corporations, they finance expansion like mergers/buyouts with short term debt and underestimate the time to generate enough revenues to satisfy the payment structure.

From the response (https://newsok.com/article/5598772/university-of-oklahoma-president-david-boren-says-ou-debt-is-large-but-comparable-to-similar-public-universities) to the debt excitement that Boren put out:


"While true that OU's indebtedness is large, it is bonded indebtedness for physical facilities," Boren said Wednesday.

"Bonds are used very carefully to finance facilities that are needed for our core mission and to avoid deferred maintenance on aging facilities. Private gifts have been raised to cover a substantial part of the cost of these projects," he said.

"OU's required annual debt service payments represent only approximately 6 percent of its total operating revenue. Neither its total debt outstanding nor its underlying funding sources are unusual."

Which is why I consider Gallogy to be basely unethical in how he is conducting himself.

I haven’t been told anything but my thought is Gallogly will be OU's president for about 5 to 7 years.

After that OU may hire a more traditional president….?

In that time OU will be put on a path of sound financial management.

There are several projects and ideas in various stages of development that will go a long way toward OU’s goal of doubling its research. Gallogly has indicated that doubling OU’s research was about the only thing standing in the way of OU becoming an AAU like quality university.

STEM education will be further enhanced everywhere in our state…This will help OU and the state with the goal of building a more innovative diversified state economy.

There are time limits on how long we can depend on the oil & NG production in our state….In the not too distant future its production numbers will begin to decline and become a less and less important factor in our state.
We all know we need to invest in our state for time when we can no longer depend on our states oil & NG for jobs and tax revenue. Nobody knows this better than people who have been directly involved in our states oil & NG industries.

Over the decades this industry has been a huge source of OU donations and of OU fan attendance. It is very fortunate that we now have leaders at several levels who fully understand this and are willing to act in visionary long term ways.

I have heard when compared to AAU universities there are currently far too few OU professors by percentage active in research and that this number will be going up….Making people produce more has been a huge source of many gripes & complaints about Gallogly….My bet is OU will see many professors retiring and a few resigning while making a lot noise.

Gallogly has indicated OU will prioritize high end human capital by hiring and retaining researches with great ability….and that they will eventually become much better compensated.

The payoff are the spin offs that we see in the private economy….The private development that has sprung up near OU’s HSC serves as an example… To Boren’s great credit he helped create what we now see at and near the OUHSC and with the weather industry in Norman.

I believe the odds are fairly high that OU moves to a new conference. My guess is since it’s a belter fit for academia and those interested in research they will want OU the Big Ten. The Big Ten also has the largest athletic distributions that appear to be headed in a direction that will make their distributions many millions more than what OU could ever hope to make in the "disadvantaged Big 12" even with the Fox third tier deal. Some of this additional money could eventually easily find its way to OU academic programs.

Amazon with its deep pockets are now becoming involved with sports which will likely be a big driver of TV contract prices.

Research money is great when it comes with no strings. When corporations use it to advance narrow agendas that benefit their shareholders it is an appropriation of state resources to do what they should do themselves ... invest in R&D. Gallogy will turn OU into a university for hire. That is way different than developing academics and leadership. This naive radical right belief in the purity of corporate type governance is just silly.

Boren’s Understanding and passion for academics was understood from the start. Gallogy’s political leaning and profit seeking is also understood from his start. He has no plan for academic excellence because he doesn’t understand it nor is it a real priority.

BTW, the BOR IS political, so if the law is supposed to shield that, it fails.

Sorry the football thing rubs you wrong. Maybe you and Gallogy will just try to spin the team off as a pro franchise. Could probably get money for it. Forbes says it is worth $1 billion or so. That would retire your debt issue. Lol.Over and over you keep making this political….That is IMO a serious mistake, a big part of our problem in society, even at OU....it’s exceptionally narrow minded and to a point where I can no longer take you or others who are so invested in politics as a serious posters.

Add to that a somewhat small, but VERY powerful donor group who truly hate Boren's guts over the SAE deal. They are dancing in the streets everytime Boren's name gets assailed.

Yeah I’m definitely in that group (minus the powerful part haha). Though I still am able to give Boren credit for all the good he did, even if I feel like he was way too powerful and made some questionable decisions and expenditures toward the end. Hate the guy’s guts for sure, but he is still responsible for making the university nationally relevant academically and for that I am very appreciative. He also had a lot to do with revamping the athletic department and transforming the campus which has obviously paid off in a big way. I do think he mishandled the realignment situation but with our ties to Texas and OSU, I’m not really sure how much more he could’ve done.

That being said, I’m very happy with Gallogly so far. He could’ve (really should’ve) softened his tone and given Boren more credit for his accomplishments but I remain optimistic about the postive impact he can have on the university.

David Boren completely transformed the University for the better. He was a master at cultivating interest in the University and it translated into a MUCH higher endowment figure and new infrastructural investments on campus (and, frankly, throughout the City of Norman).

It's amazing that so many of you are wanting to throw him under the bus. Give me D-Bo every day of the week. As a (recent) OU alum, I was inspired by his leadership that I donated (a little) on a regular basis to my College at the University. Now? Not so much - no longer inspired by the person in the office. If you don't think Gallogly's rhetoric and demeanor isn't having a negative effect on the University and its alums, you're sadly mistaken.

This is funny because I know many people, both recent graduates and longtime donors, who have done just the opposite and withheld donations until Boren retired, me included. People who are withholding over his handling of the SAE incident are only a small fraction of that group though it was likely just one more item in a list of grievances for many of them. Your social sphere likely has a positive opinion of David Boren, while mine has an overwhelmingly negative opinion of him. Off the top of my head, i can only think of a few people who truly have a positive opinion of him as the president of OU, and even most of those are like Pete in that they appreciate what he did but thought it was time for a change. No hire was going to make everyone happy. My social sphere is mostly excited for Gallogly, likes most of what he’s done so far, and is more excited about OU than they have been in years. It’s all a matter of preference, time will tell whether it was the right hire or not.

From the response (https://newsok.com/article/5598772/university-of-oklahoma-president-david-boren-says-ou-debt-is-large-but-comparable-to-similar-public-universities) to the debt excitement that Boren put out:



Which is why I consider Gallogy to be basely unethical in how he is conducting himself.

Theres nothing unethical about what he’s done. It’s a matter of opinion, Boren’s opinion is apparently different than that of Gallogly and the BOR. You can argue that he should’ve expressed his opinion with more tact and handled the transition more gracefully and I think you would be completely right, but calling him or his actions unethical is a major overreach.

For sports, being in the Big 10 would be an awful decision. OU has a huge alumni base in Oklahoma and DFW and currently plays most of their games within a 5 hour drive of these metros. If OU was in the Big 10, not only will the schedule be boring, but so many aumni won't go or feel connected to the university in the same ways. I go to almost every OU game in Fort Worth. It's great. The Sooner Club of Fort Worth is really active at all these events. Anyone ready for OU-Minnesota in November? My two cents is that I actually think OU made the right decison to stay with the Big 12. It's, by far, the best move for OKC, which would never again host a major conference event if OU moves conferences.

Theres nothing unethical about what he’s done. It’s a matter of opinion, Boren’s opinion is apparently different than that of Gallogly and the BOR. You can argue that he should’ve expressed his opinion with more tact and handled the transition more gracefully and I think you would be completely right, but calling him or his actions unethical is a major overreach.

Making massive noise about all this terrible debt while leaving out that it is normal public debt that isn't outsized compared to similar universities? Yeah, no, he's either ignorant about the core functions of his new job or unethical.

For sports, being in the Big 10 would be an awful decision. OU has a huge alumni base in Oklahoma and DFW and currently plays most of their games within a 5 hour drive of these metros. If OU was in the Big 10, not only will the schedule be boring, but so many aumni won't go or feel connected to the university in the same ways. I go to almost every OU game in Fort Worth. It's great. The Sooner Club of Fort Worth is really active at all these events. Anyone ready for OU-Minnesota in November? My two cents is that I actually think OU made the right decison to stay with the Big 12. It's, by far, the best move for OKC, which would never again host a major conference event if OU moves conferences.

I agree, the Big 10 would be cool in a lot of ways and great academically, but practically it’s an awful idea. Just off the top of my head we probably lose either the red river showdown, bedlam or both. I don’t know how much losing rivalries has actually hurt Nebraska, Missouri, and Texas A&M, but it sucks for the fans.

Your comments about the fan base are spot on but you can take it a step further and look at how negatively it would effect recruiting not to play all those games in Texas. Look at what losing access to the Texas recruiting base has done to Nebraska. There are certainly other factors involved but they’ve been considerably worse in the Big 10 as far as football goes. We get a huge percentage of our recruits from Texas and only having at most one game in Texas every year would be devistating to our ability to recruit against the Texas schools down there.

Aside from the game time issues, I really liked the Pac 12 idea. Also liked the thought of going to the SEC but the best option would’ve been to make Texas shove it a long time ago and create a conference network. Their insistence on the longhorn network is what inevitability causes everything to fall apart.

Making massive noise about all this terrible debt while leaving out that it is normal public debt that isn't outsized compared to similar universities? Yeah, no, he's either ignorant about the core functions of his new job or unethical.

I disagree with you but there’s not really any point in arguing about it. Based on some of the statements you’ve made, I know we’re not ever going to agree. He and Boren are both framing it differently to fit their narrative. The truth per usual is somewhere in the middle.

I did not mean to imply that any schools have any legal tie to each other athletically. Rather I feel geographic proximity and mutually beneficial commitment has made the relationship between UT, OU and OSU better together than any could achieve apart. Public sentiment drives the leadership at the state and school levels to keep them together.

The TV rights mentioned here represent a 2014 point of view, IMO. Media delivery will change so much within the next 5-10 years that any ideas about packaging and alliances are just guesses.

OU has the state of the art facilities, attractive uniforms and colors, style of play and youthful coaching to draw the eyeballs and bodies of America to Norman for the next 20-30 years. long after the baby boomers like me are dead and gone.

And the next conference move is going to be west, IMO.

I disagree with you but there’s not really any point in arguing about it. Based on some of the statements you’ve made, I know we’re not ever going to agree. He and Boren are both framing it differently to fit their narrative. The truth per usual is somewhere in the middle.

Sometimes the truth is in the middle, sometimes one side shows themselves to be deceptive from day one and you can proceed accordingly.

Sometimes the truth is in the middle, sometimes one side shows themselves to be deceptive from day one and you can proceed accordingly.

To each his own.

I did not mean to imply that any schools have any legal tie to each other athletically. Rather I feel geographic proximity and mutually beneficial commitment has made the relationship between UT, OU and OSU better together than any could achieve apart. Public sentiment drives the leadership at the state and school levels to keep them together.

The TV rights mentioned here represent a 2014 point of view, IMO. Media delivery will change so much within the next 5-10 years that any ideas about packaging and alliances are just guesses.

OU has the state of the art facilities, attractive uniforms and colors, style of play and youthful coaching to draw the eyeballs and bodies of America to Norman for the next 20-30 years. long after the baby boomers like me are dead and gone.

And the next conference move is going to be west, IMO.
It’s not 2014 thinking….it’s looking at the changing market conditions including the delivery methods and deciphering where the largest total benefits will come from for the entire university and its future goals. Right now that sure looks like the Big Ten and if it’s all about the money it is the Big Ten 100%

The west coast has such low interest in college sports that OU would be better off staying in the Big 12 when the time zone travel issues are considered…

I agree, the Big 10 would be cool in a lot of ways and great academically, but practically it’s an awful idea. Just off the top of my head we probably lose either the red river showdown, bedlam or both. I don’t know how much losing rivalries has actually hurt Nebraska, Missouri, and Texas A&M, but it sucks for the fans.

Your comments about the fan base are spot on but you can take it a step further and look at how negatively it would effect recruiting not to play all those games in Texas. Look at what losing access to the Texas recruiting base has done to Nebraska. There are certainly other factors involved but they’ve been considerably worse in the Big 10 as far as football goes. We get a huge percentage of our recruits from Texas and only having at most one game in Texas every year would be devistating to our ability to recruit against the Texas schools down there.

Aside from the game time issues, I really liked the Pac 12 idea. Also liked the thought of going to the SEC but the best option would’ve been to make Texas shove it a long time ago and create a conference network. Their insistence on the longhorn network is what inevitability causes everything to fall apart.

OU’s best football days have occurred when OU was predominately only playing UT among the universities in Texas. This was before the days of modern communications and when travel was often slower. Both of these now create a better situation in Texas for OU….

By playing more Texas universities it has elevated their programs. One OU BOR member spoke about this a few years ago in regard to TCU.

As long as OU is doing everything else that it should, recruiting is the least of my concerns.
It’s been pretty well understood that UT hates A&M and the SEC. UT has several B1G teams on its future schedule. OU has Michigan.

In the early 90’s UT tried to move to the Big Ten with A&M and would have except A&M said no. The Big 12 without OU is not sustainable for UT for long and they know it. The LNH contract will not be rolled over.

The OU-Texas series is a huge donation driver/ revenue producer for both universities. Both universities receive untold exposure from this game… even in different conferences neither university can afford to stop playing this game. Both universities are going to know the best way to secure this game is to be in the same conference together. From all indications the Big Ten is the most palatable choice for both.

With the new B1G contracts it appears even UT would make significantly more money and this is without their LHN.

It’s not 2014 thinking….it’s looking at the changing market conditions including the delivery methods and deciphering where the largest total benefits will come from for the entire university and its future goals. Right now that sure looks like the Big Ten and if it’s all about the money it is the Big Ten 100%

The west coast has such low interest in college sports that OU would be better off staying in the Big 12 when the time zone travel issues are considered…

According to Steve Berkowitz back in May the FY17 payouts for schools were
Power 5 conference per-school distributions for FY17:
--SEC: $42.M to $39.9M
--Big Ten: $37.2M to $37M
--Big 12: Roughly $34.3M per school except Baylor
--Pac-12: $30.9M per school
--ACC: $30.7M to $25.3M except Notre Dame

so PAC isn't that low below the Big 12. and if you had in a powerhouse team like OU that will still draw in Texas and now be shown regularly in Southern Cal, i would expect those numbers to go up a lot.

Sometimes the truth is in the middle, sometimes one side shows themselves to be deceptive from day one and you can proceed accordingly.
Gallogly as promised has been extremely transparent…This is what the OU BOR hired him for…among other things.

Sometimes the truth hurts when a person is not fully invested in improving OU and has other stronger motivations and for some it’s very apparent that it has hurt, bad…

Sometimes it takes time to grow and appreciate the value of more honest management such as we now have at OU.