As longtime Athletic Director Steve Bilsky departs Weightman Hall, how will his 20-year tenure be remembered? And where will his successor, M. Grace Calhoun, take Penn athletics? baton the BY DAVE ZEITLIN Passing

While this story may seem only tangentially related to Penn athletics, it does, in many ways, encapsulate the 20-year ten- ure of Bilsky, who always wanted to do things big. Big ambi- teve Bilsky W’71 is crossing a bridge and talking about tions. Big facilities. Big money. Big opinions. Even big rock U2. On the other side of the bridge, just ahead of him, bands. And now, with M. Grace Calhoun having taken charge Sis Penn Park, the sprawling 14-acre collection of ath- in Weightman Hall as Penn’s director of recreation and inter- letic fields that signifies, perhaps more than anything else, collegiate athletics as of July 1, Bilsky leaves big shoes to fill. his achievements as Penn’s director of athletics. Behind him “He has to go down as one of, if not the, most influential athletic is the Weightman Hall office he worked in for 20 years, the directors in the history of the Ivy League,” says men’s soccer coach one he’s now packing up as he prepares to retire from his alma Rudy Fuller, who’s been at Penn for 17 of Bilsky’s 20 years. “Most mater and begin a new chapter of his life. But first, he wants ADs would be deemed a success if they did half of what he did. I to tell a story about the iconic Irish rock band. think his legacy is firmly etched in the history of Penn athletics.” The condensed version: It was 1997, just three years into his When Bilsky was hired in 1994, he said his top priority was tenure, when Bilsky hatched a plan to bring U2 to Franklin to upgrade the school’s athletic facilities, which he knew could Field. As a Wharton graduate who had been hired away from only be accomplished by raising more money. It was a fitting George Washington University in part for his entrepreneurial end to his career, then, that Bilsky announced his retirement skills, he thought using the University’s 50,000-plus-seat last November on the heels of an unprecedented $125 million stadium for concerts would be a great way to produce revenue, fundraising campaign for athletics, money used toward build- generate excitement on campus, and put to use a facility that ing facilities that Provost Vincent Price called, in Calhoun’s lay dormant for most of the summer. But not everyone in introductory press conference in March, “the best of any urban Penn’s administration shared his vision, leading to what Bilsky campus in the country.” And the centerpiece is certainly Penn called “probably one of the most contentious series of meet- Park, the former United States Postal Service parking lot that ings and conflicts that I’ve had in 20 years on campus.” The opened three years ago [“Penn Connected,” Nov|Dec 2011] and concert went on, with more than 50,000 people—Bilsky includ- is home to two synthetic-turf fields, a softball stadium, and a ed—rocking out to U2 on a beautiful August night and the 12-court tennis center on the campus’ eastern edge. school reeling in a cool half-million dollars in one day. “I Less than a week before his June 30 exit from the athletic thought I was a hero,” says Bilsky, who hoped to build off that department, Bilsky settles into a bench between the two turf momentum to bring the Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Billy fields. A jogger runs past him. Children are playing soccer a Joel to Franklin Field. But with security an issue that worried stone’s throw away. some higher-ups, Penn ended up getting out of the concert “Sometimes I sit here because it’s so peaceful and take it all business—a decision that bothers Bilsky to this day. “But,” he in and scratch my head a little bit and say, ‘I can’t really believe says proudly and with a hint of defiance, “we had the one.” this exists,’” Bilsky says. “It’s kind of like, ‘Whoa, this is real.’”

32 SEPT | OCT 2014 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG BENSON This page and following: THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE SEPT | OCT 2014 33 views of Penn Park Bilsky had plenty of time to reflect on As he crosses back over the Penn Park fantastic job because I know if I do so I’m his accomplishments between the surpris- bridge to return to an office cluttered helping open doors for other women.” But ing announcement that he would retire with boxes, the historic Palestra to his she’s been predictably—and perhaps and his last day on the job—a seven-month right and Franklin Field to his left, Bilsky unavoidably—vague on the specifics, focus- transition period that helped acclimate closes with a gloomy thought—one mixed ing on meeting with coaches and getting Calhoun, a long-time athletic administra- with nostalgia and dread. acclimated to the University before reveal- tor who was hired on March 24 after an “You know why it’s really, really important ing a checklist of things to accomplish. extensive search by a 14-member advi- to persevere and sustain the importance of “You have to fight the temptation that, sory committee (chaired by Price and athletics? Because your first story about now it’s July 1 and everyone is, like, ‘Where’s Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli your child could very well be the time you my project?’ and ‘What are we doing on W’85). But in his final days, weeks, and took him to the Palestra when he was three this?’” she says. “You’re realizing it’s going months on the job, Bilsky did more than months old,” he says. “Wouldn’t it be terrible to be a process … Things, by and large, are ponder what he did right—a laundry list if down the road you don’t have a Palestra really going well—and we just have to figure of achievements that ranged from head- story? To me, it would be a real sin.” out how to make it even better.” ing a broad-based athletic program in which 21 different teams won a total of Grace Calhoun doesn’t need 75 Ivy League championships to spear- to be convinced of the impor- heading the formation of the Ivy League M. tance of athletics. She grew Digital Network, the subscription-based up a competitive gymnast, ran track in streaming service that brings conference the Ivy League at Brown, got her start in games to anyone with Internet access. athletic administration while at grad He’s also expressed concern over the school at the University of Florida, and future of Penn sports. He isn’t worried honed her skills at another big-time ath- because of Calhoun (who he believes will letic program—Indiana University. chart a positive path for the department) Now, after other stops at Dartmouth, Saint or the University’s administration (with Francis (Pennsylvania), the Patriot League, whom, aside from the tiff over U2, he and, most recently, Loyola University always had a good working relationship). Chicago, she’s sitting at a circular table in Bilsky His concerns revolve around events front of a single notepad inside Weightman mostly out of Penn’s control (like the Ivy Hall. It’s her first week on the job at Penn League’s place in a changing National and Bilsky’s old office is currently being Collegiate Athletic Association land- painted, leaving her to work in an empty scape) and trends he believes are caused room on the other side of the building. That by shifting demographics at colleges suits her just fine; the window in her tem- around the country (like sagging atten- porary office overlooks Franklin Field, the dance at basketball and football games). country’s oldest two-tiered football stadium. There are those who will point the finger “The history and the tradition comes of blame at Bilsky for the decline in atten- through much more loud and clear here dance for men’s basketball games at the than really any place I’ve been,” she says. “I Palestra. It was under his watch, after all, would say probably the closest was Indiana that the Quakers took a hard tumble from with the basketball program. You walk their perch atop the league. But Bilsky around Penn’s facilities and—it hasn’t gotten Calhoun insists that the team—for which he starred old yet—I continue to get those goosebumps from 1968-71, when the Quakers were a and say, ‘Wow, this is Franklin Field.’” Not having “any gaping holes to fix,” as national powerhouse—will soon make a With Penn’s athletic department on she puts it, certainly alleviates some imme- comeback. What worries him more is the very solid footing, Calhoun has the lux- diate responsibility, but it also, in some possibility that the changing NCAA land- ury of taking some time early in her ways, adds to the pressure on Calhoun. scape—in which the country’s biggest tenure to be in awe. Ever since landing Following in Bilsky’s footsteps, after all, is athletic programs are forming huge the job, she’s made sure to express appre- no easy task. On top of Penn Park, the list super-conferences that revolve around ciation, especially about being the first of facilities built or upgraded in the last few TV contracts and major football dollars— female athletic director in the Big 5, the years alone is remarkable and includes may eventually cause the Ivy League to collection of long-standing Division I Weiss Pavilion, a weight-training room on slip from the most-competitive Division Philadelphia basketball rivals—Penn, the northern end of Franklin Field that I model to Division III, in which sports Temple, Villanova, Saint Joseph’s, and Soccer Coach Fuller would “put up against are deemphasized. And that, in turn, will La Salle. (Upon leaving Penn, Bilsky was any weight room in the country;” the Tse cause Penn basketball to lose its luster named executive director of the group.) Ping & Cheng Cheung Ling Sports Center, as a program that’s always had big aspira- At her introductory press conference, which transformed creaky Hutchinson

tions, even in down years. Calhoun said: “I need to ensure that I do a Gymnasium into a spanking new sports LEONARDI; PENN ATHLETICS TOMMY

34 SEPT | OCT 2014 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE haven that features a basketball practice Fuller says used to be “on par with a high- with the development office to ensure court and offices for the coaches, as well as school facility” and is now “one of the that the department covers all of its ath- new centers for fencing, gymnastics, row- best facilities in the region.” letic costs—which, per the Equity in ing, golf, and wrestling; and Ellen Vagelos “Steve’s legacy is going to be that he’s Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA), was C’90 Field, the school’s first-ever AstroTurf transformed the athletic facilities to a $39,045,564 for the 2013 fiscal year that field-hockey venue, which opened last year. point that they are unparalleled within concluded on June 30, 2013, the highest During Bilsky’s watch, Penn also built our league and arguably among the of any Ivy League university. Bilsky esti- Meiklejohn Stadium, a beautiful ballpark nation’s best,” says Al Bagnoli, the George mates that about half of that $39 million for the baseball team in the shadow of the A. Munger Head Coach of Football, who’s budget (which covers operating expenses Schuylkill Expressway, and the David won nine Ivy League championships and for the 31 varsity teams, coaches’ salaries, Pottruck Health and Fitness Center on will retire at the end of the 2014 season recruiting travel costs, and more) comes Walnut Street, while upgrading and main- [“Gazetteer,” July|Aug]. “His legacy is from “sources within the University, taining two of the most iconic buildings always going to be that he had the vision— whether that’s tuition dollars that come in Philadelphia (and college sports): the and the brashness. We had to raise a lot to us” or recreation fees that students Palestra and Franklin Field. of money. Some people would be deterred must pay in exchange for access to The physical improvements have trans- by that amount, but I think one of Steve’s Pottruck. Additional money comes from lated into programmatic success, with great strengths is that he’s a big thinker. corporate sponsorships, ticketing, and the softball team capturing its first Ivy He’s a bold thinker. He’s not intimidated the Penn Relays—the annual track meet League title since 1981 a year after its by the magnitude of the projects.” held at Franklin Field that Bilsky calls a Penn Park field opened, the field hockey While athletics’ $125 million fundrais- “multi-million-dollar endeavor.” team finishing one win shy of the pro- ing project, part of the University’s broad- But like most athletic departments, gram record for victories in its first sea- er Making History campaign [“Big Finish, Penn’s is not profitable. To stay above son playing in its new stadium, and the Fresh Start,” Mar|Apr 2013], was a land- water, it must consistently reach out to men’s and women’s soccer teams emerg- mark achievement, Bilsky has been suc- potential donors—many of whom are ing as perennial league powerhouses cessfully raising money throughout his former players—and convince them to thanks in large part to the renovations tenure. Calling himself the “CEO of a big help support the next generation of made to Rhodes Field, which men’s coach enterprise,” Bilsky has worked closely student-athletes.

THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE SEPT | OCT 2014 35 “Every year I’ve been here, we balanced that 5,000-per-game total has yet to be be repaired, but not for this class. They’ve the budget,” Bilsky says proudly. “Every hit in any of the seven seasons since, pretty much lost forever five, six, and team’s budget is a combination of money none of which ended with Penn winning seven classes of students who might be they get from the University and money a title. (The average attendance in those supporters down the road.” we have to raise, through gifts and seasons was 4,343, with the low point While the declining interest among endowments. We have a development coming in 2009-10 when Penn averaged current students may also derive from office I spend a lot of time with, and we fewer than 4,000 fans per home game.) having a more international and diverse raise money. People believe in this model. For Bart, seeing an emptier Palestra student population than in previous I’m not saying raising money is easy. But has been troubling—but understandable decades (why go see a struggling basket- we’ve been so successful raising money considering the team’s plight. His college ball team when you’re not even a college we must be making a good argument, experience was bookended by the Quakers basketball fan to begin with?), many and we must be doing it well because hosting NCAA tournament games at the alumni are more disgruntled than apa- we’ve never not met our goal.” Palestra, and a year after he graduated, thetic. And they have made their displea- Calhoun knows what needs to be done Penn shocked the country by making it sure known, peppering Calhoun with to continue along that path. In her first all the way to the Final Four. There were, emails and calls—“Every day!” she press conference with reporters in March, admittedly, a few down years in the 1980s, exclaims—even before she officially she said she loves the fundraising part but the Quakers became a force again began on July 1. “And I love that,” Calhoun of the job, adding: “From today, I plan to ask for a list of phone numbers to start making those connections.” Now, she’s ready to back it up and make sure that Penn “doesn’t just rest on our laurels.” “So many institutions have had a natural lull or downturn after a big campaign,” she says. “So obviously the focus will be to make sure we do nothing but move forward.”

or a certain subset of alumni fans, the glories of Penn Park, etc. fade Fnext to the precipitous decline of men’s basketball in recent years. Jonathan Bart C’78 called basketball games on WXPN when he was a student, has been a season-ticket holder at the Palestra for more than 20 years, and is an active poster on the Ivy League bas- ketball message boards—all of which is to say there are few bigger Penn hoops fans than him. But after decades of rabid devotion to the Quakers, Bart did some- around the time Bart became a regular adds. “I love that people care enough to thing last season he had never done season-ticket holder in 1992. And like so feel vested in the future success.” before: he left a game at halftime. It had many other Penn basketball fans, he rev- Calhoun knows what she’s inheriting simply gotten too hard to watch the con- eled in the atmosphere of a packed and recognizes there’s a long road back tinued freefall of the once-mighty pro- Palestra, coming to games with his two for Penn’s flagship program. Since win- gram from his second-row seat at mid- daughters, who dressed in cheerleader ning their last Ivy League champion- court. “Last year,” Bart says bluntly, “was outfits and rollicked alongside their dad ship—and 25th overall—in 2006-07, the frankly an embarrassment.” in a building that, on its best nights, pul- Quakers’ record is 79-128 (good for a .381 This, of course, is the opinion of just sates with noise. Now? One of his daugh- winning percentage). Apart from a sec- one alumnus. But judging by attendance ters is currently a student at Penn and, ond-place finish in 2011-12, they have not figures, you could certainly make the as a member of the Red and Blue Crew— contended for an Ivy title. For many, the case that he’s not alone in that senti- the school’s official cheering section—she breaking point came last season, when ment—and that the University’s most tells him that student interest in men’s Penn finished with 20 losses despite popular team is steadily becoming less basketball “is almost nil,” he says. being a senior-laden team that was popular. After easily surpassing 5,000 “I think the fact that you see atten- picked to finish second in the Ivies. fans per game, on average, for all but one dance diminishing is a direct result of Nevertheless, head coach Jerome Allen season from 1998-99 to 2006-07 (a what’s been going on,” Bart adds. “To me, W’09 has the support of Calhoun, who, she remarkable nine-year stretch that includ- they’ve lost virtually the entire student says, has “really been encouraged by the ed seven Ivy League championships), body, and that’s troublesome. That can fact that Jerome seems willing to partner

36 SEPT | OCT 2014 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE While the results have not yet been “[Speaking] as a basketball fan, obviously there in the win column, Bilsky is far more confident in the direction that Allen is taking the program than he was he has not succeeded,” Bart says of Bilsky. with Miller, especially now that he sees that the head coach has learned to recruit “We had a dynasty and now we’re an not just the best player but “a different kind of player in terms of commitment also-ran in the Ivy League.” and in terms of fitting into the commu- nity.” He believes the championships will soon follow, even as Harvard has emerged with me.” And Bilsky says he never once or doesn’t meet expectations, then you as a basketball juggernaut, storming to thought about firing Allen, an all-time can talk about things like firing.” four consecutive Ivy League titles. great Penn player who led the Quakers to Of course, it’s already been four-and-a-half (As an aside, Bilsky says that when Penn three straight Ivy League championships seasons since Bilsky tapped Allen to replace and Princeton were combining to win every from 1993-95, including the program’s last Glen Miller in the middle of the 2009-10 conference title from the start of his tenure NCAA tournament win in 1994. campaign, one of the worst in program his- through 2007, he used to implore other Ivy “Jerome was such a naturally gifted tory. At the time, Allen had only a couple of League ADs to show more of a commitment player that so many things might have months of coaching experience under his to basketball because he “knew it wasn’t come easy to him,” Bilsky says. “Now he’s belt, having served briefly as an assistant good to have two haves and six have-nots.” learning that teaching is much more on Miller’s staff following a long and pros- Then he adds with a laugh, “I wish they all difficult. Some of the best coaches I’ve perous playing career overseas. But many didn’t listen as well.”) ever seen have taken two or three years players and alumni immediately rallied “I’m always an optimist,” says Bilsky, to really figure it out. I think the next around the Penn legend—especially after who was a senior point guard on perhaps couple of years will be indicative of butting heads with the more combustible the best team in Ivy League history, the whether he’s [done that], and then I think Miller, who was hired and fired by Bilsky 1970-71 Penn squad that didn’t lose a you can say if he doesn’t get the job done in the span of three-and-a-half years. game in the regular season [“Almost

THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE SEPT | OCT 2014 37 Perfect,” Mar|Apr 2011]. “I get no sympa- there was any bright side to the League Executive Director Robin Harris, thy from my colleagues in the Ivy League, complaints from frustrated Penn the “main architect” of the plan. who will point out that in my tenure we If fans last season for Bilsky, it was “He’s just super smart and has great won the most football championships and hearing where they were calling from business acumen and a lot of experi- the most basketball championships. and how they had watched the game. For ence,” Harris says. “He really has a way Schools in the league haven’t won a single years, the only way to catch Penn bas- of looking beyond the obvious issues to championship in either, and we’ve won ketball from out of town was to listen on get to the heart of the matter and to think nine basketball and eight football titles the radio or follow the play-by-play on of things that maybe aren’t so obvious in the last 20 years. If you had asked me ESPN’s GameCast. But since the Ivy that we should be considering as well.” 20 years ago if I would sign up for that, League Digital Network debuted last It wasn’t easy to get the Ivy League Digital I’d have said, ‘Show me where to sign.’ year, basketball fans of all eight Ivy Network off the ground, especially in the “It’s cyclical,” he adds, pointing out schools have been able to watch every way Bilsky and others envisioned it. The that the fall of the men’s program has game online. big sticking point for Bilsky was that the coincided with the rise of the women’s “When we were planning and imple- streaming had to be very high quality—“as hoops team, which won the 2013-14 Ivy menting this, we heard from recruits, we close to ESPN3 as we could get.” And that League title. “There’s no question [that] heard from parents, we heard from alum- meant investing “hundreds of thousands because of what Penn has, we’re going ni all over the country,” Bilsky says. “Even of dollars just on equipment” for high-def- to be good again. This is not the end of if they comment on not being happy about inition cameras, as well as making sure Penn basketball.” something, when we get a call from some- each school had capable announcers and And yet it’s precisely because of what one in Los Angeles and they say, ‘I saw provided good on-screen graphics. Penn has—namely, a great tradition and the game on the digital network on Admittedly, other schools had to catch one of college basketball’s most historic Saturday, and I love the quality of the up to Penn, which was ahead of the curve gyms—that some fault Bilsky for not production but didn’t like the game,’ at with its own video team in place to run maintaining the program’s upward trajec- least we accomplished one of our goals.” the Penn Sports Network. But Bilsky tory after former head coach Fran Dunphy Of course, the Ivy League Digital insisted that their production level “rise left for Temple University in 2006. After Network is not only for basketball and to the top.” And he’s been pleased with all, Bilsky did not choose Dunphy—who football. A total of 1,010 events were broad- the results, leaving at a time when it was hired as head coach in 1989 and led cast live for the 2013-14 season, with Penn appears that the Ivy League—led by Penn— the Quakers to 10 league crowns in 17 showing 92 games across 12 sports. And is well-suited to take a leap into a new years—but he did hire Miller and Allen. more will be added in the future, with the technological era and market their sports “[Speaking] as a basketball fan, obvi- long-term goal of broadcasting every in a way they’ve never been able to before. ously he has not succeeded,” Bart says of game in every sport. Bilsky sees this as “I think it’s a game-changer,” says Bilsky. “We had a dynasty and now we’re the best way to reach alumni and parents Calhoun, who’s ready to take the baton an also-ran in the Ivy League, which is while growing support for Ivy League and run with it. “The more exposure you not a power conference. For those who athletics—which, of course, ties back into get, the better. For the Ivies, drawing from became fans at a time when Penn was a the department’s fundraising efforts. (He not only 50 states but internationally, the national power as I did, it’s tough to take.” also notes there’s “potentially money” to move toward digital—where it doesn’t mat- Like Calhoun, Bilsky has heard from be made from subscription fees, though ter what country you’re in or what time many alumni who have voiced their frus- certainly nothing like the revenue the big zone you’re in—is a huge advantage.” tration over the state of the program. athletic conferences have reeled in But according to Bilsky, “99 percent” of through their own networks.) As much as Bilsky has always wanted to those people offer commiseration rather “I think it’s the most important initiative do things big and take Penn to the next than criticism because they know that we’ve taken in the last five years,” Bilsky level, he never thought his alma mater “if anybody wants a good basketball pro- says. “Because whereas television is great, should—or needed to—stray from its Ivy gram at Penn, I’m going to be at the top and you always want to be on television, the League principles of high academic stan- of everyone’s list.” And he bristles at the Ivy Network can reach every single person, dards and no athletic scholarships for suggestion that the basketball program’s anywhere in the world, who has access to student-athletes. Given the premier qual- struggles in any way complicate his some type of computer or handheld device.” ity of the member schools and the avail- legacy as athletic director. Bilsky has certainly been an advocate ability of need-based financial aid, some “No, you’re the first person to even sug- for television, helping the league secure Ivy League teams are able to recruit the gest that,” Bilsky says. “It’s all tied to a national contract with the NBC Sports best high-school athletes and compete what we’ve done in terms of expanding Network for select basketball, football, for national championships—at Penn, for the enterprise and building the facilities and men’s lacrosse games. But recogniz- instance, both the men’s and women’s … That is without a doubt the legacy. I ing the need for more exposure and con- lacrosse teams have emerged as peren- can’t tell you how many people have writ- trol, he played an even greater role in the nial Top 25 teams. It’s still possible to have ten and called me to tell me that. formation of the Ivy League Digital the best of both worlds—as Bilsky himself Hundreds of people have told me that. Network, taking the lead at league meet- did 45 years ago, enjoying great athletic Not one person has tied it to basketball.” ings, where he was, according to Ivy success as a student before using his

38 SEPT | OCT 2014 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE Wharton education to forge a similarly the NCAA turbulence. Like many others, tant thing to get fans into a building— satisfying career after college. Bilsky fears that the five power confer- “When I played there was no marketing “There is this tug of war going on,” ences that have been scooping up so department, there was no promotion Bilsky admits. “Yes, the pool of candidates many new schools over the past few department,” he says—Calhoun seems to is smaller. On the other hand, we have years—the Pac-12, the Southeastern be a big proponent of marketing what she very fine coaches who have great facilities Conference, the Big Ten, the Big 12, and calls “the Penn brand,” which she believes to work with and good budgets. And we the Atlantic Coast Conference—may soon should be a combination of the Quakers’ represent the top schools in the country. seek more autonomy and perhaps even “rich tradition” with a new kind of “swag- So I see no lessening of our abilities to leave the NCAA altogether. ger” in the future. That includes educat- compete on a national level; if anything, If that happens, where would that leave ing students as early as freshman orien- I see it happening even more.” Penn? tation with “fun things like teaching them Bilsky will get no arguments there “That’s where I hope and think the Ivy cheers and doing a ‘Football 101,’” as well from Calhoun. Both recognize the ben- League can play a significant leadership as “maximizing the entertainment expe- efits of being a student-athlete at an Ivy role and become leaders of the remaining rience” with promotions during games. League school—“Someone who’s played couple hundred schools,” Bilsky says. “I never believed that you have to build athletics at a high level like myself will “Or the Ivy League will find itself with a successful program to build a fan base,” say that being an intercollegiate athlete no allies and become kind of irrelevant. she says. “Because building a fan base prepares you for life as well as anything That’s my biggest fear for the future of and getting loud, crowded environments else in college,” Bilsky says—and the athletics. We’ll just have no one to play.” is one of the best ways to help support important place that sports have in a It’s a legitimate fear, and one that Al your team to be successful.” college community. Bagnoli shares. One of the most success- This is one subject about which Bilsky There is occasionally some push-and- ful coaches in school history, Bagnoli has and Calhoun have differing views, and tug with the University’s administration made Penn football into an Ivy League there are surely others. And the challeng- about how prominent that role should force during his long tenure. But he’s es now are different, too. While Bilsky be—but, Bilsky says, “I’ve seen that in frustrated that, due to an archaic rule knew he had to upgrade the University’s other Ivy schools more than I’ve seen originally intended to preserve academic athletic facilities, Calhoun may end up that at Penn.” In that sense, Calhoun integrity, the Ivy League bars its football devoting much of her time and resources shouldn’t expect much pushback as she teams from competing in the NCAA play- to, as Fuller calls it, “human capital”— whether that means adding staff members to keep pace with the athletic department’s growth or allowing for more professional “The Ivies are really the one conference development opportunities. Either way, the men’s soccer coach, who was on the that has never been confused about why committee that interviewed athletic-direc- tor candidates, is confident in the direction we do college athletics,” Calhoun says. Calhoun will take the department, calling her “a leader for the times” because her “broad base of experience” can help Penn looks to grow Penn athletics. Nor does offs, making it the only sport that can’t navigate the same changing NCAA land- she feel insecure about Penn’s place in win a national title. And he’s worried that scape that so worries Bilsky. the ever-changing NCAA hierarchy. there are few schools outside the Ivy Of course, it’s difficult to know what “I have always believed the Ivy League League that Penn can compete with on a Penn athletics will look like in 20 years, model is the ultimate experience because level playing field (read: ones that also just as it would have been hard to predict the Ivies are really the one conference don’t give athletic scholarships). “We’re how much has changed over the last two that has never been confused about why going to have some philosophical ques- decades under Bilsky. Whatever happens we do college athletics,” Calhoun says. tions that people are going to answer at in the future, though, Calhoun hopes her “Particularly in such a turbulent time some point,” Bagnoli says. tenure will have one thing in common with when so much of the college athletic For the moment, Calhoun is more focused the man she’s succeeding. Just as Bilsky landscape is up in the air, it is reassuring on the short-term goal of guiding Penn always wanted to retire at Penn, the new to feel like you’re in a conference that through Bagnoli’s impending retirement athletic director feels the same way. has always followed these higher prin- and the succession plan that has longtime “This is my seventh institution,” she ciples that have such consistency in assistant Ray Priore taking over as head says, gazing out the window to an empty membership and tradition.” coach at the end of the 2014 season. “It’s Franklin Field stadium that will soon And yet, even if the Ivy League doesn’t a crossroads, but a small one,” she says. come alive. “And I made it really clear change—and it never will, according to And she’s also already thinking of ways with my husband when discussing this Harris, who says that “no one’s leaving to boost attendance at Franklin Field (and that I want it to be my last institution.”◆ and we’re not adding members”—the the Palestra). Whereas Bilsky was of the Dave Zeitlin C’03 writes frequently for the Gazette conference still may not be able to avoid mind that winning was the most impor- and oversees the magazine’s sports blog.

THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE SEPT | OCT 2014 39