When you’re trying to raise a few dollars, you can usually do so without much convincing. When you need to raise tens of millions of dollars, you can usually do so only if you’re convincing. Of course, if the reason for raising dollars is viewed as necessary and people are excited about what you’re doing, it often makes raising significant amounts of capital much easier – at least Oliver Luck believes so.

 

The West Virginia University athletic director knows that a big part of his job is to help raise dollars. And it’s a part of his job that never goes away. The good news is that Luck said that joining the Big 12 Conference has made that job a little bit easier.

 

“I was in a meeting Tuesday and the head of the foundation and our Mountaineer Athletic Club … and they said they’ve had a record year. The head of it, Wayne King, the president of the Foundation, said a large part of it is due to the Big 12 and how excited people are,” said Luck. “People know we’re going to be on a bigger stage (with) Texas and Oklahoma and some of these bigger schools. They really want to make sure that we’re in position to put our best foot forward.”

 

While dollars are coming in, Luck said part of the “best foot forward” goes beyond just financial contributions. He said with the new conference alignment more than just a spruced up stadium will be necessary to make people enjoy their trip to the Mountain State.

 

“New people will be coming to Morgantown and they’ll be seeing the city for the first time and I think we want to make sure we can roll out, not just this year, but in years to come, the red carpet,” said Luck.

 

The chance to make a first impression doesn’t come very often in most athletic department’s histories. WVU will be afford the chance to improve on its occasionally less than spectacular perceived ways with the new fans coming into Morgantown.

 

“Walk over, extend a hand and tell them you’ll be sending them home with a loss,” said Luck Thursday during the Benedum Fellows banquet at the Bridgeport Conference Center, “but welcome them over to your tailgate.”

 

Editor's Note: Luck photo during his June 2010 press conference accepting the athletic director's position with WVU President James Clements courtesy of WVU Sports Communications.