Finals week.

There is no clearer reminder than those two words as to what our enterprise is all about. As members of the Bruin family, we all enjoy the great victories that our teams put together and suffer through the losses, but it is important to remember that, in the end, we are cheering for student-athletes. More of them are likely to be doctors or lawyers or successful business people than professional athletes.

So, as our student-athletes take their fall finals this week, I wanted to thank the academic support services unit that has worked so hard with each of them to get them ready. That said, I would be remiss if I didn’t wish all of the Bruins good luck in the classroom.

Without further ado, let’s take a finals week gaze at the athletic department …

Football, Part 1

I did mention last week that I will not be making any specific comments publicly on the search for a new head football coach, but I did want to thank all of you for your input and support in the process so far.

Now that the process is underway in earnest, I wanted to reiterate that most of what you have read or heard is nothing more than water cooler talk. In fact, in the past few days, there have been rumors about me supposedly traveling to some locations, speaking with certain coaches and eliminating others from consideration – nearly all of it not based in fact.

That said, I ask that you continue to be patient with us as we work diligently to find the best man for the job, and one that you will all be proud to welcome to the Bruin family.

Football, Part 2

I was certainly pleased with the effort of our team last Friday night against Oregon in the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game. The conference did a fantastic job of putting on its first-ever championship football game, no easy task, especially at a home venue. It was a tremendous football environment, with the ever-present raucous Duck fans at their best.

I felt good about the determination of our players and coaching staff, both in their final preparations for the game as well as on the field. I also wanted to extend a special thank you to the Bruin fans who traveled to the Pacific Northwest to support our team.

We now turn our attention to Illinois in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on New Year’s Eve in San Francisco. Ticket information can be found here.

Bruin Road Show – Next Step Anaheim

After taking the week off from games due to finals, the men’s basketball team will play its first of four games this season at the Honda Center this Saturday afternoon against Penn. Having already seen how the folks at Citizens Business Bank Arena and the Sports Arena have rolled out the red carpet for us, I am eager to see our first game in Orange County.