UI President Bruce Harreld talks to The Daily Iowan.

By Danny Payne
[email protected]

LOS ANGELES — UI President Bruce Harreld spoke with The Daily Iowan Wednesday at the JW Marriott hotel in the LA Live District. Among the topics were Iowa’s season, potential renovations to Kinnick Stadium, Kirk Ferentz’s tenure, and more.

DI: Coming into Iowa, where there are no professional sports teams, obviously, this fan base treats the Hawkeyes like a professional sports team. What experiences have you had with that so far?

Harreld: I think you hit it in your question. My wife and I went to Big Ten schools, we’re familiar with athletics and football and how important it is to that community. On the other hand, for the very first game, I turned to my wife and said, “This is incredible.” I mean, it was over the top.

I see it in so many ways; the passion that Iowans have for the University of Iowa is just phenomenal. As I wear a logoed vest through the airport, everybody tells me Go Hawks wherever you are in the country. This particular season, after the disaster in the last half of last year, it’s just been phenomenal. I don’t think anyone’s expected it. Here we are.

I think it teaches us a lesson in life — we tend to be so reactionary and so short-term. We need to give ourselves a chance to catch a breath. Kirk [Ferentz] and the whole team have been phenomenal, and they’ve done it by what I consider to be the Iowa way. Hard work, dedication, and most importantly, integrity. This team has remarkable academics. I’ve been talking about the letters I’ve received from mothers. In Bloomington, Indiana, a mother sent me a letter and said, “I was just in the hotel with your team, phenomenal weekend. I thought it was going to be a disaster. They looked me in the eye and greeted me. They weren’t loud, they were respectful.” I’ve gotten similar letters from Lincoln, Nebraska, etc. It’s the integrity of the whole program, the University of Iowa, we should be proud.

Regardless of what happens on Friday — we’re going to win — regardless of that, let’s not let that cloud the remarkable accomplishments of these young men on the field.

DI: How many games have you been to this season; which ones were your favorite?

Harreld: I’ve been to about half. My [favorite] I’ve been to, that’s tough. Let me lead with ones I’ve been to. I think the best one was Wisconsin. I think the way that game played out — down and dirty and tough. It was all defense, it was won in the trenches. Then we were destined to lose, according to the press, against Northwestern, which was ranked No. 13 or whatever at the time, and we were going to go into Chicago [sic] on the opponent’s turf and just crumble, and we know what happened.

It goes from there. I, actually in many ways, think the Michigan State [Big Ten] Championship game in Indianapolis was a phenomenal game for us. First of all, both teams just spent themselves. They were just gone, they both played their hearts out. Yes, we lost, but it put us on the map. Having said that, I’m loving where we are right now. Last I checked, we’re a 6.5 point underdog. Go Hawks, that’s where we play from all season. That fires us up.

Of course the Pittsburgh game was phenomenal, winning with that 57-yard field goal, incredible. There have been many, many great games. But the ones that stick out are the three in which we weren’t supposed to be on the same field with Wisconsin, Northwestern, or Michigan State. Give me a break.

DI:You mentioned earlier taking a step back. If you were in [Athletics Director] Gary Barta’s shoes, how would you have justified your decision to stick with Kirk Ferentz and stay the course or change leadership?

Harreld: I would’ve done exactly what Gary did and doubled down. This is family. The most important decisions I’ve made in my life have been around who I want to work with, what organizations I want to be part of. Every time I get into those types of decisions, I make them not on the history of the institutions but on the character of the people I’m working with. I tell my students when I was teaching that you’re going to make mistakes in life, and you want to work with the people who are going to help you through your mistakes.

That means you’re going to work with people of high values, integrity. That’s what I think Gary has done, that’s what I think Kirk has done. Are we going to evaluate Kirk Ferentz’s 17 years over last season alone? Are we going to be satisfied with last season? No, and he wasn’t, either. That’s the integrity of the people. He’s stepped up and made big changes. Sports go up and down, up and down.

Same with Gary; Gary had a difficult couple years with some issues. On the other hand, I know the man, I know the family, I know the integrity, that’s what counts. It’s the Iowa way. We do the right things the right way. If they have tough consequences at the beginning, we live with them.

People are talking about me, the things I read in the paper. Give me a break. You’re implying I don’t have character or values. I care a lot about the tradition and excellence of the University of Iowa, and I’m going to do all I can to protect it.

DI: When you spoke to the football team after you were chosen as UI president, you challenged them to be leaders on campus, specifically when it comes to preventing sexual assault. How would you evaluate them in that regard?

Harreld: They’ve been remarkable in not only their own behavior, but I actually know they’ve helped some people on campus and at various times, they’ve stepped up. I purposely looked them in the eye and said, “I need your help; we all need your help.” You’re the leaders on campus in many respects.

If you see something, do something, help us. And they’ve done it, so I give them high marks. They’re remarkable.

You think about it, they’re in their late-teens, early 20s, and I’m 65 years old. The last thing they want to see is me to walk in and talk to them. They’ve always been respectful, eyes on, they looked at me, they nod their heads, they’re listening. Some have pulled me aside on campus — they’re listening. They’re processing, they’re helping.

I think on so many campuses, the athletes are something different and over in the corner, sometimes up on a pedestal. That’s not Iowa. They’re members of our family, and they’re part of us — they show that, they really do. I think we should all be proud. I think we’re learning a lot with the integration of the student-athletes into Petersen Hall rather than “a jock dorm” someplace else. This is us; this is what we do.

DI: Coming from a business background, what’s it been like working with the academics portion of the institution and working with Barta and the Athletics Department?

Harreld: I don’t see it as starkly different. Our athletes are students first and foremost. Most of them are not going to play professional sports, they’re going to need to have long-term careers. We’ve really focused on the quality of education they’re getting and how to support them. On the more academics side of the institution, most of the students I see are pretty athletic. Intramurals, I drive by that Rec Center at 5 a.m., and it’s packed.

I don’t see the distinction. I think it’s part of the community. That’s what I was saying — not creating a separation between the two, I think they’re both important for us and who we are. I see the alumni care just as much about the academics and are passionate about endowing positions, and creating centers, and giving money and supporting things. At the same time, they’re over the top this week on athletics. I don’t see them as distinctively different as the question implies.

DI: Obviously, the north end-zone plans at Kinnick Stadium are still in the works, but there could be patio seating. With putting in that type of seating — I know Barta has been very adamant toward no alcohol in Kinnick — would you urge him for alcohol specifically in that area or to open up Kinnick for alcohol sales?

Harreld: Let’s unpack the question. We haven’t financed [the north end-zone project], we haven’t decided when to do that. Yes, the [state Board of] Regents gave us authorization a year or so ago, or last August I guess, to proceed with that. On the other hand; there’s been on financing with that. It’s a $70 million to $90 million decision. I’ve said let’s put that on hold and understand where the money is going to come from. We’re going to actually lose a few seats, so it’s got a negative financial model around it.

There are a lot of questions around that. Is it imminent? No. We’re going to do it the right way.

Are we going to open it to alcohol? Boy, everybody talks to me and starts off about the revenue; put the revenue aside. Let’s talk about values; is this the right thing? I don’t know, I don’t think so. I’m still willing to talk about it and discuss it, but it doesn’t feel right to me. If the only good reason somebody can come up with is because it can create so much incremental revenue, no, give me a break.

We’ve lived quite nicely without that revenue for quite some time. We also do have drinking and partying issues on campus. That doesn’t seem like it fits into how I want to drive the values of this institution. Is it a case closed? No, I’m open for discussion, but don’t talk to me about the revenue, that’s not the issue. Is it imminent? No.

DI: So there’s no timeline on the north end-zone project? [It’s an] “as things come, we’ll see.”

Harreld: Nope, unless you can put $70 million to $90 million on the table right now, if you have it in your wallet, let’s go. We don’t need any more debt in this institution. So, no. By the way, if I had a few million dollars, that wouldn’t be the first place I’d use it for this university.

DI: Moving back to football, obviously, there’s been a bunch of talk about Desmond King potentially leaving for the NFL draft. What would you tell him about that situation?

Harreld: The only thing I would say to Desmond and his family is to do the right thing for them. I would say, just make sure you’ve thought this thing all the way through. The short-term opportunity to play professionally is clearly there.

On the other hand, what’s long-term, what’s it going to look like when you’re 35, what’s life going to look like? And I don’t know the answer to that. What do you want it to look like? Don’t just make it short-term, make the decision for you and your family long-term.

Having said that, we desperately want you back. Please.

But he’s got to do the right thing for his family.

DI: A couple fun ones. What’s your biggest athletics accomplishment personally?

Harreld: I’ve won a few golf tournaments when I was a kid in various places. I played competitive golf for a while; I’d probably have to say that.

On the other hand, it doesn’t fit me personally, but as I got older and watched my kids play competitive sports — it’s a cop-out on your question — but I’ve enjoyed it. I think it’s harder. When I played competitive golf, it was just the zone that you’re in.

When you’re a parent and watch you own children go through that, I have four kids, it’s terrifying. I’ve talked to Mary Ferentz about this as well, because she’s got a double whammy. She’s just in terror all the time.

I actually think you learn a lot from that; athletics is an important part of all our lives.

DI: Last one, what’s your prediction on Friday, with a score.

Harreld: With a score? I think it’s going to be 37-24, Hawks. I think our defense is going to step up. They’ve got one or two really good players, Stanford. On the other hand, one or two players are probably defensible. I give us a real edge.

DI: Have you been asked that before? There was no hesitation.

Harreld: No. I thought about it, I think someone was going to ask me that. I sat around thinking about what I thought was going to come out. I think there are going to be a couple turnovers, I think we’re going to win off a couple turnovers as we have all season. I think it’ll be close into the beginning of the fourth quarter, and we’re going to pull away.

You’ve seen that again and again and again. Please god.