Tonight, men's basketball coach Pete Gillen will leave the dome of U-Hall for the Dome Room of the Rotunda, as the first speaker in the Athletic Lecture Series.
The series, which begins at 7 p.m., was the brainchild of third-year College student Justin Ferira, whose life-long love of sports and commitment to his interdisciplinary major led him to develop the project.
"I took a University Seminar two years ago with Craig Littlepage, the Director of Athletics, on issues in college athletics," Ferira said. "I wanted other people to know what the athletic department has to offer and what the coaches' life stories are."
Fast-forward to last May. Ferira began developing the series over the summer, using the popular Last Lecture Series as a blueprint.
"We're used to coming to lecture series where our professors speak, but rarely do we hear from the coaches and administrators in the athletic department," he said. "There is such a cult following of sports, but then the fans walk away after the game and don't know anything about the coaches or administrators."
In a letter Ferira sent to prospective speakers, he asked them to share their sports experiences as a child, their collegiate careers and how athletics has changed during their lifetime.
"I'm sure people want to hear what's going on with the basketball team, but I've asked Gillen to talk about biographical topics like his childhood, how he got involved in sports and what other career paths he considered," Ferira said. "I want the students to meet the coaches and learn who they really are."
Littlepage also has high hopes for the new lecture series.
"This series offers an opportunity to gain a broader perspective on the role of athletics here at the University," he said. "It gives students a chance to engage in conversations about topics on their minds that relate to the athletics program."
This type of dialogue couldn't have come at a better time, as budget cuts create tension over a perceived financial tug-of-war between academics and athletics.
"With the budget cuts going into effect, a lot of students ask why the athletic facilities are so nice while we have to go to class in cramped buildings," Ferira said. "There are a lot of misunderstandings in place, and I hope the series will help demystify the athletic department."
Littlepage stressed that funding for athletics and academics at the University is kept completely separate.
"The state's financial status and its impact on academics is a separate funding initiative from athletics," he said. "Athletic projects like the arena initiative are not siphoning money from academic programs."
In fact, he noted that the building of new athletic arenas can be positive for the University's image and does not come at a cost to the classroom.
"Athletic programs can add value to a university's academic mission," Littlepage said. "Athletics have a strong impact on admissions, fundraising and how people perceive the University."
The link between academics and athletics lies at the heart of the Athletic Lecture Series.
Ferira hopes Gillen will be the first in a long line of admired athletic supporters. He hopes to contact football coach Al Groh, World Cup coach Bruce Arena, NFL commentator Howie Long and football star Tiki Barber, a University alum.
His list also includes bestselling author and Charlottesville resident John Grisham, whom Ferira notes is "a huge baseball fan."
"I wanted to pull athletics into intellectual life at the University," he said. "By bringing coaches and athletes into the Dome Room of the Rotunda, we're bringing athletics directly into Jefferson's architectural center of knowledge.
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