Farrell Charts Expansionist Course Amid Subtractions

This men’s basketball season has been among the most trying for Dennis Farrell, in his fourth year as Big West Conference commissioner. The conference again is undergoing expansion prompted by the defection of Nevada Las Vegas, the Big West’s marquee program, and San Jose State to the Western Athletic Conference after this academic year.

ESPN has dropped the Big West from its “Big Monday” lineup. The conference’s TV exposure will continue to dwindle next season.

What’s more, with its rapidly declining status, the Big West is likely to place only one team in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for the third consecutive season.

In January, Farrell and the conference office were thrust into the middle of a volatile situation between Long Beach State and New Mexico State. Farrell’s handling of the situation, as with seemingly many of his decisions, didn’t satisfy most of those involved.

And Farrell is increasingly aware of his many critics among the coaches. They are displeased that the Big West tournament was reduced from 10 to six teams because of financial and postseason-play considerations.

Many coaches denounce the course Farrell has plotted. Farrell, in his 16th year with the Big West, recently discussed the conference’s future and his personal challenges this season.

Q: Are you worried because the conference did not fare well against Division I nonconference opponents, and that its power rating is low?

A: These things somewhat go in cycles. From a quality standpoint, certainly we’d like to have a better record against outside competition. But I think we are a young conference this year.

Q: So, for the most part, you are content with the overall season?

A: Certainly this has been one of the most competitive years in my 16 years in the conference office. The [regular-season] race was exciting. So from the standpoint of competitive play, there is nothing wrong with the way the season has come down this year. The fact that there is so much parity, I think, has been exciting and good for the fans.

Q: Coaches have decried reducing the conference tournament field from 10 teams to six. Do you still believe the decision is correct?

A: I know where the coaches are as far as the number of teams qualifying for the tournament and all. However, I think the fact that we took just the top six teams really created even more excitement in the arenas this season. Everybody was just really laying it out on the line in almost every game to try and secure those six spots.

Q: What was the primary reason for the change?

A: Our goal as a conference, as we stated many, many times over the last two or three years, is to try to get multiple teams into postseason play. This is in line with that goal because we’re giving our two top teams somewhat of an advantage at the tournament. They get a first-round bye, and they don’t run the same risk of being defeated at the tournament by someone who did not have a real, real good season and who all of a sudden gets hot at the end.

Q: But do you agree with the coaches, who say that’s what makes college basketball great?

A: Yes. What’s happened in the past at our tournaments is certainly exciting from a fan standpoint when a lower team upsets an upper-division team from the regular season. But that really hurts that team’s chances of getting an at-large berth to the NCAAs at that point.

Q: With expansion, the conference will be split into two six-team divisions next season. Since there will be more teams, can you envision the tournament field expanding in the future?

A: This year is somewhat of an experiment, so you never say never. But this format is consistent with our goal as a conference. As long as we stay with the goal that we’ve stated, I think we’re consistent by having this format. But who’s to say it won’t change someday.

Q: An anti-Semitic slur was directed at Long Beach Coach Seth Greenberg and several alleged incidents of racism were directed at Long Beach players during a game at Las Cruces, N.M., on Jan. 22. The events received national media attention, and you were criticized in the fallout. Were any of your actions incorrect?

A: I guess the only thing I would have done a little differently is maybe made my [final] statement a little bit more clarified as to what my concerns were about Seth’s [post-game] comments [that night]. Some of the reports that came out based on our press release did not really clarify what my concerns with Seth’s comments were. So, if I look in hindsight, I think we would have structured our statement to clarify that more.

Q: Specifically, what were your concerns?

A: I thought that Seth’s comments were made somewhat with a broad brush that was unfair to the community and the state of New Mexico. Seth was the victim of a cowardly person and a very sick person. Most of what he said, 90% of what he said, I have no problems with and I applaud him for making those comments. That was a very difficult situation, one of the most difficult I’ve had to deal with in my tenure as commissioner. I certainly hope I never have to deal with anything like that again.

Q: Men’s basketball has historically been the conference’s high-profile sport. Some coaches in that sport resent the Big West’s commitment to football and they believe basketball would be stronger without it. Do you agree?

A: I look at the football situation, and granted that’s been the sport that we’ve struggled to keep going and keep viable in our conference. But I’ve been forced to do that because that’s a very, very important sport on a number of our campuses. At the same time, I also think that the health and viability of football can help other sports.

Q: In what ways might football benefit men’s basketball?

A: A lot of the basketball contracts for TV right now are somewhat leveraged by the football television contracts. I think we could have more success from a basketball television standpoint if we had a football program here in the Southern California market and one in the Northern California market that was more competitive.

Q: Are you troubled about the criticism you’ve taken over football and some of your other decisions?

A: I do care how I’m perceived by the coaches because I have to work for them and I work for the schools. I want them to understand that I sit in an office that has to see the broad picture, and sometimes individual coaching groups, or individual institutions, don’t necessarily see the broad picture.

Q: What is the biggest challenge facing the Big West?

A: Recruiting the players that we need to achieve that consistent national level of prominence that we strive for. You have to have that high caliber of athlete to get multiple teams in postseason play. I think once you get that into place, then a lot of other things fall into place. You start getting those multiple teams in postseason play annually, you get the television exposure and you get the national recognition.

Q: Will Big West basketball again reach the level of prominence it enjoyed in the late 1980s and early this decade when it challenged that of the Pacific 10?

A: There were years when we were very, very competitive with the Pac-10, when we more than held our own. But I guess the best we can do [now] is just try to be what we can be within our own restraints.