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Bloomington Herald-Times Articles

January 13, 2009

Our opinion
We like new A.D.'s substance and style
January 13, 2009

The approach new Indiana University athletic director Fred Glass is taking to his job bodes well for the greater university and Bloomington communities.

A big-time university athletic program, such as the one he now runs at IU, can have a tendency to operate on its own terms in its own universe. If there is residual benefit to others outside the athletic department, great. But that's often not a priority for those on the inside.

Early evidence is that such a narrow perspective will widen under the new A.D. Even before he officially began his job Jan. 2, Glass started building bridges from the athletic department complex on 17th Street to locations all over the community.

He's met with other university vice presidents, a strong indication that he sees the athletic department as one piece of a university operation. That bolsters his repeated pronouncements that compliance with rules and academic excellence top his list of priorities.

He's also initiated meetings with a number of business and community leaders and will be the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of the Bloomington Economic Development Corp. Wednesday.

He said this week that sports generate increased economic activity, and his work on sports-related projects in Indianapolis proves the point. He understands how important sports can be in a community, and he also is committed to dreaming big about what can be accomplished.

IU sports has always been a common denominator for people in Bloomington and south-central Indiana, even through the last decade of various levels of turmoil. His eagerness to reach out will be met with open arms.