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Buffaloes AD Mike Bohn Confirms CU To Add Women's Sport

By Jon Woods Updated
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Kyle Ringo of the Daily Camera published the first part of a sit down with Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn over the weekend and there were a few interesting tidbits that deserve a write-up.

The biggest piece of info was Bohn's confirmation that CU will soon be announcing the addition of a woman's sport to the university's athletic roster. Many have speculated that the financial windfall that Colorado received from the move to the Pac-12 conference could provide the resources necessary to add both men's and women's sports and it is could to get confirmation of this fact. While Bohn was not ready to announce what this first program would be, lacrosse seems to be a good guess. CU is still trying to get out of some pretty deep financial holes and anything added this early will not be something that requires a large financial investment. The facilities costs would be minimal for lax and there are only 4 other schools in the conference that currently field programs so travel costs could be kept to a minimum. This also will help the school with Title IX requirements and could hopefully lead to a men's program in the future.
There is an impression out there that you are getting this windfall of Pac-12 money down the road and that is going to solve all your problems and you will be able to build new facilities and make improvements with that money alone. Is that true and what part do donors play?

"When you look at all the significant upgrades around, whether it is in the Pac-12 or TCU's new initiative or others, there is a private element. Obviously that is a part of it. Part of the silent phase or the process we're going through first before we start announcing initiatives that aren't finalized is working on the major private element that is a part of the formula. We're still dealing with the (financial) issues associated with the departure from the Big 12. We're discussing the issues associated with adding a new women's sport. We're discussing a lot of different pieces that make up all these different issues we're talking about, which is why we're not going to come out with a plan or some type of initiative without it being viable."

What women's sport will you be adding?

"We're not prepared to make that announcement at this time."

Bohn earned a lot of good will with the move west to the Pac-12 but his legacy will really be made depending on he uses the new revenues to improve Colorado's athletic programs for the long run. A misstep could damage the program for a long time, but with the right moves CU can be back where it deserves to be among the top athletic departments in the country.

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