Goetz Addresses Muncie Business Leaders

Ball State athletic director Beth Goetz has called her first year on the job a "listening tour." She did more listening recently as she met with local business leaders at the Muncie Sunrise Rotary Club.

Goetz, who took the reins of the department last June, touched on Ball State's successes both in and out of the classroom and engaged the club in a Q&A session.

"The majority of our student-athletes are attracted to Ball State because of our academic status," Goetz said. "And we're proud of the way they perform in the classroom."

Some Ball State tidbits from the event:

Ball State serves 425 student-athletes, 148 of whom made the Dean's List in the fall
Cardinal student-athletes combined for a 3.24 GPA
Those 425 are divided among 70 majors, with the majority coming from the Miller College of Business

When talking about the Cards on the playing field, Goetz was upfront with the crowd, which was mostly made of Ball State alumni and supporters.

"Our coaches have our teams very well-positioned for success within the MAC," she said. "We have a great group of leaders for our men and women."

She mentioned the women's soccer program that made the conference title match, volleyball in the postseason and the positive exposure that football brought to the school this year. Goetz cited the football game at Notre Dame, which garnered a reported 2.4 million television viewers and $13.94 million in advertising equivalency value.

After seven months at BSU, Goetz said she's continuing to learn as much about the university's culture and its people and priorities. The goal is to understand how maximize the role of athletics within the university.

Way Too Early Scouting Report
Goetz gave the Rotarians what she called her 'way too early scouting report,' a look at some strengths, challenges and opportunities for the department. Strengths were highlighted by the university's people, tradition and facilities. Some challenges she cited included financial stability and other threats that are common across the collegiate athletics landscape.

A few priorities mentioned included an upcoming strategic plan that complimented the university's Destination 2040 vision, increased focus on athletic performance resources, maintaining high levels of health and safety for student-athletes and continuing to improve the overall experience for everyone connected to Ball State athletics.

Goetz said she was excited about the journey ahead and for Ball State's opportunity for continued success.

"From an athletics standpoint, we want to win," she said. "I don't think that's something we should shy away from talking about. Winning doesn't mean we won't excel in the classroom or be a great steward in the community. We can do all of those things. Ball State has demonstrated that."

Ball State University Athletics

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