Why Dave Brandon Had to Go

By Jacob Lipnik on November 4, 2014

After weeks of petitions, rallies, boycotts, and hateful messages calling for Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon’s firing or resignation, it finally happened last week. University President Mark Schlissel officially announced on Friday, October 31st that Brandon would be resigning as the AD of the University of Michigan. This news was met with many of the expected responses: happiness, excitement, praise for Schlissel and, in some cases, God. But one of the more controversial—if not unexpected—responses to the news was a common claim that Brandon’s job would not have been in any jeopardy at all had Michigan simply been winning games. ESPN’s Darren Rovell was one of those who shared this belief:

via Twitter.com

There is, of course, some validity to this thought. Yes, if Michigan had a winning record the blood of the student body wouldn’t have been boiling quite as hotly. Yes, if Michigan had a winning record students, alumni, and even faculty wouldn’t be quite as insistent on change. And yes, if Michigan had a winning record, Dave Brandon probably would have kept his job until the end of the season.

Via flickr.com

But when the season had waned and the winged helmets had been hung up for the last time, no matter what the Wolverines’ record had been, a look back at the season—successful or not—would have made it clear that Dave Brandon  needed to be fired. Because what he did to this university goes beyond wins and losses, beyond football, beyond whatever good intentions he might have had as a “Michigan Man.” You can call yourself a Michigan Man as much as you want, but when your actions don’t back that up, when those actions start to hurt the school you claim to love, it’s time to go. Brandon may have called himself a Michigan Man, but his actions repeatedly went against the Michigan way.

When Dave Brandon made Michigan football student tickets more expensive than any other school in the Big Ten (despite a more than lackluster schedule), corporatizing the Big House experience and inhibiting less than wealthy students from attending games, that was not the Michigan way. When Brandon allowed football tickets to be given away for the price of two Cokes, that was not the Michigan way. When Brandon waited until almost 1:00 am to release a statement regarding the controversial Shane Morris concussion situation, insulting fans and media alike who wanted to know the truth, that was not the Michigan way. When Brandon was found to be sending nasty and confrontational emails to well-meaning Michigan fans who questioned him, that was not the Michigan way. When news outlets, business websites, and even other universities’ classes were discussing Michigan’s athletic department’s failings and not its academic successes, that was not the Michigan way. When one of the most well-known and respected images in the nation, Michigan’s Block M, was being tarnished on a national scale because of the actions of one man, that was not the Michigan way.

For all of these reasons, and for many more, Dave Brandon needed to go. Wins and losses matter, but what matters so much more is the image of a proud, great university. And whether Brandon meant to or not, he repeatedly hurt that image. Keeping someone like that around, even if the football team had been great this year, would simply not have been the Michigan way.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format