The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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MAY/JUNE 2020 ■ 37 BY MATT CARTER n April 30, NC State direc- tor of athletics Boo Corrigan celebrated his one-year anni- versary on the job. There were no gatherings to honor the occasion however. Any such event would have been prohibited by the governor's orders. Instead, Corrigan and ADs across the country are being tested like never before due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are trying to lead their departments in a virtual world while practicing social distancing. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Cor- rigan had cause for celebration with con- ference championships in women's cross country, men's swimming, wrestling and, perhaps most notably, women's basketball. Corrigan discussed the impact of the virus and many other topics with The Wolfpacker — over the phone. What is your message to Wolfpack fans about the coronavirus? "We're all in this together. This is a global pandemic. We need to follow the guidance we are being given. That being said, we really look forward to being back together, whether it's in Reynolds or Carter-Finley or Dail Baseball, or anywhere else." Give the work-at-home situation in the state, how is the athletics department stay- ing in touch with its many constituents? "We're having town halls with all of our student-athletes every two weeks. We're meeting with our staff every two weeks. We're connecting with our head coaches and our executive staff once a week. "We are reaching out to Wolfpack nation regarding football season tickets. The Wolf- pack Club is calling up people to see how they are doing. I think the key opportunity we're trying to hold onto right now is the ability to stay connected." What has been the financial impact of COVID-19 on the budget for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, and the projections for the year ahead? "Obviously, we've saved money by not playing games [in the spring]. That's money not spent on travel and hosting games. On the other side of it, there were some con- tractual deals we had that, as a result of the pandemic, we have been asked for relief on. "We're looking at everything and differ- ent possibilities for next year. I do know that the world has changed an awful lot for us in the past six, seven weeks. Trying to project too much and make too many assumptions on something that's not going to occur for at least three or four months can drive you into a frenzy. "It could be we're going to play all games, or we're going to play all games without fans, or we're going to play all games with a limited number of fans. We are trying to be really pa- tient and steady. We want to study what's go- ing on and let that drive our decisions instead of pure emotion. I do believe we have a re- ally great culture in the athletic department of people wanting to help and do the right thing." If NC State can play fall sports, what precautions for the virus will you need to make? "We need to look at social distancing in our buildings, in the weight room, in the training rooms. We need decide how we are going to handle equipment — for example, shoulder pads, uniforms and helmets from the football standpoint. "If we do have fans, what would con- cession stands look like? How many hand sanitizers do we have? What do we do in re- strooms? What do we do across the board? We absolutely have all of that written down. "Then, there's an implementation strategy on ordering what we need. What's the time- line? What's the supply chain look like, and how do we go about that? "All of those things are being discussed, but nothing is going to be implemented until we have our marching orders from the sys- tem and from Chancellor [Randy] Woodson." Before coronavirus, what stood out about your first year at NC State? "The passion of our fans, the pride and connection they have to this great institution has really been the driver for me — whether that's Wes Moore in women's basketball winning an ACC championship for the first time in years, beating Duke in basketball at PNC and seeing that place so alive, being in Reynolds watching Pat Popolizio and the wrestling program defeat North Carolina, or having the women's cross country team over to our house after they won their fourth consecutive ACC championship. "That keeps me motivated every day to make us the best NC State we can be." Is there any possibility we could see a shift towards regional scheduling when Olympic sports resume? "I think that's a logical place to go. Look- ing at budgets, it's ideal if you can bus in- stead of fly. With that being said, we're not going to be bussing people 12, 14 hours to get back the next morning. What we're look- ing at doing is finding the right range with doing a bus trip and getting there safely. "The great thing about being where we are is the huge number of very competitive Power Five conference and Division I teams within a six- to eight-hour radius." In a perfect world, what would have been the highest priorities after one year on the job? "I think it's just laying the groundwork to create a better experience for our stu- dents, for our fans, for our coaches to be able to compete and win championships in everything that we do and in every aspect of their life. "Whether it's academics; in providing a better opportunity for them in working with the rest of campus to allow them to UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES NC State Director Of Athletics Boo Corrigan Leads The Pack During A Pandemic O Corrigan celebrated his one-year anniversary on the job April 30, but like everyone else he is getting used to the new normal due to COVID-19. PHOTO BY ROGER WINSTEAD