Hansen's Sunday Notebook: Wildcats need television money, more donors

Wildcats need television money, more donors to continue pace

Near the entrance of the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility, a list of all who contributed financially to the $72 million building goes on and on. How many? Exactly 205 people, including major donors Jeff Stevens and David Lowell.

If you study the list for any time, you discover there are only eight ex-UA athletes who were part of the financial process: baseball players Tony Milo and Lance Dickson; softball player Amy Chellevold Hillenbrand; football players Gary Cropper, Antoine Cason, Lance Briggs and Jim Krohn; and basketball player Kenny Lofton.

It’s the truest reflection of how difficult it is for Greg Byrne and his staff to raise money to keep pace with Pac-12 salaries, facilities and travel expenses.

Last week the UA released a marketing brochure touting its membership record of 12,900 Wildcat Club donors. That’s almost double what it was when Byrne was hired 5½ years ago. You can join the Wildcat Club for as little as $100 a year. The school listed the 594 former UA athletes who belong to the Wildcat Club.

I was surprised by the relative low number of ex-athletes who support the school financially. Richard Jefferson and Steve Kerr are known to have donated at least $1 million to their alma mater, but after that the roll call diminishes in a hurry.

Of all ex-Arizona athletes to play in the NFL, NBA, MLB and on the PGA Tour, only 18 are members of the Wildcat Club:

NBA: Sean Elliott, Bob Elliott.

NFL: Ka’Deem Carey, John Kaiser, Bill Demory, Jim Arneson, Copeland Bryan, Nick Folk, Glenn Parker, Jeff Kiewel, Lamonte Hunley.

MLB: Terry Francona, Kenny Lofton, Greg Bargar, Lance Dickson, Jack Howell.

PGA Tour: Don Pooley, Ricky Barnes.

That’s it.

The UA’s annual athletic budget of about $70 million comes almost fully from the average guy down the street, the husband and wife paying a seat premium at McKale Center and those who traditionally buy season tickets at Arizona Stadium.

Here’s what all this means: when the Pac-12 and its TV partners schedule Arizona to play a Halloween 8 p.m football game in Seattle, there is no wiggle room. The UA realizes almost $22 million annually from its media rights package.

The Wildcat Club and the school’s other athletic donors have nowhere near the power or influence.

Dominic Johnson, Anthony Sanders go global

Two Tucson Olympians, part of a 14-member class to be honored at the Pima County Sport Hall of Fame induction ceremonies next Sunday, have become world travelers.

Tucsonan Dominic Johnson, a three-time Olympic pole-vaulter who graduated from Amphitheater High School and the UA, was in Moscow last week for the World Olympians Association general assembly. Johnson, representing his native Saint Lucia, had dinner at the State Kremlin Palace and listened as Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech to the Olympians.

Anthony Sanders, former Santa Rita High School baseball/football standout, leaves for Taiwan this week as part of the coaching staff for USA Baseball’s 2015 Premier team that will play in the world championships Nov. 8-21 in Taiwan. Sanders, who is the manager of the Colorado Rockies’ Grand Junction (Colorado) Rookie team and a gold medal outfielder at the 2000 Olympics, was selected to be part of ex-Yankee second baseman Willie Randolph’s coaching staff.

Tickets for the PCSHF banquet, which begins at 1 p.m., at the Doubletree Hotel, can be obtained by phoning (520) 955-4424. Among those to be inducted include former Champions Tour golfer Bob Gaona, UA football coach Jim Young and Kelly Walbert Cagle, who is possibly the top female soccer player in Tucson history.

Bowling back: 'I no longer fear failure'

When the University of Arizona began its fall softball schedule last week, junior Nancy Bowling was back in the lineup, batting fourth, at first base. She also pitched two shutout innings. Bowling, who was judged by ESPN to be the No. 7 overall recruit in the class of 2012, missed the final three months of the 2015 season with anorexia. While out of softball, Bowling got a white ink tattoo, the symbol for the National Eating Disorders Association on her pitching arm. She told USA Softball “It will always be on me as a reminder of what I have gone through, the pain I was in when I was sick and where I am today. I was depressed, anxious and dying both mentally and physically. Through recovery, I feel as though it has made me a better person. I no longer fear failure nor do I think perfection is the only option.” Well said.

Robyn Porter starts at catcher for UA

Robyn Porter, a standout catcher on Ironwood Ridge High’s 2014 state championship softball team, started at catcher for Mike Candrea’s UA softball team in its fall opener. She was a walk-on who played little last season.

Jud Buechler's daughter a stars at UCLA

Reily Buechler, daughter of 1990 Arizona All-Pac-10 basketball forward Jud Buechler, was named espnW’s national volleyball player of the week last week. Reily, a UCLA sophomore, had been benched earlier in the month, but returned to help the Bruins sweep Arizona and ASU. She regained her starting spot.

Sahuaro grad a co-interim softball coach at ASU

After ASU softball coach Craig Nicholson resigned 10 days ago, former Sahuaro High School baseball player Robert Wagner was named co-interim head coach. Wagner has been an assistant at Washington and Utah and grew up playing Little League baseball at Tucson’s Jesse Owens Park.

Not much is secret about UA's upcoming scrimmage

Arizona’s “secret scrimmage” will be played at Saint Mary’s next Sunday. Every college basketball team in the country now plays a “secret scrimmage” and some of it comes off as excessive. Utah and Texas A&M, for example, will both fly to Colorado Springs for their scrimmage, one that is off limits to media coverage and fans. Baylor and Gonzaga will fly to Salt Lake City to play one another.

Brandon Ashley no longer on Mavericks roster

Former UA forward Brandon Ashley is no longer listed on the Dallas Mavericks roster. Ashley did not play in Dallas’ final preseason game Friday. In five October games, Ashley shot 2 for 18 (11 percent) and scored just eight points. His likely destination is the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League. Ashley signed a partially guaranteed contract for $525,000 in July.

Bryce Cotton waived by Utah Jazz

Palo Verde High School grad Bryce Cotton was waived by the Utah Jazz last week. Cotton played in just two of Utah’s preseason games, shooting 4 for 19. He did not have a guaranteed contract.

Kristin Preble has job with the WAC

In a sizable UA fan contingent at last week’s Arizona-Colorado football game was former Salpointe Catholic soccer player Kristin Preble. She is now assistant director of championships and marketing for the Western Athletic Conference. After leaving Tucson, Preble played soccer for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and was not only team captain and an All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference third-team soccer player, but also graduated summa cum laude. Before going to the WAC, she worked in a similar capacity for the Ivy League. Well done.

Tony Amato, Cats survive Pac-12 first-division schedule

Arizona soccer coach Tony Amato has survived the Pac-12’s wicked first-division gauntlet with a 10-4-1 record and is tied for third in the league at 4-3 entering Sunday’s 1 p.m. home game against Oregon State. The UA’s remaining four games are against the league’s Nos. 8-9-10-11 teams. If the Wildcats can win out, they would finish 8-3, by far the school’s top record in league history. The final home game, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. against ASU, should be played before a full house.

Burk dies at 85; was major player in city's baseball history

Tucsonan Davis Burk was one of the key figures in the city’s baseball history. He was part owner of the early Tucson Toros and became an agent representing, among others, catcher Ron Hassey, first baseman John Kruk and pitcher Rocky Childress. Burk, who died here last week at 85, was also one of the forces behind Tucson’s one minor-league basketball team, the Tucson Gunners. He was 85.

Michael Conforto joins exclusive club

Tucsonan Davis Burk was one of the key figures in the city’s baseball history. He was part owner of the early Tucson Toros and became an agent representing, among others, catcher Ron Hassey, first baseman John Kruk and pitcher Rocky Childress. Burk, who died here last week at 85, was also one of the forces behind Tucson’s one minor-league basketball team, the Tucson Gunners. He was 85. … New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto this week will be the third person to play in all three key baseball world series: the Little League World Series, the College World Series and the MLB World Series. Conforto is the son of UA grad Tracie Ruiz, who won a gold medal in synchronized swimming at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Conforto joins ex-Salpointe and UA pitcher Ed Vosberg and Jason Varitek in the exclusive club.

AIA makes absurd decision

The AIA last week made another absurd decision when it denied Rincon/University, Sunnyside and Tucson high schools an appeal on moving down from Class 6A to Class 5A next year. In terms of travel costs and geography, it makes much more sense for the schools to belong to a smaller conference in Southern Arizona. Imagine all that travel time on Interstate 10 for the Rangers, Blue Devils and Badgers. Not good.

Ex-UA swimmer Pepper making another documentary

Martin Pepper, an All-America swimmer at UA in the ’90s, continues to be successful in his new role as a TV documentary filmmaker. Pepper’s new show, “Atlantis Found,” is now playing on the History Channel. Pepper, an adventurer-geologist, attempts to make history by finding the lost city of Atlantis.

Injury bug hits Wildcats again, this time in basketball

Two months into the athletic season, Arizona has lost three of its premier athletes to disabling knee injuries: linebacker Scooby Wright, softball outfielder Alyssa Palomino and now basketball’s Ray Smith.

Wright may never play another down at Arizona, preferring to enter the NFL draft next spring. But for Palamino and Smith, there is more reason for optimism: they will likely redshirt and effectively be part of the recruiting Class of 2016, instead of 2015.

If ever there was a time to be injured, now’s the time.

The most serious knee injury in UA basketball history was Steve Kerr’s blown ACL during the semifinals of the 1986 world championships in Spain. By redshirting in 1986-87, Kerr returned to lead Arizona to the 1988 Final Four. The rest has become an almost magical tale of success.

Kerr was a notable exception, however. In 1977, Arizona sophomore basketball forward Robbie Dosty, who had the look of a future NBA player, averaging 11 points as a UA sophomore, wrecked his knee in a car accident and was never the same.

After sitting out the 1978-79 season, Dosty averaged just 1.9 as a junior. He lost part of his quickness and jumping ability. He did not play in the NBA.

Ray Smith will benefit from 35 years of progress in medical technology and treatment unavailable to young Robbie Dosty. If it all works out, Smith will be a productive UA sophomore or junior in March 2018 or 2019.

Saturday morning, Sean Miller issued a 135-word statement on Smith’s