“Every single person who’s graduated from Texas wants to see our brand in a good light. And we’re honored to take care of it.”

Directors of UT Athletics DeLoss Dodds and Chris Plonsky shared insights on the Longhorn brand, leadership and ethics with the nearly 150 alumni and friends of the school gathered at AT&T Headquarters in Dallas for Access McCombs May 26.

It takes time

“I had a tough first 10 years at Texas,” said Dodds. “The next 10 years…were better, but not great. And the third 10 years have been really, really good.”

Since Dodds joined UT Athletics in 1981, the program refined its fundraising program, located new sources of revenue through sponsorships, raised its profile with the formation of the Big 12 Conference and invested nearly $400 million in facilities. The final step: recruiting the right coaches.

“It took a long time, but we worked our way to the point now where we feel like we’re one of the best,” said Dodds. “We can compete with anybody.”

Locate opportunity in your challenges

In 1992, six undergraduates sued the university under Title IX demanding equal opportunities for female athletes. At the time, UT boasted one of the most comprehensive programs for female athletes but, like most other schools, still offered fewer opportunities for women.

“The year the lawsuit was settled out of court, DeLoss called me and said, ‘We need to figure out how to raise more money. We need to start sponsorships,’” said Plonsky. “I look back at that lawsuit as a twist of fate for me, personally, and…an opportunity for us to do business differently.”

Partner with other top brands

“A brand isn’t effective when it’s everywhere, almost ubiquitously,” said Plonsky. “What we’ve tried to do is…create affinity relationships with…high-class, first-class entities like AT&T and others who feel the same way about their brand that we do, and that together, we can forge ahead and do special things.”

Recruit players who will step up

“That little piece on winning—it’s not as simple as it sounds,” said Plonsky. “That means you’ve got to have the right coaches who recruit the right student athletes who are willing to take on all of the pressure that we put them under. Train at the highest level, go out in front of the public and win, succeed, be a tremendous student at a world-class institution.”

Build a platform

ESPN has signed a 20-year agreement to own and operate a year-round, 24-hour network dedicated to covering university programming. The Longhorn Network launched Aug. 26 and will offer a variety of content, including UT sports, original series, and academic and cultural happenings.

“It’s going to be magic,” said Dodds. “It’s going to be good for Texas. And…it’s good for kids. Because every youngster that plays at the University of Texas…their events are going to be where their families can see it, their friends can see it. It’s going to make them feel better about themselves, about their sports and it’s going to help recruiting."

“Think about this asset for the University of Texas,” said Plonsky. “We can talk about, every day, what Bill Powers’ agenda is, what Tom Gilligan’s agenda is, what DeLoss’ agenda is. We’re going to have our own platform.”

Remember it’s about more than sports

“In the locker room after the [2005 football] national championship, with 120 kids crying, celebrating,” said Dodds, “[I remember] Mack Brown calming them down and saying, ‘Do not let this be the best thing that’s happened to you in your life. You’re going to have a wife, you’re going to have a job, you’re going to have kids.’ And that just, in my mind, set athletics where it should be. And that’s about kids.”

Own up to your mistakes

“Our rule at Texas is, you do not go to bed at night knowing something that’s not right without telling your boss,” said Dodds. “If anything goes wrong in Texas, or if we know something, we tell that day.”

Be pragmatic but fearless

“Don’t be afraid to take on challenges. To me, leadership is about that,” said Plonsky. “[Be] pragmatic but fearless…and be around a great place that demands excellence and put better people around you. I think that’s how leaders lead and that’s how, I think, programs become excellent.”

Be in Texas

“I tell our staff every day, ‘Texas makes you better,’” said Dodds. “If you come to Texas, if you’re at Texas, if you work at Texas, it makes you better because of the people that are there.”