New Basketball League Will Mean Marquette Can “Control Our Own Destiny,” Williams Says
Larry Williams says his life is “about using athletics to grow as a person.” The commitment at Marquette University to that approach to its athletes is what convinced him to become Marquette’s athletic director a year ago, and it is the centerpiece of the philosophy guiding major decisions on Marquette’s sports future, Williams said during an “On the Issues with Mike Gousha” session at Eckstein Hall on Thursday.
The foremost of those major decisions is the recently-announced move to withdraw, along with six other Catholic universities, from the Big East conference and form a new conference. “At the end of the day, we’re really excited about the opportunity to control our own destiny,” Williams said of the move.
Williams said Marquette leaders were aware of the risks of starting a new league, but he was confident that the future would bear out the wisdom of the decision. In the Big East, as it is shaped now, “our destiny was being determined by a sport we didn’t even participate in,” Williams said, referring to football. “We wanted to align with schools that have the same objectives we have” when it comes to athletic excellence and development of athletes as individuals.