Dave Brandon : All posts

Michigan Board of Regents approve $16M field hockey, softball and baseball projects

The Michigan field hockey team, pictured above, will be getting a new facility following the 2013 season.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com file photo

• Related: University of Michigan students upset over new football seating policy

As expected, the Michigan Board of Regents approved two major athletic facilities projects at its meeting on Thursday. With the stamp of approval in hand, the athletic department can go forward with plans to break ground on construction of a $13.5 million field hockey facility and make $2.55 million in improvements to the Wilpon Baseball and Softball Complex.

Dave Brandon debunks top myths about Michigan's athletic department

University of Michigan Students enter Michigan Stadium to view the season opener against Alabama.

Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com file photo

"We're misunderstood a lot," Brandon said to a faculty senate committee on Monday.

Twenty-five years ago, the athletic department had a $16 million annual budget. Now, its budget is more than eight times larger and with that growth comes a lot of questions and, if you ask Brandon, misunderstandings.

Michigan athletic department describes its 'catfishing' of student athletes

The dangers of being lured into an online relationship with someone after being contacted on social media have been front and center in the news since it was revealed that Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o supposed girlfriend was fake.

The Michigan athletic department has been preparing its athletes for similar dangers since 2011 according to athletic director Dave Brandon.

Speaking at the Distinguished Global Leaders forum at the University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation on Friday, Michigan athletic director Brandon talked about the department's use of the company 180 Communications Inc. to educate athletes on the dangers of social media.

Ones to Watch 2013: Michigan athletic director David Brandon aims to make department ideal destination for talent in 2013 and beyond

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon has made it perfectly clear that he's not comfortable with the status quo in his tenure.

AnnArbor.com file photo

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon is the man in charge of the department and its $133 million budget. Since taking over for Bill Martin in March of 2010, the only constant within the athletic department has been change. From coaches, football uniforms and game times, administrative staff, facilities and everything in between, nothing is sacred and a “good enough” status quo never seems to be an option for the former Domino’s CEO.

With a department with such a heavy influence on the area and a leader noted for shaking things up, it should come as no surprise that Brandon is one of AnnArbor.com’s “Ones to watch” in 2013.

Faculty want more say on University of Michigan athletics

Edie Goldenberg heard about the Big Ten's recent addition of University of Maryland on the radio, the same way she heard about the the University of Nebraska joining the conference in 2010.

University of Michigan administrators say Big Ten expansion makes financial sense

As the Big Ten expands, top University of Michigan administrators continue to praise the change as a practical move to stakeholders and longtime fans.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon on '60 Minutes' segment: 'We took a risk'

The prospect of "60 Minutes" coming to Ann Arbor to film a segment about the business of college athletics provoked some nervousness in athletic director Dave Brandon and other University of Michigan officials.

What did you think of the Michigan football segment on '60 Minutes'?

The Michigan football team takes the field before the game against Northwestern on Nov.10.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

Next up in Michigan Stadium's makeover: $6 million paint job

Michigan Stadium could get a $6 million paint job.

MLive: U-M, MSU athletic directors join forces to promote physical fitness

The teams from their respective football programs will be fierce opponents Saturday, but off the field, University of Michigan Athletic Director David Brandon and his Michigan State counterpart Mark Hollis have found a new way to work together.

PNC Bank 'tickled' to become official sponsor of U-M Athletics

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon presents PNC regional president Richard Devore with a photo of the football stadium.

Lizzy Alfs | AnnArbor.com

Oklahoma City T-shirt boy and family will take in Michigan-UMass game this season

The Michigan football program will have a rather special guest on Sept. 15.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon told AnnArbor.com on Thursday that the program will host five-year-old Cooper Barton and his family when the Wolverines take on Massachusetts at home this season.

Dave Brandon explains 'family squabble' between marching band and Michigan athletic department

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon called the situation with the marching band this past spring a 'family squabble.'

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

This past spring, the Michigan athletic department came under fire after it was revealed that the university's marching band would not be accompanying the Michigan football team to Texas for the season-opener against Alabama.

When asked Wednesday about the band situation during a speaking engagement with the Detroit Economic Club, Brandon explained exactly what happened.

"Every organization you're attached to has from time to time what I could characterize as a family squabble," Brandon said. "A disagreement, a misunderstanding. I bet you have that with your own family.

"But in your family, you can kind of work through your family problem without Twitter."

Dave Brandon wanted '13 Michigan-UConn game played in Meadowlands, but Huskies aren't allowed

The Michigan football team's game at Connecticut in 2013 doesn't look like it'll be moving from the 40,000-seat Rentschler Field, according to Dave Brandon.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

But after several attempts to change the venue, Brandon now says there might not be any other option.

Brandon said Wednesday that he proposed various venue switches to Connecticut and athletic director Warde Manuel, including a possible date at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, but has found that any move might be legally impossible.

"We would prefer to play the game at another place, we've made specific proposals that have what I would consider to be more than compelling financial incentives to move the game," Brandon said. "Life is politics, and my understanding is that in the state of Connecticut, when the state (gave) dollars for that stadium, because it's not a university stadium ... they put in a legislation that UConn could not move a game off or away from that stadium.

"It would literally take some kind of waiver or act from their state legislature to move the game."

Michigan to invite Oklahoma City T-shirt boy to home football game

Five-year-old Cooper Barton was punished for showing his Michigan football pride recently in Oklahoma City.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon has a problem with that.

Brandon said Wednesday he plans to get in touch with Barton's family this week and extend an invitation for him and his family to attend a future Wolverines home game.

"We're going to invite he and his parents to come for a game and we'd like to put him up on the big board," Brandon said Wednesday during a presentation to the Detroit Economic Club. "We'd like to thank him for being a big Michigan fan.

"And I'm going to send him a T-shirt."

Dave Brandon says Michigan football team will host a night game in 2013

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said he plans another night game at Michigan Stadium in 2013.

Steve Pepple | AnnArbor.com

Due to scheduling conflicts and an unusually high amount of night-time kickoffs in 2012, Dave Brandon elected to not plan a primetime home game for the Michigan football team this season.

The 2013 campaign, however, is a different story.

"We think we're playing lots of night football (in 2012), and to just jam one into the schedule this year just to say we're having another one at home didn't make a lot of sense," Brandon said during a speaking engagement with the Detroit Economic Club on Wednesday. "We'll have a night game in 2013. We will.

"We'll try to do something even better than we did the last time."

Dave Brandon and Mark Hollis share mutual respect, and insist they're not trying to one-up each other

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon and Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis insist the competition between their respective schools stays on the field, and isn't between them as individuals.

Jeffrey Smith | AnnArbor.com

The Spartans have scored four straight wins in football, the Wolverines have started to become a player again on the basketball court and both departments seem to be churning out far more good than bad these days -- cranking up the intensity of an already fierce battle.

Some argue that rivalry also floods off the field and into the athletic director offices of both Michigan's Dave Brandon and Michigan State's Mark Hollis, two of the most respected leaders in the industry when it comes to innovation.

But Brandon and Hollis insist that's not the case, saying there is no rivalry between them as individuals.

"The competition is on the playing field, the court and all the things we do -- if we ever get to where the competition is between Mark and me, the world's upside down," Brandon said Tuesday at the B1G AD Golf outing. "Like Mark, I have great respect for Michigan State. They make us better with this great rivalry that's special for our coaches and our kids and it's special for us."

Dave Brandon supports Mark Emmert's Penn State sanctions, says Big Ten will survive the scandal

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said he fully supports the ruling the NCAA handed down to the Penn State football program Monday.

Debates sprang up about whether or not the NCAA's ruling was too harsh, too lenient or somewhere in between. But, according to Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon, the entire situation was handled just right.

"That was a process that was completely driven by the presidents, as it should be," Brandon said Tuesday. "I thought (NCAA president Mark) Emmert did a terrific job in laying out the case of what they did and why they did it.

"And the fact that Penn State embraced it and recognized and accepted it, it doesn't close the chapter in this, but it's a step in the right direction."

Contract extension gives U-M athletic director Dave Brandon possibility of earning $1.5M in 2018

Michigan athletic director David Brandon talks on the radio at the M-Den during the WTKA Mott Takeover fundraising event in May.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

So pleased, in fact, that the school has extended his contract three years before it's set to expire and increased his pay rate to a possible $1.5 million in 2017-18, up significantly from his current earnings.

Brandon's 2011 base pay rate was $600,000 and he received $165,000 in bonus pay outlined in his contract and $100,000 in deferred compensation.

Under the extension, Brandon will earn $800,000 in base pay this year and his base will rise $50,000 each year afterward — eventually reaching $1.05 million in 2017-18.

Dave Brandon vs. Mark Hollis golf rematch open to public Tuesday at U-M Golf Course

The public is welcome to walk along with golfers when Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon and his Michigan State counterpart, Mark Hollis, renew their B1G AD Golf Challenge on Tuesday at the U-M Golf Course.

Admission is free for the event, which will feature nine head-to-head matchups in a match play format.