Skyline Conference Commissioner Tracy King Talks to Raptormania!

1. Where were you when you found out that Bard was going to join the Skyline Conference? Do you divide your life into "Before Bard joined the Skyline" and "After Bard joined the Skyline?"

Actually, I'll never forget the day that Bard joined the Skyline Conference. I had traveled up to my in-laws' house in Massachusetts for my son's first birthday party and the athletic directors in the conference had conducted a conference call and accepted both Bard and Polytechnic as new members.  It was a great end to a wild rollercoaster ride in my first year as commissioner.  We had four schools depart and four schools join in a matter of nine months.  In the end, I believe we ended up with a group of institutions that will be a better match than what we've had.

2. In the Skyline Conference charter, it is written that a goal of the conference is "To foster the growth of leadership opportunities for our student-athletes so they may be productive members of society." Are you concerned that the demoralizing losses other Skyline athletes will suffer at the hands of the Raptors may stay with them, hindering them for life?

Of course I'm concerned about the long-term well being of our student-athletes.  We want to be sure that they have an enjoyable experience as part of the Skyline Conference.  It has been said that athletes learn more from losing and from failure than from winning.  Let's hope that's the case here!  Hopefully they won't need counseling.

3. How long have you been the Commissioner of the Skyline Conference, and how did you find yourself in that position?

The 2006-07 year is my second year as commissioner of the Skyline Conference.  How did a find myself in this position?  Good question.  It's obviously not because of my stunning good looks!  My background is in media relations and sports information - I've worked at a number of institutions in both Divisions I and III, most recently as assistant athletic director at Stevens Institute of Technology.  While at Stevens, I also doubled as the publicist for the Skyline Conference, so I had an opportunity to get to know a good number of coaches and administrators in the conference.  When the conference decided to hire a full-time commissioner, I felt that it presented an opportunity for me to continue a building  process that begun a few years back.  I relished the challenge.

4. Despite Bard's absence until next season, it was a very impressive year for the Skyline in men's basketball, between Mt. St. Mary's Mike Hoyt being named an All-American, to Stevens Tech advancing to the Sweet 16 and losing to eventual champion Amherst. Was this the best year you've seen the conference have, and what is the next step you'd like to see the conference take?

In some ways, this was the best year the conference has had.  In basketball, this was probably our most competitive year with two teams - Stevens and Manhattanville - qualifying for the NCAA Tournament and one reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time.  The top seven to eight teams in the conference were very competitive.  We had seven teams finish with winning records and six teams win at least 15 games.  The women's side was just as exciting with three teams winning more than 20 games.  We had a competitive balance in basketball that we really haven't had in the past.  That hasn't been the case with a number of our other sports where one or two teams have dominated.  With the change in membership and the addition of Bard, Polytechnic, Purchase and Russell Sage, I see that competitive balance spreading to other sports as well.  I really believe that 2007-08 is going to be one of our most exciting years with championships up for grabs in just about every sport.

5. When other Skyline coaches come to you begging not to make them lead their teams to certain slaughter at Bard's Stevenson Gymnasium, will you have a stock answer, or respond to their cowardice on an individual basis?

I'll probably go with the stock answer here.  I know Stevenson Gymnasium can be an intimidating place for a visiting team, but everyone has to do it. There are no breaks in the schedule!  In all seriousness, Coach Wood and Coach Watson are doing a great job building the Bard basketball programs. Having been affiliated with the NEAC during the past two years has really helped those programs continue to grow.  I'm looking forward to watching Bard defend its home turf!

6. Have you considered storing the Skyline Championship trophy at Bard permanently in order to save on shipping costs every March?

We've already taken steps to do that.  I've told Manhattanville that they can enjoy the men's basketball championship trophy for a couple of weeks, but then it needs to be shipped off to Bard in preparation for next year.  I have to admit though, that I'm a little concerned about how the trophies will hold up in the summer heat of Stevenson Gym. I'm afraid the glue might melt!

7. What arrangements have you made with the NCAA to provide an automatic bid for the second place Skyline team in order to provide incentive to the conference's also-rans?

That's the beauty of "Pool C."  With the expanded tournament brackets, there are now more at-large spots for teams that don't win their conference championships.  We got two deserving teams in this year.  Even in the unlikely event that Bard doesn't win the Skyline title next year, the school should still warrant some serious consideration for an at-large spot.

8. Rank the following teams in terms of likelihood of winning the Skyline Conference next season: Bard, North  Carolina, Gonzaga, Vassar, Cal Tech.

Given the head-to-head win over Bard this year, you've got to think that CalTech would be the favorite in this group, although I'm sure the Bard players are salivating for a rematch.  Despite their continued interest in joining the Skyline Conference, we did not extend invitations to North Carolina and Gonzaga.  Who wants to travel to Spokane for conference games anyway?  Vassar... are they co-ed now?  I thought that was a women's college.

9. Where do you see the Skyline Conference in five years?

The Skyline Conference has undergone and continues to undergo a tremendous transformation.  The conference formed in 1989 as a men's basketball league. Interestingly, I don't believe that any of the original members still remain.  I think during the next five years, you'll see some great rivalries form.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Bard and Mount Saint Mary play some great games in the coming years.  As a conference, you probably won't see the Skyline Conference develop into a national power - that's really not what we're about.  I do think, however, that you will see the conference emerge as a leader in the areas of sportsmanship and student-athlete welfare - a model for other conferences to follow.  I can't wait for next year -bring on the Raptors!