Why new the president is a big deal for Michigan athletics

The new University of Michigan President Santa Ono could be a difference maker for Michigan football and other athletic programs. 

The former University of Cincinnati and University of British Columbia president Dr. Santa J. Ono has been named the 15th president of the University of Michigan.

The news was officially announced at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

Ono graduated from the University of Chicago and McGill University, and he has had a really positive influence wherever he’s been president.

Why Santa Ono is a great hire

What’s the difference between him and the last University of Michigan President? (who shall not be named).

Well, unlike the last president, this president actually seems to care about students’ well-being, especially student-athletes, so that is definitely music to our ears.

When Ono was president of Cincy, he was actively engaged in the athletics department from a financing standpoint and from an interaction standpoint.

During his time at Cincy, he had a hand in various renovations, the biggest being the football stadium and basketball arena.

Under his guidance, Cincy’s football stadium added over 5,000 additional seats, more press box space, and various other upgraded seating situations.

Not to be forgotten, the basketball arena also revived significant renovations as well, with things like more court-side seats, club seats, loge boxes, video boards, and premium suites added to the arena.

All of that is fine and dandy, as any president can upgrade stuff eventually (because sometimes presidents are forced to upgrade because something breaks, or is super old not because they thought to do it themselves) but the real question is:

Can we expect President Ona to be actively engaged with the community and actually seen around campus?

Well, the answer to those two questions are both a resounding YES!

One of Ono’s best qualities is his willingness to get involved in the community and appeal to all campus students, alumni, and athletes.

Here is a video of him giving a speech to the Cincinnati football team after a practice.

At his other stops, he also did some crowd surfing during football games. How fun would that be if he did that in the Big House?!

Final Thoughts

Obviously, the biggest question he has to answer directly is how much he values athletics compared to the prestigious academic standard.

A lot will hinge on what he has to say regarding NIL and all of that, and I don’t expect him to outright say Michigan athletics should pay for athlete’s services, but I do expect Ono to give Warde Manuel much more of a green light with what can and cannot be done in regards to NIL.

What this is exactly and how it is shown on the recruiting trail remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: this was a much-needed change of pace from the previous regime, as it finally seems Michigan has a president who is with the times and not behind the times.

(Hmm, maybe Michigan football’s recruiting and NIL efforts might be saved after all. Just when a lot of us thought we were done for and had fallen behind the times, imagine that…)

https://twitter.com/EnowEtta1/status/1547276196945207298

Oh, and by the way, Santa brought Michigan football fans a super early Christmas gift: