There could be huge upgrades in the Oakland University athletic department.

The administration is looking into upgrading facilities in the existing Recreation and Athletics building, adding a new basketball practice facility, student lounge and study area. The cost of the project could approach $7 million and key administrators have already looked at other facilities to see how the Black and Gold can enhance the student-athlete experience.

That is according to Athletics Director Jeff Konya during a recent conversation in his office.

Here are some of the key highlights during our sit down.

INSIDER: So give me a state of Oakland athletics? How are you being received?

KONYA: "Everybody knows us. They know we are not in California and they know about the different athletic success we've had and we are perceived as a very high achieving Mid-Major type of institution. It is almost as if folks are asking me what is the blue print of our success.

"You have arrived, but how did you guys get there? The perception is we have arrived, but when I talk to (basketball coach) Greg Kampe behind closed doors we still have a lot of infrastructure challenges we need to overcome.

"If we are going to sustain the success that we've had there is the difficult balance there. We are putting this great movie together. Everybody likes the movie, but behind the scenes we still have a lot of work to do. We still need a new practice facility. Wait, we need a practice facility period. We need a film room. We need to expand the student-athlete lounge so they have a gathering place rather than just hanging out in the lobby. We need these pieces to sustain what we've got going on."

INSIDER: So do you need help in financing this project?

KONYA: "Help would be great. But leadership, the president, provost and COO have visited some athletic facilities at a competitor in the Horizon League. We kind of found out how they did their financing through philanthropy and through their university. If this thing is to happen it will be a combination of philanthropy, some naming rights deals and university financing.

INSIDER: So will the expansion take place within the current building or will you have to build outside the walls?

KONYA: "There is an old pool sitting in moth balls close to our facility. We believe we can capture a new practice facility, film room, student athlete lounge, academic area and nutrition center in that space that is currently vacant."

INSIDER: The school year is winding down. What is the state of Oakland athletics?

KONYA: "We really emphasized changing our culture. Not that there was anything wrong with our culture previously, but we really wanted to go to a student-athlete experience model where that was the key component of our decision making and really focus on that piece. And if we were successful in creating our culture, which went into our ethos, which is our belief statement and had everybody buy in we thought we could do some special things.

"One thing people tend to do in athletics is to just focus on results. However, you can get to a good result through a bad process and you won't be able to replicate those results over the long term. I knew in the back of my mind if we got through everything in the process especially with this generation is like, then the ends would take care of themselves. We have had unprecedented success the last two years."

INSIDER: And it seems as if a lot of people outside of Oakland have taken notice.

KONYA: "Athletically we'd never won an All-Sports Trophy. We've won it twice even though we elevated our status to the Horizon League (from the Summit League). When you talk about the marketing and branding we had the "Wear the Bear" campaign which is very successful. I went to the recreation center to work out and I saw Michigan, Michigan State and Pistons shirts. I saw everything but Oakland.

"We tried to help the campus community with pride, traditions and infuse what athletics can do. Later I went to the swim championships and went to the recreation area and it was all Oakland. The pride is back. I think we have a great product here."

INSIDER: What are you selling to potential student-athletes and to the public?

KONYA: "Authentic experience. What Oakland is, is the sub shop down the street with that local flare. It's not commercialized. It is a very unique experience. I think that is what we are trying to instill. There is nothing wrong with the commercial product like Subway and Applebees or whatever. We don't want to be that. For us to be successful we have to be a real authentic experience that we control. Our administration knows the first names of the student-athletes. We have one connected family from the top down that you don't get at other BCS institutions. They have a vast mini-Microsoft Fortune 500 feel to it that is very difficult to have those kinds of relationships. With this generation of students they are craving very honest and sincere relationships."

INSIDER: My children are on campus for soccer quite frequently. You have a new dome and there are outdoor practice fields. What are the benefits for these facilities and improvements?

KONYA: "The benefit is for the student-athletes to have better facilities to train. We had a new dome which is very helpful through those cold Michigan winters. That was formed through a unique partnership with Total Sports where we have access during the day and the community has access at night and through the weekends. That partnership has worked really well in bringing a great facility not only to Oakland, but to our student-athletes and the community that can use that.

"Our track program is having unprecedented success. Our women won the (Horizon League) indoor meet and was third in the outdoor. It has a lot to do with the upper field facility. The upper playing field has soccer and turf for intramural and club play. It is used 24/7."

(What grade did Konya give to the Oakland men's basketball season and could football be coming to Oakland University? Konya will tackle those issues and more in the next Insiders column.)

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