Fundraising, fundraising and even more fundraising.
Oh, and if new St. John’s athletic director Ed Kull has some spare time, throw in a few extra hours of fundraising.
During his introductory news conference on Tuesday, Kull made it clear his No. 1 goal is to raise as much money as possible.
That’s the job now, in the Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) era with revenue sharing with athletes expected to come sooner than later once the House v. NCAA settlement is approved.
“Revenue generation is going to be everything,” said Kull, the former Fordham athletic director. “I don’t see NIL going away, even with the House settlement. … The key to fundraising is truly establishing a plan that an alum or investor is going to be passionate about. People want to give and donate to something that they believe in, see a return on investment and with people that they trust.
“That’s the alignment here top to bottom, board of trustees on down, that, ‘All right, St. John’s is serious, they are committed,’ and that’s going to generate more interest with donors.”
Kull’s background as a fundraising powerhouse was a major factor in this hire, along with his familiarity with the school having worked there from 2011-17.
At Fordham, the Queens native raised $7.6 million in the fiscal year ending in June, a school record for the third straight year.
He set up the New Era fund for men’s and women’s basketball, which led to improvements in the programs’ facilities, more charter flights and additional staffing.
Under Kull’s watch, there were major increases in ticket revenue and attendance.
“I know Ed can do this job,” president Father Brian Shanley said. “We were also looking for someone who can navigate the complex relationships that are critical to athletics success. With donors, with corporate sponsors, we need help in order for us to be successful and I know Ed has those skills.”
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Added St. John’s coach Rick Pitino: “Everyone I spoke with was over the top about him.”
Of significance, Kull is very close with top St. John’s donor and billionaire Mike Repole, who donated in the seven figures for NIL for the Johnnies this coming season.
But it’s going to take more than just Repole’s deep pockets. Kull changed the athletic culture at Fordham, generating excitement among alumni and students.
He’s planning to do the same thing in Queens. Kull believes he can “absolutely” surpass the $7.6 million he raised last year at Fordham.
“I think Mike, yes, financially can help us as a booster and supporter,” said Kull, a baseball player at Stony Brook who later attended graduate school at St. John’s for business. “But he represents the opportunity that many alums out there can come back engaged, see our plan, become an investor, become part of the process, and have shared ownership with us. It’s really now or never rather than sitting on the sidelines and waiting.
“I want to touch everybody. We need everybody. I’m glad that room is packed, and I love that, but I want these rooms packed every day. I want these peoples’ ideas. How do we get all of these people back in the mix and passionate and giving and supportive and engaging and being a part of the process? I think there’s opportunities still to do a ton more there that we haven’t, and that excites me. That’s the only way this works. Waiting on one person is not a good strategy.”
