Retention, realignment and SEMO Athletics: Athletics director gives the score on university sports and what the future holds

Southeast Missouri State University Athletics director Brady Barke, with several SEMO head coaches in attendance who have led teams to championships, spoke briefly Friday to the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce's January Business Breakfast about the leadership consistency seen in the university's 13 official sports.

SEMO is the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner's Cup Champion, awarded to one school in the OVC each school year for competitive excellence.

Southeast received the award for the 2020-2021 academic year after the OVC chose not to declare a Cup winner in the previous year, 2019-2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The decision not to award (the Cup) for that year was 11-1 and you can guess how we voted," Barke said.

Barke did not employ one of the notable catch phrases in the business world today — "employee retention" — but the concept was not far from his mind when listening to his remarks to chamber attendees.

Organizations place a value on keeping workers rather than deal with the disruptions that occur with turnover. Higher pay is sometimes the answer with more flexible hours and better working conditions among the steps companies take to hold on to valued employees.

Barke said, in so many words, SEMO tends to root coaches in Cape Girardeau.

"We don't have the best salaries in the country, and our coaches have all had opportunities to leave, but there's something about SEMO Athletics that keeps them here," Barke told the early morning crowd at the Jackson Civic Center.

Among the SEMO coaches on hand to hear the A.D.'s remarks — not a complete list of those in attendance: Tom Matukewicz, football; Brad Korn, men's basketball; Rekha Patterson, women's basketball; Paul Nelson, soccer; Julie Yankus, volleyball; and Andy Sawyer, baseball.

Changes

The Ohio Valley Conference is experiencing a period of extraordinary realignment, a trend of departing institutions Barke also noted in his comments.

Eastern Kentucky, for example, six-time winner of the Commissioner's Cup since the 2008-2009 year, has left the OVC for the Atlantic Sun Conference, joined in the expanded ASUN by Jacksonville State, another former OVC mainstay.

Murray State, a founding OVC member and two-time Commissioner's Cup winner, has announced it will leave the conference after the 2022 football season for the Missouri Valley Conference.

Speculation

According to Matt Brown of the Extra Points college sports blog, the OVC is considering new league members — specifically, current Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) schools Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Western Illinois.

Brown also said NCAA Division II schools Grand Valley State, Hillsdale, Lincoln Memorial and Southern Indiana may be under consideration to join the OVC in the future.

Next steps

Barke also addressed the tearing down of venerable Houck Stadium, built in 1930.

"The demolition didn't play out with the timing the way we would have wanted," said Barke, who has served as SEMO's A.D. since July 2015, reminding chamber attendees a capital campaign is underway "to completely rebuild Houck for the future."

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