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As the school year winds down, we had a one-on-one (IN PERSON!) conversation with Mizzou Director of Athletics Jim Sterk on Friday morning. Below is a full transcript of our interview which ranged from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Mizzou athletics to Sterk's long-term future in Columbia.

Parts of the conversation have been edited for clarity.

Sterk: "We're looking forward to the future. I think we're coming out of this and that's why I excited for us to be a part of it with MU Health Care and having the stadium as a regional vaccination site. I think it's helped give confidence and we want to continue to build that confidence so that we can be more normal by the fall. I think that hope is kind of driving us all."

"I think we obviously know a lot more than last year at this time and so I feel more confident of the ability to have more people in. Now, will there be restrictions? I don't know. That's up to county health and the University to decide what does it look like? Right now, as far as the University and athletics, we're full go and so that's what we're planning for. If we have to pivot and adjust like we had to for the last 14 months, then we'll have to do that."

"You know, we've got meetings Monday through Wednesday and it will be interesting to hear. From what I understand, and I've been on some some University calls, but I think to do that, we'd almost have to have a state law to be able to do that. I don't know where it starts and stops as far as requiring individuals to have a vaccination card for access. I know some private schools have already gone to that and said they're going to do it, but I think from a state institution and all, I think it's a different deal. Started the discussions, but not any kind of formalized."

"Right. And we were kind of that way this past year. In baseball, some of those guys are wide open and then others like us, we're staying at 20 percent. You've had to adjust that way and fans adjusting as well."

"You know, we're getting closer. I haven't seen the last quarter projections, but our revenues were down, I think we projected somewhere in the $30 million range. So we've tried to mitigate that, obviously prior to the start with reduction of staff and staff left for different things and we left those open and we're starting to fill those now. In our revenue, we've always tried to stay at full capacity as far as ones that were treating students in the health area or student impact (areas). So we're starting to build back. We're not planning to be a full budget by next year. I think from a conservative standpoint there's going to be impact. So we're planning on that, whether it's 10 or I don't know if will be 20 percent. But we're telling our coaches, don't plan budgets that are full back to 2019. That $30 million we mitigated with reduced expenses, obviously a lot of travel reductions and those things, but then also the SEC readjusting the revenue distribution. Those things are going to, I think, help us so that we'll have a close shot at the end of the year."

"We're just asking them to project right now. We'll see as we get closer next month and June obviously as we're heading into the last month of the fiscal year. We'll know a little bit better. But it's important, especially on the football side, they're going to open up, basketball's opening up June 1st. The coaches, I think they've had good success with the Zooms and things like that so they're not, you know, as excited about that I think. I don't know. The number of days and things, I think they're just all trying to figure it out so we'll have to see.

"I was excited from the day Nick (Joos) said we should talk to this guy. We sat in here and we had him on the phone. You've heard me say, I immediately called the Chancellor and said 'We've got to talk to this guy. I think he has that it factor.' I got excited about it. As far as the expectation of the season after we were dealt Alabama and LSU it was like, 'Oh crap! That's going to be a heck of a challenge.' And to finish 5-5, the enthusiasm, I think people should be excited. And I think he generates that both from a recruiting standpoint--we've signed a class higher than ever before. I think he creates that excitement and he is that guy. You've been around him. He is a character, but he's a good guy, he's grounded and I think an offensive savant, but not afraid to have people like a Scott Linehan around or hire a Steve Wilks. I think he's mature beyond his years that way and does a good job."

"Obviously the fall helped us. We always had that as a project and it's been on the master plan for a long time, but to help build momentum for it, obviously the fall helped us with that and Eli being able to do that. So when we got approval to go out, we immediately got great support with two great donations, the $10 million each. That then gives us a chance to be successful. In any kind of fundraising campaign, you've got to have half of it in the bank before you publicly announce. So that really helped us and we're continuing, I think we're over $28 million now and we're hoping to bring design and budget to the board by May or at the latest June board meetings that they have. They're still nailing down the designs and doing all that and in the mean time, we're shoring up how we finance it. Great support all around, from the board, President (Mun) Choi, donors and obviously that excitement and, as I said, I think people should be excited about the fall."

"We're looking at from a project in football the game field. We might replace it. We're trying to see if can squeeze in between camps and fall. It's past its due time as far as the field. Could we play on it? Yeah, but it's time to replace it. That could happen. We were just set to go to bid with a basketball project that we have a major renovation as far as all the locker rooms, medical training area, a year ago. We were set to go to bid and it got shut down so now that's been revived and that will go ahead. It's probably a $5 million renovation. Men's and women's basketball locker rooms are switching even so great cooperation between Robin (Pingeton) and Cuonzo (Martin) with the project and it will impact their medical training area and their team meeting area so I think that will be really good. We've done a lot of cosmetic (things). Impact Signs has done a great job as far as our branding. We've improved a lot of that, the weight room improvement a couple years ago. So that's an investment. Then each of our sports have projects. That's what's next. So if we can find someone to kick off a campaign to help with Larissa (Anderson) would like to have a softball indoor. That was originally planned over there. And that would be beneficial. In the meantime, it's really going to help with football out to help baseball and football over in Devine and have more access and more time there and soccer. There's a residual to all those improvements."

Nick Joos: "Lights at football practice."

Sterk: "Yeah, that's another one as far as the practice field. When we replaced the fields we were going to do it. I don't know if we had raised enough to do it at that time. I think that was another need so that, especially with the time change, they can practice out there."

"It's pretty limited. That's part of the stadium. Since the 1920's or whatever. It's not something that's going away. Now we're looking at some WiFi stuff that could impact it (in 2022)."

Joos: "Maybe rebuild the walls around the stadium to embed the wireless into the stadium wall there by 2022."

Sterk: "That could impact the track...It's more and more important. We need better WiFi. I think AT&T, we've talked to them. Prior to COVID it was getting closer and then it got shut down."

"As you have time to reflect, Cuonzo and his staff, they've rebuilt Mizzou basketball so the expectations are higher now. Which is great. When he took over, it was from a competitive standpoint at the worst in the history. Worse than when Norm (Stewart) took over and Norm took five years to get to the postseason. So to be in two of the three NCAA basketball tournaments that have been held for men's basketball, I think they've done a heck of a job. Now, is it where he wants to be or we all want it to be? No. He wants to be the last team standing. He's said that from day one. He put a stake in the ground.

He's embraced the transfer portal, feels it can really benefit us. The type of players he's been able to attract, I think it is going to benefit us. We may see less high school players that they sign and the transfer portal will be kind of like the draft, if you will. I don't know. It's a new day from that standpoint and how wide open it is. I was listening to Jim Boeheim, Syracuse, on the way here and he was talking about it that kids before, the playing time, they're going to go look and it may not always be good if you go and you may not play as much. He was giving examples of some guys that left for playing time and they didn't gain in playing time when they left. The rule I think is good from giving kids the access and ability, I think they're just going to have to learn maybe from some mistakes that kids have made this year of 'Oh, maybe I shouldn't have left' and the grass isn't always greener. So that's a balance there, but I think a guy like Cuonzo is embracing it. He's had very good success with transfers coming here and playing and contributing so I think that's a good sign for him."

"I don't know if it will get done. The timing of it wouldn't be done, but certainly we've talked about it and where it's at, our legislative process is like a three-month deal, so I would think maybe by the normal Destin (SEC meetings) time something could be done."

"Yeah. Right. It's definitely on the radar and heading towards some kind of decision."

"Yeah, I think so. But then it's also exciting for them to see, okay, who's the new guy coming in? So I think there's pros and cons to that. They may get down on a player and now there's new ones to look at. I look at it optimistically. For me, yeah, I'm going to take my note card (to the) first practice, okay, 'Who's out there and who's looking good?' Kobe (Brown)'s an old man."

"Not really. Not anymore. We talked about it a little bit. He's got three years left on his contract, it's a strong contract, it's good compensation and it's competitive nationally. We talked more about the program, what are the needs to go forward and move it ahead. He said he wants to be here and we want him to be here so I think it's in a good place that way. Not anything imminent."

"No. It's more of, Cuonzo tries to let that business stuff go. You know him. Let that business stuff go, but I'm doing this. He's got a good friend that's his agent. Had some discussions, but not anything imminent."

"I think they really got hurt by not having the preseason because she had a lot of new players trying to put it together. I was really optimistic about how they were ending the season and could make a run. The NIT, unfortunately, we had a starter with COVID with Hayley Frank so that really hurt them. I think she likes her team. I do know because I was walking around, I think the week right after they were having workouts, individual workouts, shortly after the season, maybe a week or two after. But I think she likes them. I think they're going to mold into a better team. And there's no one more competitive than Robin Pingeton so I feel good about that and where they're going."

"Believe me, I was trying to be Bob Bowlsby's best friend and we had a relationship."

"Yeah, I think time and change heals a lot of wounds. That was, I guess, the opportunity that we had now. That opportunity wasn't there almost five years ago when I came because I talked to Bowlsby and he just said, 'No, it's not gonna happen.' So there was more change and, I think, more time. And I think that gave us an opportunity. Brian (Smith) said 'I think it's starting to change' this past season. That's when I reached out and Bob confirmed 'yeah, we're talking about it' and then were able to get it done."

Joos: "Then when we left immediately, they didn't take any affiliate members. So it's only been, I think, the last three or four years where they started to bring those affiliate members in."

Sterk: "That too. Bob's a wrestling guy, so I think he probably looked at what's going to strengthen us to compete against the Big Ten. I think that's probably what they were looking at doing. I think that's a very good point."

Joos: "It starts in Lawrence this year...We put the Kansas City games on the back end."

Joos: "Yes."

Sterk: "At Lawrence and then comes here the next year."

"Another one, my scout right there (Joos), as we were putting a pool together and then as I dialed down into it, she was a pitching coach. In softball, it's so important. Then as we're watching her in the NCAA Tournament, her pitcher threw a no-hitter in the NCAA Tournament. That was the clincher for me. As we went to go see her, we had planned we're going to go talk to her and then we'll go back. I offered her on the spot. I was ready to dial in. I was giving the signal that we're going in and this is it. I just felt like she was the complete package. Someone nationally respected, could come in and build a program, do it the right way, competitive as heck. You've seen the results. I feel good about that."

"Yeah. Chris Malveaux has done a great job as the hitting coach. They're hitting the heck out of it and she's had to patchwork her pitching."

"Yeah, we put a bid in."

Joos: "We'll find out Monday whether we're one of the sites on the list. They'll announce probably 20 or so and out of that 20 they'll take 16 based on how the teams perform down the stretch. We'll find out Monday."

"It's tougher. It definitely is. This is the toughest league. The PAC-12 probably, but this is probably even more just with the fans and the package that you face when you go on the road in baseball. Have really good confidence in Steve Bieser. He's obviously disappointed, but we haven't given up and we're competitive. I think he's a great leader that way. I feel good. Now, can we do some things? We've talked to baseball alums and the need to improve facilities. We need to do that too. It'll take that outside support to be able to do some things and I think part of that's turfing the whole field. If you're a Northern school, make it an advantage and turf it. We did that at Washington State and it really helped us. We've done the infield, we need to do the whole field over. That's a facility need that they have. It will help them football going out (of the Devine Pavilion) and more access, like softball, into Devine and having that facility right there. I think those are the things."

"For us, we do have an advantage, those Northern states that we're the most Southern of those states in a Power Five conference. The Big Ten, we can compete and grab kids and (tell them) you're going to compete against the best. I think that's what you sell and you give that opportunity. The Chicago area, Denver even. You can come here and you're going to play in warm weather even in the spring, even in March. I think that's something that we have that we can offer and Steve is. He's going to continue to build that way."

"I think I joked in my press conference when asked that question I wanted to have a (Mike) Alden tenure of 15 years. I don't think it will be that long. But as long as I'm enjoying what I'm doing and I think I can have a positive impact on the program, then I want to continue. I've got now two of my daughters living here, a granddaughter here. We've made Columbia home that way. Not looking to go anywhere."

"I think all of us are really appreciative of the support during the time. Because everyone had their own challenges and their own adversity and got tired and worn out through this. I'm excited about the coaches that we have. We have a good group of coaches. They're going to do it the right way, represent Mizzou in the right way. I think we can have continued success. I think we're going to have 16 of 20 represented in postseason. We're going to continue to build. I do think that we're a school, with Kansas City, St. Louis and being the school, the flagship, we need to be in the top 25. That's our goal for each of our programs to reach that level and be consistent. I saw someone writing about national championships or SEC championships. We need to be represented, more SEC championships, and I do think we can do that with the people we have. We're going to continue to invest and as we have that support that will only help us get better and more competitive."

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