Swann on the football season through five games...The team has improved week over week. The players are executing better and making fewer mistakes, which were our biggest issues earlier in the year. They played strong, fast and confident against Arizona State, so Coach Helton has done a great job making sure the players are focused on the game ahead instead of worrying about the game behind. That is how you get better and have a winning season.
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Swann on the university being ranked in the nation's Top 15 academically...
The No. 15 ranking in the Wall Street Journal study is a testament to the long term growth of the university. You do not improve in those rankings overnight. It's not about doing something well for one year. You have to do it consistently. Under the leadership of Max Nikias as our president, USC has been able to do that, not just in terms of the new buildings that you see on campus, but the professors and academic teams inside these buildings, and the kind of students that are applying to USC from all over the country and around the world.
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Swann on women's soccer's nine-match winning streak being tested by No. 1 Stanford on Thursday...
You always want to beat Stanford. You always want to beat Cal. And of course, you always want to beat UCLA. All the California teams, so you establish your dominance within the state. The women's soccer team has been phenomenal. They are good, confident and deep. You can see their determination every time you walk out to the field and watch them play. They go after it. They are relentless in their pursuit of this streak and winning championships. Their shutout streak was broken, but that's okay because they are still winning.Click here for the women's soccer schedule.
Swann on expectations for men's and women's basketball season...
I am looking forward to watching both teams as practice begins this month. I have sat with Andy Enfield and tried to help him recruit some of the top athletes in the country, and he feels very confident about the future classes that he is going to bring into the school. He has the program on the upswing. They were in the NCAA Tournament last year, and he feels really good about the talent that he has on this year's team and their chances to get back to the postseason.
On the women's side, I see them more than just about any group down at the McKay Center, working out and getting stronger. They are so confident that a number of the players on the team have challenged me personally in terms of a workout, so we might have a little competition somewhere along the way. They are eager and ready to show that they are improving also.
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Swann on the safety and security improvements at the Coliseum...
Security is a big issue around the country. With the Rams being here, we are following some of the same procedures that the NFL does, and many other colleges are following suit. For example, the clear bag policy and the metal detectors help our security staff provide a safe environment, but it takes a little extra time. We need to educate all our fans not to rush the gates right before kickoff. We encourage them to enter the stadium earlier to make sure that they make it to their seats in a timely manner. It's a process. People have to get used to the new way of doing things. Everybody at the stadium is working diligently to make sure that the process is as smooth and efficient as possible.
Click here to watch a video on the new security procedures.
