Swann on USC football's five-game winning streak...I have seen solid improvement in each game from the players. The coaches have delivered great game plans, on the offensive side from Tee Martin and on the defensive side from Clancy Pendergast, that the players are able to grasp and execute. Now, they have put themselves in position to play in a big game this week in Seattle.
Swann on all the support from alums over Homecoming weekend...
We have a very strong alumni base across the board from all of our schools and sports that rally around our teams, including our football program. The former players want to see a team that plays well and plays hard. I think they are seeing that and that's what they are excited about. Yes, it was a tough start to the season, but everybody knew that we had a difficult schedule. The alums and the fans are encouraged by the team itself, and its ability to get better week-by-week. We value the impact that our former players have with our current players and we look forward to having them continue to stay involved in the future.
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Swann on the importance of packing the Galen Center to create an atmosphere for basketball...
We had a fabulous showing of fans come out to watch our women's soccer team last week play UCLA at the StubHub Center. More than 8,000 people supported what was a great contest, even though we did not come out on top that night. We need to have the same kind of passion for our basketball teams. Our programs are getting better and improving every season. When they get that kind of support from the alumni, fans and students, it drives the student-athletes and motivates them. It makes them feel valued, which leads to better play.
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Swann on women's soccer getting a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament...Keidane McAlpine has done a great job of leading this team. He has prepared them all season by emphasizing the fundamentals and making sure the players are in the right position and playing competitively. To see them earn a No. 2 seed, it says a lot about this team's heart and hard work that led to consistency. Our expectations for postseason play are very high, but not as high as the players' own expectations in terms of what they believe they can accomplish.
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Swann on the UCLA rivalry...
I am looking forward to my first USC-UCLA football game as an athletic director just as I am excited to support all the sports when they play UCLA. Rivalries are important. We've had this crosstown rivalry for so many years in every sport, so we look forward to the challenge. Our student-athletes grow up playing with and against UCLA's student-athletes, so it makes it even more fun and competitive. We always play this game hard, but we also show great sportsmanship and respect and we expect the fans to do the same. It's a game that we want to win every year regardless of how our season is going, so I expect every USC-UCLA contest to have the spirit of a national championship game from both sides.
