Athletic director retires

Marquette athletic director Bill Cords announced his retirement Tuesday at the Al McGuire Center in an emotional press conference. Tom Crean spoke at the conference.

He recalled how difficult a time he'd had in convincing Cords to cut down a piece of the net after MU beat Kentucky in Minneapolis in the 2003 Final Eight. He added that Cords was about as humble a man as he's known. Crean choked back tears at the press conference, as did Cords.

Cords spoke of when he'd been in the locker room before the Kentucky game. He said Crean was as wired and as confident as he had ever seen the coach.

"The win over Kentucky, with all of the emotion.It was just a confidence level.It was awesome. I mean those poor devils didn't have a chance."

Cords was Marquette's A.D. for 20 years, facilitating MU's moves into Conference USA and more recently into the Big East.

Finally!

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday that University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Athletic Director Bud Haidet signed Marquette's contract proposal for the teams to play one another after negotiations had stalled. Marquette is expected to ink the deal, and the teams will play one another next season through 2011.

UWM had rejected the offer last week, asking MU for $20,000 because four of the five games will be played on Marquette's at the Bradley Center. Apparently, UWM donors quelled the issue with contributions.

UWM will host Marquette at the U.S. Cellular Arena in 2010.

"We're pleased they finally recognized the appropriateness of the contract," Crean said in a statement.

The match-up had never seemed a huge necessity, but in the past two seasons, UWM won three NCAA tournament games. Students from both schools had clamored all along. In the past, the match-up has been uncompetitive. Marquette's all-time record against the Panthers is an eyebrow-raising 34-0.

The teams last played in Dec. 1998.