Getting to the Game: Bill Hancock and Chris Perry
Bruce Bleakley
This is your Captain speaking. Welcome aboard, everyone! I’m Bruce Bleakley and I’ll be your pilot for this week’s flight of the Love Field Stories podcast.
This week, our guests are Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the College Football Playoffs, and Love Field’s own External Communications and Marketing Manager, Chris Perry.
If you want to be part of the live conversation next time, head over to the Dallas Love Field Facebook or YouTube page every other Tuesday at 12:30 pm central.
One last thing before we take off…
Love Field is the home of the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars team airplanes. And the gateway to great sporting events in Dallas. And did you know, you can “park with the Mavs” on level 2 of Garage C? Dallas muralist and graffiti artist Tex MO-tawn has tagged the entire level with his very own “City Edition” brand of the Mavs team spirit in bold colors, images, and slogans. Like everything else at Love Field, Garage C is convenient and easy to find. So, when you fly out of Love, click on the link in the episode description to Love Field’s parking garage page for a short video that shows you exactly how to get to Garage C and “park with the Mavs!“
And now we’ve been cleared for take off, I’ll turn the microphone over to Bill Hancock and Chris Perry.
Chris Perry
Hello everyone. Thank you for joining us and welcome to Love Field stories on Chris Perry, the external Communications and Marketing manager at Dallas Love Field.
Bill Hancock
And I’m Bill Hancock executive, director of the college football playoff on love, feel Stories. We Share stories, memories and experiences about our favorite airport and its effect on the people of North Texas.
Chris Perry
And today I am lucky and thrilled to be here with one of my favorite people in the world. As we talked about one of our favorite subjects, which is college football and other sporting events, Ants and the impact of sports here on Dallas on Dallas Love Field in the North Texas region. And I should probably preface this by saying, how are you today, Uncle Bill?
Bill Hancock
I’m doing great, Chris. Thank you for having me on.
Chris Perry
Of course, really a thrill. And so we’ll just get right into it. So I guess we should start it. Our history together, our history and sports back and forth in the family. I like to tell people you’re the best sooner, I know, because I am a proud Oklahoma State cowboy. And when it comes to Oklahoma State athletics, we agree on one spot. And which one is that That would be women’s soccer. That’s right, Do not miss many Oklahoma State women’s soccer games. My cousin and Bill’s daughter in law, Karen, actually started the program at Oklahoma State. In what year 1990…
Bill Hancock
My goodness. 95? I lose track.
Chris Perry
Yeah, that sounds about right. The first head coach of Oklahoma State women’s soccer. And now is the now as an assistant coach and holds a role in the athletic department, their diploma state. So there’s always been a lot of sports around the family. It’s always been really important to the Family. I was born in March 30th 1988 What were you doing in late March 1988?
Bill Hancock
Oh man, I had a life-changing event. The final four was in Kansas City. I work for the big 8 conference, and I was asked to be the co-chair of the local organizing committee, and we started working on that final four about 1985 or 86. And that weekend was the culmination of all of our work. And something else really cool happened that weekend.
Chris Perry
That’s right. Yeah. And as we were saying, Any of the jokes always been that they had to induce labor on my mother so that my dad could get to the final four up in Kansas City From Tulsa. You said it was a life-changing event. How was it kind of a springboard into your career in the role you have now at the college football playoff?
Bill Hancock
For me, the 88 final four was when I really got to know the staff at the NCAA and year and a half later, They were looking for someone to become the director of the final four men’s final four. And they called me and I said, I’d love to talk to you about this and got the job. And that was the beginning of a great 16-year period that I had at the NCAA. And because of that, I got to know the people who manage the BCS at the time they called me and said, we’re looking for somebody to run this full-time. Would you do it? And I said, man, absolutely sign me up. I’ve always loved college football, and getting to put my 16 years of experience with the tournament together with football has really helped me a lot. And this is my 17th season in college Football. So how lucky am I? I got the direct, the best event in college basketball, And now I get the direct, the best of it in college football.
Chris Perry
Not many can say that. Well, I guess technically no one can say that. So I know a lot about the history behind, you know, the BCS, transition over the college football playoff, the way that it changed the sport and really change the landscape of all sports When that decision was made. And you realize, you know, we’re actually going to have this college football playoff. We’re going to find a full-time staff and set them up. What made you all decide? You know, this is the place where we want to do. We want to. We want to have our Headquarters here in North Texas.
Bill Hancock
Well, I was the only employee of the BCS and operated out of my home in Kansas City. But we knew we needed to have a headquarters. And we did choose Dallas, obviously, where our office is in Irving. And the big part of that was the air service to be able to be right here in the middle of the two Airports was an awesome thing for us as we don’t have many visitors. But we travel a lot, and the airport’s here are just perfect for us. And as I said in the open, it is true love, Always my favorite airport. Love Field is my home base.
Chris Perry
Most people don’t know you’d actually don’t live in Dallas full time. So you do spend a lot of time at Love Field. Yep, I travel a lot for business, and then also commute back to Kansas City on weekends where I live. So you mentioned Kansas City, the Dallas Texans, who then became the Kansas City Chiefs owned by the hunt family, well-known family here in Dallas. Lamar Hunt, met with Tex Schramm, Who at the time was the general manager of the Dallas Cowboys. The Kansas City Chiefs were in the AFL. The American Football League in the Cowboys were We see in the NFL, and the two leagues tired of trying to outflank Each other decided that they would come together and create one big football league, which became the NFL and led to the Super Bowl and led to Monday Night Football and all the iconic different brands that are around the NFL now. And that actually happened right here at Love Field, Tex Schramm and Lamar Hunt met in the terminal, and then out of fear that they may get caught by some media cameras, or something like that, Decided to go out to the airport parking garages.
Bill Hancock
I’m obviously one of many who remembers the old terminal All could Love Field and was lucky enough to be able to watch the construction of the new terminal and how they integrated that So seamlessly. And we were all of us. Passengers were so curious about this wonderful new terminal that was coming. And I remember I was there a week or so after after we moved into the new terminal. And what a remarkable experience that was, I’d love the old terminal. I love the history of it. But my goodness, this new terminal is it’s my favorite, because it’s so convenient. So Warm. So welcoming. I actually played the piano back in the day when the piano was there.
Chris Perry
Right. Yeah, we had the little pop-up Art Exhibit it.
Bill Hancock
I love love field. What can I say?
Chris Perry
And we actually just had our really busy day and each year around the State Fair of Texas, As any of the college football fans tuned in today, No or just Dallas residents know that the Longhorns from Texas come up from Austin, and the Sooners from Oklahoma Come down from Norman and, and meet there at the State Fair of Texas every year. What’s your been, Your experience with the Red River rivalry? And just all that It’s meant for the city of Dallas And then to those you to universities and to college football and college sports as a whole.
Bill Hancock
I got two words for you, corny dog. Now It’s a great rivalry. I’ve been to all the other great rivalries I’ve been to Army Navy. I’ve been to Georgia, Florida and Ohio State, Michigan and OU Texas, Or, as we say here in Dallas, Texas OU tops them all, I think, in large part, because of the tradition of the schools. But obviously the fair and I Of the fair I don’t get to go to the game every year, although I’d like to at my wife would really like to. But we were able to go this year. And our ritual is we get there in dark, get a parking spot and go immediately to can I say, Fletcher’s on this?
Chris Perry
I think so. Yes, sure.
Bill Hancock
You immediately go to the nearest Fletcher stand and have a corny dog for breakfast. And then we have another one after the game. So we just love the whole atmosphere. And when you list the big robberies in college football, you have to SW Texas, that’s all there is to it. It’s a fantastic event gray for the community. I went to my first OU Texas game in 1967 I have a friend who named Jim Weber, who has been to 54 consecutive, but I read a story that’s not the record. I believe I read about a guy who had been to 70 some consecutive OU, Texas games.
Chris Perry
How many did your brother make it to?
Bill Hancock
My brother made it to 56 I believe.
Chris Perry
Well, yeah, I moved down To this area in 2010 and then moved over. I lived over in Fort Worth for a few years. And then once I moved to Dallas and 2014 living here since then, it’s it’s always amazed me the way that the city has embraced the in event, the fabulous way that they’ve kept the game there at the Cotton Bowl for as long as they can. I like both of our stadiums. There’s not many events out there anymore. You know, the ones that I’ve gone to with, actually at the Cotton Bowl. Absolutely I think it’s still a fabulous setting. And especially that scene on the second Saturday in October, Always, even as someone who’s not a fan of either program or done have a rooting interest, It’s always been appointment television for me and seeing the way that the city of just Embraces it. And then an eye-opening thing for us this year at Love Field was that since March of 2019, when we started to see the downturn and travel October 10 20 21 the day after Texas / OU, Texas, depending on your flavor, That’s the busiest day We’ve had out of the airport since then Just shows how important that weekend is to the city, and how much fans of those schools, even if they’re not going to the game, have really embraced that Weekend here in Dallas. Obviously, you chose Dallas has the the headquarters of the college football playoff. I know a number of conferences Have done the same thing. If choosing this area to host What was the decision Making behind having the inaugural college football playoff championship game in north Texas?
Bill Hancock
We look for a stadium. We look for convention center hotels are service, and really the ability of the city to host a big event. We checked every box in north Texas. The stadium is fantastic. I already talked about the airports. Hotels for the teams are so important. Tournament like ours are North Stars to do things right for the teams. And I’m sure that Ohio State and Oregon had a great experience. Let me give you a little trivia question to Chris, who are the two teams have played in the first NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game? Well, I’ll answer Ohio State and Oregon, And who were the two teams that played in the first college football playoff game? Ohio State and Oregon. That’s why obviously our office was here. We knew we would be easy to work here. The Cotton Bowl Staff was the host for this, and they do a terrific job. And so does the stadium staff. Everybody We work with an AT&T Stadium is just first class in every way. And we actually experience that in a way None of us Wanted to last December when the Rose Bowl game had to be relocated here, lined up on very short notice and did a terrific job.
Chris Perry
Yeah, forgot about that. I guess. Yeah, There’s another North Texas trivia question of probably the only Rose Bowl hosted outside of Pasadena.
Bill Hancock
Well actually set the second one, Yeah, January 1 1942 three weeks after Pearl Harbor, They moved the game away from Pasadena and played in Durham, North Carolina.
Chris Perry
About as far from Pasadena as you can get. I think it left Fields always been a huge Gateway for sports teams. And we’ve hosted the Mavericks, and the Stars keep their airplanes here, And you’ll love Fields always had a strong connection to sports and looking back through the archives, Found some photos of Olympians coming back here, and you’ve got quite a bit of experience with the Olympics as well. You did go to the Tokyo and 20 21. And you’ve been to a number Number of Olympics before. What was that experience Like in 2021, compared to the ones you’ve been to previously.
Bill Hancock
Way different with no fans in the stands, But Tokyo was a great host. It’s a beautiful city. We got to see a lot of the city, even though the historical sites were shut down, We rode buses all around to go to the venues where we were working and just really fell in love with the city. It was a lot like College. Football was last year in pro football also with no fans in the stands, Got used to it. And frankly, for women’s gymnastics and men’s basketball, There were a fair number of people who were able to see the games coaches, other athletes, staff members who were able to get in on their credentials. So it felt like a Susie, a stick crowd. And the biggest thing was that the athletes were able to compete in the Olympics. So many hearts were broken the year before, when games were postponed. And we were just so happy that the games were able to happen in Tokyo, In the athletes got a chance to compete. And that was my 14th Olympics. And we’re looking forward to going to Beijing to work in February.
Chris Perry
And what was the experience with covid with travel? You’ve traveled a lot. What have you seen You’ve traveled all these various airports And in the way that things have changed with the during the covid era?
Bill Hancock
For us in Tokyo, We had to produce a two- test within 72 hours of flying over. Obviously, we wore masks all the way on the plane. And then everywhere in Okay, we wore masks. So I didn’t mind it. I mean, everybody had a mask on Everybody had a mask on. Yeah, it was comfortable at the end of the day when you got to take them off, But because everybody wore them, it was just kind of second nature. Being back home and traveling Again is, frankly, been kind of fun, kind of comforting. I am delighted to wear my mask. When I go into Love Field and happy to wear it on the plane. It really is good to be back, and it’s good to have fans back. It’s college football. I don’t think any of of us really realize how much we miss that. Last year. The pageantry marching bands, cheerleaders and fans go a long way toward making college football what we know it to be. So, so we’re glad to be back. We’re knocking on wood to hope, will stay back through the rest of the season.
Chris Perry
For those that remember, the 2020 Red River game was quite an incredible matchup as well, But not as many people were there to see it. And it just felt so different, even just watching it on TV this year, When the Oklahoma running back breaks off that long to She’ll run at the end. He’s running Right. What I think is the coolest thing in college sports that they do the 50 to the 50 at the Cotton Bowl, instead of doing it in zone to end zone, like, almost I’ve been to a lot of bowl games. And, you know, that’s how it generally is There, that he’s running into the endzone right In front of all of his own fans was as a football fan. I think, you know, when I saw you a few weeks ago, we talked about this, you know, it’s almost emotional. Whenever you get to see that again, and you alluded to it, You don’t realize how much you missed it last year, and just things that you you take for granted in a in a year that It has been said many times unprecedented,
Bill Hancock
Absolutely unprecedented. I’ll go back to one thing on OU Texas. My wife, Nikki, sat on the 50-yard line. So the person to her right was an oboe you person. And the person sitting right next year on the left was UT person. And in her Section, everybody was very respectful of each other. I think they all knew how privileged they were to be there. But somebody has to sit on the 50-yard line all the way up on both sides, Of course, in one. Of them was Nikki Hancock.
Chris Perry
Yeah, someone does, Yeah. And, you know, While she has her allegiances, it’s also good To, as you guys like to say in the cfp world, Check your hat at the door. Right? Is that that right?
Bill Hancock
Check your hat at the Door Nikki. And she wears a lot of brown, A lot of black, a lot of white. We don’t wear any school colors. I have to be careful What Ty I wear, No school colors allowed in our house, and working occasions.
Chris Perry
Made a bad producer here. I guess we need to move on to the Q&A. So the first question that we got is, how are we feeling about Bedlam this year? One of my friends I were talking about it. We like to think it’s a rivalry out. Oh no, on the OU side, how much it is, Just because one team has traditionally been a lot better than the other one. But every years different. And so that’s what’s exciting about college.
Bill Hancock
Football is every weeks different every years, different style of robberies in college football. And this one for us is interesting because Nikki and I both went to OU, but we have a strong feelings about OSU and a very good way. So whenever they place kind of tough for us, because we have people we know and love on both sides, but it’s a great rivalry of On rivalry. And really, you kind of major the Rivalry based on what it means in the state, And certainly means a lot in that state. But that one is also grown to mean a lot nationally. And how about this Chris? How about how few people understand where Bedlam originated That was not with football.
Chris Perry
Yeah it was on the wrestling mat. Bill what goes into planning the college, football playoff and the championship game. And the in the obvious, the new year, six games as well.
Bill Hancock
We have a staff of 20 here in Irving in our office and broken down to Stadium management team, Liaisons, Communications, business department, marketing events. And we work all year for the, for the one game for the championship game, which this year will be an Indianapolis, Our first foray into a Northern Tier city. And what a better place to go in the north and Indianapolis. They do a great job with events, primarily in addition to managing the staff. And make sure everybody has the resources. They need a both financially and emotionally at taking care of people on the staff. My Point responsibilities are primarily with the selection committee, and they’ll be putting out there right there. First rankings, November to First of five before selection weekend, very exciting Time for all of us, white-knuckle time for the committee, because they understand what those rankings mean to everyone in college football. We like the weekly rankings, because it allows the committee to dig in deep every week on what makes up the teams and what they’ve done during the season. So that by the time we get the selection weekend, they are extremely familiar with, with every team, including the ones that are going to be in the hunt for the playoff and our final top 25.
Chris Perry
So next question is Bill. What’s what’s next for you and your career?
Bill Hancock
What’s next for me is, I’m going to go get some yogurt after this. If I could get a Fletcher’s corny dog somewhere, I’d go get that too. But I’ve had just a great career, and I’m I’m not as young as I once was, although I still Young, I’m just looking forward to the next steps in college football playoff and to helping people come to understand it. Speaking of my career in Dallas, I ran the White Rock Marathon twice Back in my marathoning days, including Iran, My PR there. The course then was downtown to White Rock Lake and around the lake and back, Lucky enough to run a 306, which is a pretty good time for a non-athlete like me.
Chris Perry
Yeah, I’ll I mean, when we used to live over in that area, that’s something we would go. So we’d have friends would either run in the half marathon of the marathon. And it’s Oh, it’s so cool to watch them come down Turtle Creek, and then they have earned and some kind of right there. You know, Turtle Creek comes down that hill right there, and it just another great sporting event in Dallas in a great day for the city. But there’s a tough one. What’s your take on NIL And the changing in the way that the student athletes are receiving compensation?
Bill Hancock
Well, the best thing we have going for us in college sports is the word college. And these are college students, and we cannot forget that. And we shoot. We shouldn’t forget it. I don’t think we ever will, but There’s a way to provide more assistance to athletes than I’m all for it. I do know that the value of the education is something really special As I talk to my family members and friends whose children are coming out of college with a fair amount of student debt, whereas athletes don’t. And that’s a great thing, But also understand, as I said, that there are ways to help athletes. And we’ve come a long way in that. For example, I’ll tell you and see if P when we started, We asked the NCAA if I could pay the travel expenses for the student-athletes families, and they kind of talked about it and thought about it. And they finally came back and said, yeah, you can do that, and now they’re doing it for final four. Also, Yeah, little thing, a really cool way to help Help the People Help the young people who play the game.
Chris Perry
Yeah, That was thinking about that as you’re given that answer. I mean, I think that’s a tremendous thing that you guys have done. And as you mentioned, kind of paved the way for that to happen within the tournament as well. They’re in the final one. What are we? As we get into? The first first rankings of the He’s in the what’s excited you so far in any predictions going forward?
Bill Hancock
Been a great season fun season. Can’t wait for more or any we’re heading into week 9 so there’s a lot more football to be played, and I am not in the prediction business. You know, I was going to say that.
Chris Perry
Yeah, I had a pretty good indicator, Pretty good idea as to what was going to go on there. Well, I think that is it. Thank you for joining us on Love Field stories Bill and for joining me today. And that was a lot of fun. And And I hope that everybody that tuned in really liked it. Hope you enjoyed the conversation, because I know I sure did.
Bill Hancock
I really did. I also want to tell the audience that Chris Perry is one of the coolest people I have ever met.
Chris Perry
Well thank you, sir, You know that that is certainly reciprocated here. So for everyone, don’t forget to check out season One of Love Field stories wherever you get your podcast, share it with the people you love and and head on over to Apple podcast to leave a five star rating and support Love Field airport. So thank you everybody. Thank you again, Bill. And we’ll see you guys in a couple weeks.
Bruce Bleakley
This is your Captain speaking. As we begin our descent into Love Field, I’d like to thank you for flying with us on the Love Field Stories podcast.
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