Gene Chizik speaks in Montgomery

Hey everyone. I have returned from the Montgomery Auburn Club shindig, which was held in the very upscale-ish Renaissance hotel.

Thanks to Ronda Beesley and Stan Maxey, MAC stalwarts, for being there for me.

I also want to give another shout-out to WEG. That's twice in a week!

OK. OK. So what did Chizik have to say?

I'd be happy to share those comments with you.

• On the NCAA's decision to ban Auburn's "Tiger Prowl" barnstorming tours to high schools: ``We don't really put a whole lot of time and thought toward why rules are made up. We obviously follow the rules. With the SEC or the NCAA, whatever they are, we follow all the rules to the best of our ability."
  
  
• On if it's a good thing (as Trooper Taylor expressed) that the NCAA is curbing Auburn's enterprises: ``I don't think of it in terms of that at all. We just follow and abide by whatever legislation that they make. That's really what we do."
  
  
• On if his staff will begin brainstorming some new ideas: ``We're always going to do whatever we can to market Auburn and Auburn University football. We'll always do that. When we get done with this recruiting season, we'll go back and revisit it and look at what it is that we could have done better. We try to do that with every phase of our football program."
  
  
• So do you meet at a big table or what? ``We do. We throw it out on the table and see who's got what."
  
  
• So who is your MVP when it comes to ideas? ``I've got a whole room full of MVPs. It's really a great mix. There are a lot of creative ideas and creative minds in there. Guys really know their trade well. They know 17- and 18-year-old men and what gets them excited."
  
  
• Is there a synergy between what you all do and what Tony Barbee is doing with basketball? ``I know Tony is going to be really great at the recruiting area of our basketball program. We've already gotten together and worked together and talked through some things. I think there will be a lot of parallels between what we try to do and they try to do."
  
  
• How can you help them? ``Anytime there's a basketball recruit who's interested in Auburn -- just coming to the football end of it and coming to a game-day experience. I think that always helps. When you can come to an event that shows the passion and the tradition of a place, I think it really open the guys' eyes."
  
  
• Does that actually work? ``I think so. I think you work as a team with all of the basketball-football-baseball guys. It's all one, big family. We always try to cross over and help in anyway we can -- both in knowledge of where players are and what we can do to help … with recruiting."
  
  
• What's the latest with Big Cat Weekend? ``That's kind of down the road a little ways. We're in the premliminary processes in terms of getting ready for it. That was a fairly successful weekend last year in our opinion. We don't know exactly where we're at with it right now in terms of how many, who is coming. We feel really good about it going to be a really good weekend."
  
  
• Do you find that last year's publicity makes the prospects come to you and ask for an invitation? ``I don't know if they come to us. You always have to go out and seek them and energize them enough for them to want to come. Last year's success certainly helped."