Ever Onward Podcast

The Bannock & The Ranch: Building Idaho’s Future with Matt Bauscher | Ever Onward - Ep. 74

• Ahlquist. • Season 1 • Episode 74

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The residential real estate landscape in Idaho is undergoing a remarkable transformation, with new construction dominating the market in unprecedented ways. Matt Bauscher, owner of Bauscher Real Estate and Idaho's #1 residential broker, takes us behind the curtain of this evolution with fascinating insights into why 40% of Idaho's home sales are now new construction – a staggering figure compared to the 8% seen in states like Arizona and California.

The conversation spotlights two landmark developments that exemplify Idaho's real estate future. The Ranch in North Eagle represents luxury acreage living reimagined, with 34 custom home sites spread across 191 pristine acres. The project's extraordinary infrastructure investment includes eleven ponds, city water, full irrigation, and private roads – amenities never before combined with acreage properties in the region. Meanwhile, The Bannock is transforming downtown Boise with the city's first high-rise condominium building in 15 years, strategically positioned near St. Luke's Hospital's billion-dollar expansion and offering residents the rare opportunity to build equity in an urban setting.

Beyond real estate, Bauscher shares his insider perspective on Boise State University's presidential search (which he calls "the most important hire in Idaho") and the remarkable impact of football star Ashton Jeanty's decision to remain at the university despite lucrative transfer opportunities. Throughout the conversation, Bauscher's deep passion for Idaho and commitment to thoughtful development shine through, providing listeners with valuable insights into how forward-thinking leaders are shaping the Gem State's future.


Episode Overview: 

• New construction dominates Idaho's real estate market, representing 40% of all home sales compared to 8% in Arizona and California
• Existing homeowners are staying put unless faced with major life changes like divorce, death, or downsizing
• The Ranch in North Eagle features 34 custom home sites on 191 acres with unprecedented infrastructure including 11 ponds, city water, and private roads
• The Bannock represents downtown Boise's first high-rise condominium building in 15 years, offering ownership opportunities in a prime walkable location
• Strategic location near St. Luke's Hospital's $1 billion expansion provides residents with proximity to healthcare and employment
• Boise State University's presidential search represents "the most important hire in the state of Idaho"
• Star athlete Ashton Jeanty's decision to remain at Boise State has had tens of millions of dollars of positive impact on the university and state

For more information on The Ranch, visit therancheagle.com, and to explore The Bannock, check out thebannock.com.



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Speaker 1:

Today on the Ever Onward podcast, we have Matt Bauscher, owner of Bauscher Real Estate. He is the number one residential real estate company and broker in Idaho. It's going to be great to have Matt back on. It's springtime, Things are heating up in the residential world. We wanted to hear what's going on with the market and talk about some of the big projects he has and, of course, a little bit of Boys State sports. So today we have Matt Bauscher. Matt, thanks for coming back.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, thanks for having me. It's time. It is time, spring's here.

Speaker 1:

I've done this before Spring's here and I thought it's time to have a. You know, you are number one residential guy in the state of Idaho. You've got your finger on the pulse of everything going on, so I thought it's time to get you back and say, hey, what's going on out there, how are people feeling? And then I wanted to talk about a couple of giant projects. Talk first about just the market rates sentiment. It's spring, trees are blooming, people are back out at the houses. How's it going?

Speaker 2:

I love living in Idaho. I'll tell you that my backyard every day there's a little bit more foliage. I know it's a special time Every season, every 90 days people are always moving and shaking. Every 90 days you get something new. Yeah, I love it. And yeah, obviously, with residential real estate now until November is kind of we're farmers, right, it's time to.

Speaker 1:

That's a thing, right, like you hear it, but that's a thing right. Winter's over, People are like waiting. What's the sentiment right now? Because I know nationally, internationally, interest rate. I mean there's just so many things to navigate, but what are you seeing out there on the street?

Speaker 2:

New construction is definitely leading the way. I mean, you saw, we're number one in the country and 40% of every home is new construction right now, which is I'll give you an example Arizona's 8%, california's 8%, we're 40%. Thankfully, we have room to expand.

Speaker 1:

So, even though you hear supply and demand, we've got that is the builders are building, builders are building and those homes are selling. It's just not fast enough, right? Or maybe not enough, but they're selling.

Speaker 2:

Well, and part of the reason why it's 40% is people that own their house.

Speaker 1:

They're not as motivated Right, right, and they're locked in at a rate that they're just not moving.

Speaker 2:

I call it unless, unless there's a D event, you're paying off debt, divorce event, you're paying off debt, divorce, death. You have diapers, diploma, you have downsizing, all these reasons that are monumental to make the change. If you're just kind of content, you're probably not going to act. So that's why new construction percentage has gone so high. I mean, in Canyon County where I grew up, it's over 50%. Wow, I mean two houses sell, Guarantee one's going to be brand new.

Speaker 1:

So historically again, that number is usually, oh, 10% to 15%. So 10% to 15% new construction.

Speaker 2:

All the rest of it was people changing, moving Absolutely Homes on the market, yeah, and the national builders have changed the landscape a lot. I mean, every single one almost is in town, which we didn't see. That earlier in my career.

Speaker 1:

So they've seen the opportunity. What are you seeing on the supply side of new construction I haven't had? Is there a lot of it coming out of the ground right now? Or you know, or the different bigger major local Idaho developers? It seems like there's a lot of new projects. There's a lot of projects and what.

Speaker 2:

What people do, you know the consumer doesn't realize is this is years and years of working. We'll talk about the ranch, the Scott family, the ranch going so right now we're releasing prices in spring of 2024. We started this project in 2021.

Speaker 1:

Let's start there, just because I know it's a huge, first of all great family. So Scott family, joe and then Brian's done this with you, but talk about the ranch.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, brian's been boots on the ground since day one, but it was like a scene off the Godfather. I found the family from Sun Valley. They've owned this land for many, many generations. They get on a plane. I kind of pick them up at the private airport, we take them out there, we all. We tour the land and then we go have dinner in the back room and it was really, really cool.

Speaker 1:

But today you've seen the infrastructure in and the lakes. So talk about the location.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so it's North Eagle, so it's basically Beacon Light, just north of Eagle Road. It was a 191-acre parcel that was hard to find in prime North Eagle, close to everything, and it's 34 custom home sites. So it's acreage, it's gated, it's acreage, it's gated, it's acreage, it's never been done before I drove through it.

Speaker 1:

It's beautiful man. Yeah, my good friend lives right. James Roberts lives right there yeah. And it's beautiful.

Speaker 2:

I don't know if we'll ever have another one of this scale, because there's not 191 acres out there. And then the money that they invested on the infrastructure I mean out there, and then the the money that they invested on the infrastructure, I mean they brought city water, they have full irrigation, 11 ponds. It's gated, it's private roads, it's curb gutter, sidewalk for acreage. Yeah, that's never been done before, so it's I'm I'm honored that I have been a part of it and I get to represent it well I'm not surprised.

Speaker 1:

You're the one doing it. Um so, uh, talk. So you're, you're out now we're now.

Speaker 2:

For a long time I was asking you. It's like no, we're, you're out now, we're now selling. For a long time I was asking you.

Speaker 1:

I was like hey, we're waiting, we're waiting for the right time.

Speaker 2:

So it's. It's live. Yep, it's. Finally we're starting to take offers. Do you have a? Do you have a website or anything we do, it's the ranch eaglecom. We're not on MLS or online yet. It's kind of pocket selling for now, until we can get final plat in 30 days. That's awesome.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, well, as excited as I am about that one, let's talk about the Bannock. The Bannock, so a little story behind the Bannock and I just want to. So big downtown Forth and Idaho project for us was initially slated to be multifamily, with all the changes, long story of the changes. We're like, hey, what is the ideal thing to do here? When we kind of took it back over and you did a feasibility study for us, by the way, which was super good, which was so fun 75 page.

Speaker 1:

This thing was like metrics based, the whole thing and you came back and said, hey, there's a definite deep market for condominiums at this location, and that's one of the things about the location you hear with real estate location, location location, location, oh, no question but it is, it is the thing right.

Speaker 1:

And so you're right there in the neighborhood feel, but walkable to downtown and so. But it wouldn't happen without you, matt. So your team has dug in, toured all over and came back, made all the recommendations for us to convert from multifamily. So the exterior of the building stayed exactly the same same balcony, same same feel, as it was super high end but. But then on the interior you've really taken it over.

Speaker 2:

Well, Boise is my heart and soul, right Boise, State, Bronco. All my homes have been in Boise. I love Boise and it's exciting to see what's happening at West. But we don't have the supply in Boise specifically, probably the best part of downtown Boise because it's the quiet side of downtown Boise. When you talk about 4th and Idaho 4th and Bannock, it's not busy, it's a neighborhood, quiet, where you want to live.

Speaker 1:

Uniquely, though that's why it was such when Ken Orm came to us, we're like, oh, my word, Because it is a couple blocks from downtown and a block, really, from St Luke's. Oh yeah, so you've got $1 billion being spent on their expansion. So you think about the Valley and healthcare, and they chose literally it was back when I was on their leadership team, like 15 years ago is when they said, hey, this is going to be where we plant our major regional healthcare system, and so they're spending a billion dollars and it's under construction right now. So you think of all the health care that's going to be right there. Jobs, really jobs, from starting all the way through in health care and you're surrounded by all the other industry down there, but you're walkable and then, uniquely, you hit it.

Speaker 2:

It feels like you're in a neighborhood, though. Well, and yeah, you talk about the hospital. I mean, bam and I and my two kids were born at that hospital. We lived in that hospital actually for three weeks when our daughter was pretty much. I have so much emotional attachment to that hospital and that location. But then we were at the forum yesterday and you were talking about the investment in the Micron and now you're talking St Luke's.

Speaker 2:

Our state isn't the University of Boise State, I mean, in western Idaho. It's a really good time, a pinnacle time in our community and the economic development and what's exciting is the future. But what I love about this is so many of the downtown buildings are either on busier streets where it's loud here you're a couple blocks away from walking to it, but also all the out-of-state money that puts into these apartments, the homeowners, the Idaho born and raised people. They can't get any of that equity. They just pay rent forever and those guys are clipping coupons, while this is actually a project that somebody can have ownership in and, as we know, are we going to be better or worse in five years? I think we're going to be better as a state. They can ride that equity wave and actually join the train instead of get left behind as a tenant.

Speaker 1:

One of the things you've told me from the minute we met and said hey, matt, can you help me out? Here was amenities. And you just said hey, this is different. They got to, they got to be. It's all about amenities for these, these, these units. And so you've also handpicked and designed every amenity that's going into this building.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, we wanted, we wanted amenities, that was, people would hang out and gather. You know, you could have friends over before you went out to dinner and you could, you know, sit there by the fire and talk, and then, obviously, for me, big as a workout facility, instead of having to go to a gym and drive and commute, you have a workout facility. So now there's no excuse. You have no excuse not to work out because you're right there on site and then there's a balcony outdoor that you can enjoy the view. And living in the heart of Boise, there's just so many things we're excited about and we're counting down. I'm seeing the live ticker on how it's going. There's guys working their sun up to sun down.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we have a big topping out ceremony coming up here in May and it's going to be exciting. I mean, we get CFO on these units in February and you've already had you really have it. You're launching right now. It's interesting because you're launching the ranch and you're really kind of launching the.

Speaker 2:

Bannock push here this next month Completely different buyers too Completely different buyers downtown in Eagle.

Speaker 1:

But before even really launching you've had tremendous success. We've been very pleased. You're way ahead of schedule on taking deposits.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, Go on the Bannocks website. I mean, the website is so cool because what we're doing is we're going to actually show you. You can walk through the units, you can see the finishes.

Speaker 1:

Oh, here it is.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, there's the website right there. It is changing the Boise skyline. We're so excited about it, but we're going to you know before you can put on hard hats and actually go through the buildings individually. We're already under contract on many, many units, which is exciting.

Speaker 1:

I personally want to buy one in here to have you know, as an investment as a legacy, I want to tell you like and I'm not just, this is not hyperbole, man your team is unbelievable. You know what I know? You come from an athletic background. You're a team guy, right. You've spent your whole life like team culture, culture, team, right. And then I've watched you run your business, but now kind of partnering with you and seeing the inner workings, like what's behind the name. It's an unbelievable team.

Speaker 2:

They make up the team. They really do. I mean they know that I would do anything in the world for them and, more importantly, their families and their future, that we're all just buying in. It's like I like to try to be the 96 Bulls. You know the most wins ever. You got everybody doing their part, you know. You got Dennis Rodman getting the rebounds. You got Pippen doing everything. You got Jordan. You got Steve Kerr shooting. You got Dennis Rodman getting the rebounds. You got Pippen doing everything. You got Jordan. You got Steve Kerr shooting. You got the best coach in Phil Jackson. You got I mean, it's just everybody clicking.

Speaker 2:

But we're also hold each other accountable. If one person is lacking, we can get on them out of love, because we all want the same thing. And when you're rowing the same way, you become just miles and miles of separation from. We don't even look at kind of competition. It's all internally, which a lot of people try to compare. You know where your numbers are. We don't even worry about competition. We are all focused about ourself. The rest takes care of itself.

Speaker 1:

It's been amazing. It's been amazing to watch it happen Like cause, you see it, you know, sometimes you, you look at, you know, and this has happened to me a few times in life where I'm like, oh, that guy, he's got it going on, he's a leader, he's all this other stuff, and then you'll see what's behind the work, the effort, the hours, the time, the culture right, and you're like, okay, this is legit, built from ground up on authentic, genuine principles. That that's why you're successful. So it's been cool and man, I just I appreciate all you've done. So those units for going back to our project, you can get online.

Speaker 2:

We only have 64 to sell. I mean I wish you could give us more to sell. Can we do part two in 10 years, because this has taken 15 years for a new high-rise condo building to be for sale? The last one was 15 years ago. Yeah, for as far as a high rise, you know there's been some four and five story stuff, but nothing that's been of this scale. Can you talk a little bit about the units? The units are I mean, we only have five and six units on the 10th and 11th floor. It tops up at close to 150 feet tall. That's a cool look at our. Our amenities on the floor, on floor seven, is kind of our hangout amenities. We also have amenities on the on the ground level. Um, the views are spectacular because you got Boise State and the valley and the train depot to the south, you got downtown heading west, you got the mountains, you got Table Rock. I mean it really is a pretty spectacular, no matter what unit you're in.

Speaker 1:

I love this thing you've done, where you actually show the units and how they lay out and how people can pick a floor plan that fits them, and you do have a mix of working families. You have people that traditionally would have rented To your point. Now you're putting those dollars towards equity in a downtown property You've got St Luke's right there but then you also have some with a little bit larger units for people that may need that. So I love the mix. You've done a nice job Because, again, you know that's your world right Well and there's so many different people that live this.

Speaker 2:

You have people that want a second home here and they want lock and leave and they want to be in the hustle and bustle and they want the grandkids to come over and then go to dinner and do all that. But then you have the young business professionals that don't have time for a big yard and you have people downsizing. You have the kids just got out of high school and now they don't really need all that.

Speaker 1:

It's such a mixture. And then you think about just the pricing of downtown properties. I mean it's pretty competitive for housing and it's interesting because people there's a lot of like if you think about just the world we live in. Everyone talks about housing, everyone talks about affordability, like that's what everyone says. So we need lots of options. Absolutely Like everything.

Speaker 2:

The way to control cost is to get more supply.

Speaker 1:

And if you think about we need apartments, we need lots of different kinds of apartments All the way from the Arthur that's beautiful, that just opened downtown in apartments. You need apartments, you need.

Speaker 2:

You need apartments, you need townhomes, we need condos, we need starter homes, we need kind of. We need everything right now. Yeah, and you know us locals sometimes you can get grumpy at the commute and some of these things, but you also want affordability, right, yeah. So imagine that we didn't create strategic projects and the cities weren't. They were. They were saying everything's denied, yeah. I would equate it to like there's two golf courses, yeah, and they could charge four thousand,000 a round, and if you want to golf, that's your only option. You'd be forced to pay it. But instead, if we can get multiple hybrid projects out there, it's actually a really great analogy.

Speaker 1:

So what I've loved about converting it's like putting a 69, 63 to sell subdivision in the middle of downtown.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, then you don't have to maintain anything, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, no, it's been great. Okay, I want to get caught up with you too. Can we talk Boise State a little bit? Yeah, absolutely, I light up when you say that We've had some great signings. Matt, oh, man, the NIL's crazy.

Speaker 2:

I get to hear some of the behind-the-scenes conversation. I don't hear it. It is wild. I don't. It doesn't make sense. None of it makes sense. Some of the numbers I'm hearing the kids aren't worth that. I'll just flat out say it Once they get out of this college.

Speaker 1:

I know that there's this confidentiality thing and you're on the inside of the inside.

Speaker 2:

But is there any stories you can tell us? The Tennessee one is now public. I mean you are going to get two million dollars as a quarterback at Tennessee. You hold out and say I'm not going to practice.

Speaker 1:

The coach says no one's so that. So that's the kid that just signed at UCLA now and I heard it's half the money, it's half the money.

Speaker 2:

So he wanted four million dollars. And this is a good life lesson for all college, all college students, because sometimes pigs get fed, hogss get slaughtered. You talk about the chemistry and we were talking about team. You talk about I'm not going to practice for $2 million and he was good. He wasn't great. But you hold out on your brothers in the trenches and say I want more money. You lose the locker room. He said nobody's bigger than the program. You're out. Then every other AD and head coach in the country says do I want this? Do I want this personality? Do I want this personality? Do I want this prima donna? And he ends up getting half the money at UCLA. It's a really good learning lesson.

Speaker 1:

It's a good learning lesson, but I'm still thinking that kid's still going to make a million bucks. Yeah, crazy.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. But you look at Ashton. Everybody said leave, go, get seven figures in the SEC and he's going to be a top 10 draft pick and get a $30-plus million guarantee contract. Pretty good to stay, wasn't it? That guy's, like Everybody in Boise, loves him.

Speaker 1:

It was so funny because I listen to sports radio and on the way in the national stuff on Fox and on the way in this morning I came in really early but the program that was on it was all about Ashton Jante, all the way from my house in on this national fox sports program. But as I was thinking, I'm thinking can you imagine the impact to a university in boise, idaho, of having someone like that do what he did? Come back, oh yeah, the run they had, the heisman run he had, the way he carries himself, the way he carries himself, the way he portrays himself, the way he talks about this place and the money he took to stay versus going anywhere he could have. There is no way to quantify the impact that that one dude had on a state and that's not like oh yeah the university is easy to say.

Speaker 2:

We're going to get better enrollment views. It was. It was millions, millions of dollars of impact for the universe.

Speaker 1:

That's easy tens of millions probably tens of millions.

Speaker 2:

The city's easy to see, yeah, but the state impact that he has done in a classy way of integrity and that's the definition of our state right, the backbone of what we, what we, stand for.

Speaker 1:

And the way he carries himself. Matt, is you like? I was, because they were playing a couple of his interviews and I thought you could not like, you could not feed those words, yep. You couldn't. To a human to say like JD, the school, everyone's got to be just like. Oh, and it's so authentic, it's so genuine, it is hit the drafts next Thursday right, yep, it's next Thursday.

Speaker 2:

I took my son to the pro day. It was the coolest experience oh, talk about that oh my gosh, all 30 scouts are there and genti's running, the other guys are working out and it's just explaining to him what's going on and it's just, it's really, really cool he is built different man.

Speaker 1:

I mean, I know that's like one of their taglines, but when you watch that guy running his shirt off.

Speaker 2:

Can you imagine trying to tackle him, him coming full speed at us? Oh my gosh, I couldn't tackle him in a phone booth and you wonder about his durability.

Speaker 1:

And then you see his body and you're like, okay, I get it now, I get it now. This guy, he's.

Speaker 2:

he's unbelievable yeah, um, where do you think he's gonna go? I think writer six. The gm kind of said that his son's gonna disown him if he doesn't draft him. So unless he goes earlier than six which was, is probably a long shot, I see him going six to vegas, which would be a good excuse to go to vegas yeah, they were talking uh, one thing I hadn't considered they had.

Speaker 1:

They were talking about, um, the perspective of the draft, like if you're a team and and there's only I guess they're they're saying on the way and there's only really seven offensive linemen that are like elite, so some of this is just not about him being like maybe the best player in the draft. But when you're an nfl team and there's only seven elite offensive linemen and you've got a quarterback and that's your hole as a left tackle, some of this is really positional where people go right and I didn't realize that. But but I can't wait to watch well, I mean you.

Speaker 1:

You talk about saquon barkley winning the super bowl and what he did that helped ashton tremendously, saying because it's a copycat because running backs have been like if you look, if you go back eight years, yep and and, and how they're being paid and kind of, hey, they're kind of just, you know, disposable. Yeah, just get a young kid from alabama that was a backup and throw them in and, and you know, pay them a tenth of what you would pay, yeah you know the boise legends are doing well.

Speaker 2:

Kellen got the head coaching job of the saint. I mean the boise legends are doing well. It's good to see. Oh, it's so fun.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we're so lucky to have this here.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you look out at your views of these glass. I mean, it's just you pinch myself every day. How grateful.

Speaker 1:

Can we talk basketball?

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

I know that's your passion Talk about these latest signings they have.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, the UCLA point guard's going to be really, really good.

Speaker 2:

That was all over social media. Yeah, so he officially kind of signed up, which is amazing because obviously losing Cardini he started like 60-something games down at UCLA, oh yeah, and he's tough and he's a competitor and losing Cardini is obviously he was such a great point guard to lose him. And to lose Tyson oh, losing Tyson is so tough. But we get a local kid back Georgetown transfer. He's from here, he committed to USC a month ago. I mean that's the kind of player and talent he is. He started every game at Georgetown To get him. He's about 6'10 and skilled and he's going to be good. And then our returning guys. I mean I'm always excited. Now we get on the Maui Classic, so it's an excuse.

Speaker 1:

Are you going to go?

Speaker 2:

I think I'm going to go. It's an excuse to take the kids and the wife to Maui and watch some basketball.

Speaker 1:

I need to go.

Speaker 2:

I don't know if we'll get in it, at least the first time we've ever been invited. So you don't know if there's going to be a second time.

Speaker 1:

Right Yep, plus it's Maui Yep, leon's awesome.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, he's a very servant leader, Very humble. You know the leaders who have humility. I feel like do a lot better job.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, like you talk about.

Speaker 2:

Spencer, you talk about Dickie, you talk about Leon, you talk about you. It's when people, when people sense that I think they want to perform better and perform. You know, work harder.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I. I just every time you hear him talk the same same thing. You're like man, we're just so. We're so fortunate to have these people leading right now.

Speaker 2:

Uh I mean a new president.

Speaker 1:

You're on the board for that right yeah, I've been with, I've been with jd a lot lately because we're we're co-chairing a subcommittee on the president search. We may talk about a little bit. About that. I think there's a lot of. We have a. We have our second listening session today at 11 down at boyce state. We had one monday and then next Monday is a Zoom kind of virtual that people can get on.

Speaker 2:

You try to get down to the top three by a certain date.

Speaker 1:

So here's the latest of the latest, I think, what they're going to do. My guess this is purely just me guessing, but I think they'll put an interim in because I think it's. You can argue, and I think it's a very good argument, that this is the most important hire in the state of Idaho by far Currently On the table. Yes, that may sound like well, it's just, but it is because, with the trajectory of the university, by the way, if you look at what's happened when Marlene got here and you just see graduation rates, what's happened on the academic side, and then the hire of Jeremiah Dickey and what's happened on the athletic side, and just that guy is, I mean, he's just unbelievable. Yeah, he is, he is a transformational like guys like that in the world come along very rarely. They just do. I mean I'm not-.

Speaker 2:

I love being around them. I get to be around them at least once a week and I love it.

Speaker 1:

It's unbelievable. So you look at his trajectory, the university's trajectory, and you get the right president who comes in, who can take advantage of that momentum. Yep, this is the most important hire in the state of Idaho. Yeah, and I know that the committee, I know that the state board and I know that the committee led by David Turnbull I think they all, everyone knows that. And you look at the makeup of those committees and then I want to talk a little bit about the process. So they've got these subcommittees. We're doing these listening tours right now and I think I've been surprised. The first one we had, people were like well, we didn't know that. This was like, we thought someone was already picked. I'm like no, no.

Speaker 2:

And I like that there's business leaders like Turnbull on this board who see the big picture of where this thing can go.

Speaker 1:

Yes, and then I do think like it was really wonderful Two hours of listening to people talk about what they think is important to the next president, authentically listening. And you look at our board, our little board. We got Alan Dykman, love Alan and Neil Nilsen and Garrett Lofto there's just a few of them. That's our subcommittee Wow, and all of these guys. What's been cool is they're all attending these listening sessions. You got the CEO of Simplot Wow. Put that in perspective on a subcommittee.

Speaker 2:

Prioritizing the subcommittee.

Speaker 1:

And when I called him, I called Garrett and I'm like, hey, Garrett, I mean guys, you look at international businesses that are privately held. They're one of the top five in the country, right? And I'm like, hey, will you serve on a sub? He's like, yeah, I'll be there. This is a big deal.

Speaker 2:

The amount of talent right here under our little umbrella, like I get to sell Vivek's house and the CEO of Albertsons and I'm just trying to pick his brain Like leading Pepsi and 250,000 employees and I have 17, and it's a lot. I'm like just getting to be around these kind of people.

Speaker 1:

And kind of people and on subcommittee are you kidding me? And right here, and they're on a subcommittee committing to coming to all these listening sessions and being part of putting the report together that's due on may 5th, like you. So, so so for everyone listening, I mean, it is it. I think they're going to do the right thing. I think it's going to be very much. It's going to be, uh, you know, you know smooth as fast, right, yeah, so so it's like we're going to try to get as many candidates the right candidate, make it really good hire and make a recommendation. Um, I think the target probably is, you know, a. Realistically, I think early on I was like, let's go find someone, and I think now it's going to be hey, let's really get the right person.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so it's a big hire. Like you said, it's a big hire like you said, it's a big hire.

Speaker 1:

But again, the other nice thing is I get to be around JD a little bit more right now.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

That guy's legit oh yeah, Legit North end zones looking. Oh you going to get tickets in the north end zone? I can't. No, I don't make enough money to do that, oh shoot.

Speaker 2:

I'm just a have one. Yeah, I'm working on it, I'm trying. I want to get down there.

Speaker 1:

The players run through before the game. Maybe we could split one. There we go. I don't think they have any left.

Speaker 2:

It'll be like a timeshare have four of us go in.

Speaker 1:

I'm a timeshare guy right. No exciting things. It's been, it's, uh, it's just been, and I know you're, you're, it's, it's a huge part of of your life and you've been so committed and helpful to the program. I love it, Uh and uh. You know they I mean guys like you, um, that are played their passion for it it's. I can't imagine the impact you make every day just being a representative of the university lucky to have you.

Speaker 2:

No, I love it. It's, uh, it's definitely something that's a big passion how's your family? They're doing really good. My wife tore her achilles so that was a big roadblock. It's a big injury.

Speaker 1:

I tore my achilles in the three on three basketball tournament at st luke's really and I had this girl that was guarding me, who was awesome, and I put a move on her and I'd pop my Achilles and I would yeah, yeah she just it was the end of my, it was the end of my old guy basketball career, that's how she doing, because it's not.

Speaker 2:

It's not an easy thing. She's already walking. It's been about three weeks. She's, she's a trooper. She's tougher than me, that's for sure. I mean, she was wanting rehab day 15 and they're like slow down and she's like no hey, so I sit by the basketball games.

Speaker 1:

Your kids are the cute, they're the cute. Your son is like a mini you he, because you go nuts at the games, right, and he gets up and it's like it, literally like I. I gotta get a video because he takes his hat off, he throws it, he does the same kind of gestures. But I gotta tell a quick story.

Speaker 1:

So I'm sitting there watching one day and like you're so into the game and I can see they're asking you for like popcorn or candy or something and you're just like, like, literally, like, like this is not like no one's gonna call cps or anything, but like they're asking their father for like some treats at the game and you're like pushing his hand away and so I'm texting you like, hey, feed him. Uncle tommy can like go get these guys some popcorn or something they got 42 snacks there and they want the 43rd one that's.

Speaker 1:

But the funny thing is you don't even see the text, or like two hours after the game because you're so into it. So I saw your wife. I'm like, hey, if I ever need to like oversee this thing to make sure that they're taken care of, I'm happy to jump in and help, because he's motivated by sports In the mornings he doesn't want to wake up If he has a game.

Speaker 2:

I'll be like you have a game this morning. He'll go like this oh yeah, boom, he's very into it. He is a cute. They're so cute, thank you. How old are they now? Six and 10. Naya's 10 and Bam's six.

Speaker 1:

Is he only six, like eight or nine yeah?

Speaker 2:

he's been sitting on the court since he was two. I said he was five back then you have to lie.

Speaker 1:

I think I took my grandson and one of my favorite guys down there comes over like you know, he's, he's wonderful. And he's like hey, how old's your grandson? I said five. I'd check the rules, right. He's like he is. Yeah, he's five in his heart. Baby, yep, he's mine. That's cool, that's awesome. Hey, thank you for all you know.

Speaker 2:

Thank you for having me. Thanks for coming on.

Speaker 1:

This is awesome update and um and uh, we had to end go broncos. Yeah, thank you, tom, I appreciate it.