Creighton AD Marcus Blossom seized opportunity to host unprecedented Christmas game

The holiday has mostly been reserved for pro leagues while college basketball programs have chosen to enjoy the day off. A league game on Christmas was unprecedented.

Yet Marcus Blossom’s eyes gleamed at the idea.

The second-year athletic director has seized every opportunity to evolve Creighton’s brand, making his share of changes during his time in Omaha. A former student-athlete himself, Blossom’s vision of what an elite program looks like has long been established.

And Sunday's game is a bold step toward what he envisions.

“We’ll do whatever, within reason, that’s tasteful to promote Creighton,” Blossom said. "Not just necessarily the basketball program, but the university. We feel this puts the university on display on Christmas Day in front of a national audience.

"I think it’s pretty neat for us.”​

Back in May, Blossom sat among Big East representatives at a conference meeting. The league was approached by Fox with a TV window, and alongside DePaul, Blossom volunteered. Regardless of the lofty expectations the Bluejays were garnering for the upcoming season, Blossom wanted CU on national TV as much as possible.

Coach Greg McDermott expressed interest. The players figured they would likely practice on Christmas anyway, so why not?

DePaul’s administration, meanwhile, desired to pump life into its brand. All of it combined to birth the league’s first Christmas Day showdown.

It was a full-circle moment, in particular, for Blossom.

Originally from the Chicago area, he never thought he would help organize a matchup — perhaps the most significant he has had a hand in — with the school that plays miles from where he grew up.

But there was another thing that stood out about the game. DePaul isn't exactly revered in the league the way Villanova or UConn is.

That was also part of the plan.

Both schools wanted to thrust themselves into the national spotlight, subsequently improving their student-athletes’ experiences. That’s all Blossom could ask for, and what is driving him now.

Back in his day, he wasn’t too bad of a hooper.

In the late ’90s, Blossom averaged 16.3 points as a sophomore at Northeastern University. He went on to be a three-time all-conference selection. Blossom cherished his time with the Huskies, but always thought his experience could’ve been better.

As much individual success as he had, what he craved had less to do with him.

“Not winning at some points affected my experience,” Blossom said. “Not to say that winning is everything, but it’s important.”

Blossom wrestled with the corporate world for a few years before he realized he wanted to play a bigger role within athletic departments. He wanted to help foster the experience he thought he could’ve had.

Between the four years he spent as a college basketball player and all his stops since, he was struck by how precious time is. It shaped the approach he has taken during his stay in Omaha.

“I know how quick those four years were,” Blossom said. “So I always come into work or approach a problem as if it needs to be solved quickly. Not ‘Hey, let’s take a look at this in the summer. Let’s take a look at this next year.’ We’ve only got four.”

There’s no telling where the Jays will be a year from now. But like the eagerness he displayed in May to make Sunday’s game happen, Blossom has shifted pieces around the board to help ensure even more eyes will be fixed on Creighton.

“This year is an important one, because we’ve got a lot of people behind us,” Blossom said. “The entire community was excited. They’ve invested a ton.”

And if elevating the program's national profile means being pit against the NFL and NBA, so be it.

“I’m intrigued at what it’ll look like,” Blossom said. “We’ve always fared well on TV. An opportunity to be on 'Big Fox' was a big deal for us.”

Fox’s broadcast of Creighton-DePaul at CHI Health Center comes right after the Green Bay Packers take on the Miami Dolphins.

It’s unclear what side of history this year’s CU squad is headed toward, but Blossom knows how crucial these next several months are for this team. For the program.

Blossom wants to help put the Jays in a better position to succeed than he was afforded. He says he's only getting started.

“I think we could be the best program in the Big East and I’ve said that before,” Blossom said. “We’re not there yet. Best is not one year, this year, or kind of flash in the pan best. When people think about who’s the best in the Big East, I want them to think about Creighton.

"And they won’t think about Creighton unless we consistently finish at the top.”