While Denver pundits and talk-show hosts have busied themselves with a collective session of hand-wringing over the removal of Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick, the bottom line is this:

It was time for a change in Fort Collins. A steady drop in attendance, victories and overall interest in the program has mandated a new direction. Loyalty is nice — but loyalty doesn't sell tickets, doesn't drum up interest (otherwise, CSU's stadium would still be full on a regular basis) and loyalty doesn't win games.

The Rams' last two home games combined didn't draw enough people to fill Hughes Stadium once. The talent level at CSU has dropped dramatically. And, those talk show hosts and columnists who have spoken so glowingly of Lubick's "legendary status" in recent days are the same folks who seldom — if ever — found the time to visit Fort Collins this season to watch the legend in action.

This has not been a one-season aberration. This has been a trend — four seasons without a winning record — and there was absolutely no sign of the trend being reversed. No standout recruiting classes, no great young players upon whom Lubick could hang his hat on in terms of guaranteeing a brighter future, and an athletic department hemorrhaging red ink.

As for the manner in which Lubick was shown the door? Inevitable. The next time anyone comes up with the right way in such a situation will be the first time.

Lubick wanted to stay. His bosses wanted him to go. When those two factors are the main part of the equation, a pleasant solution is impossible. Matters are only made worse when the coach is a man of Lubick's stature and character.

That being said, Lubick's departure is nevertheless indicative of the sense of urgency and immediacy that is pervasive throughout major college sports today. Colleges are making huge investments in coaches and facilities. When the record doesn't reflect the investment, change is oftentimes quick to occur.

Certainly, the dynamic between coaches and fans has become more volatile with escalating salaries.

Already this year, there have been 13 openings in Div. I football, a number that will almost certainly grow by this time next week. Fans, administrators, and yes, the media, fuel the flame of change when programs are deemed to be going in the wrong direction.

What's also become clear this year is this: It takes a special — and oftentimes lucky — athletic director to buck that trend. One need look no farther than Colorado's Big 12 North brethren to see sterling examples.

Two years ago, the coaching obits were being written for Missouri's Gary Pinkel. One newspaper even went as far as to speculate that MU's next coach would be Gary Barnett — when Barnett was still Colorado's coach.

Think the Tigers are glad they held on to Pinkel?

Then there's Kansas. When the season started, KU athletic director Lew Perkins — who didn't hire Mark Mangino — seemed to deliver an ultimatum that Mangino needed a winning record this year to survive. After finishing 6-6 a year ago, Mangino was no doubt on thin ice.

Think his foundation is a little better today?

But perhaps the best example of an A.D. holding the line and refusing to bow under pressure occurred right here in Boulder.

CU coach Bill McCartney was in the midst of a 1-10 season in 1984 when then-A.D. Bill Marolt decided to extend Mac's contract, a move that raised more than a few eyebrows around the state.

After that season, Mac's record at CU was 7-25-1. The 1-10 year was Colorado's sixth consecutive losing season, a stretch in which the Buffs never won more than four games.

Mac, of course, rewarded Marolt with CU's first national championship.

The difference between McCartney's situation and Lubick's?

Mac was building a program. Lubick's program was deteriorating — the same reason that it was time for Barnett to move on from CU two years ago.

But drawing that distinction is never easy — and it's the type of decision that not only makes or breaks an athletic director, but an entire athletic department.