Dr. Richard McDuffie's departure as athletic director at Southeast Missouri State University offers the opportunity for fresh ideas.

McDuffie, who has taken the AD spot at Eastern Illinois University at Charleston, has helped guide Southeast through its transition from an NCAA Division II school to Division I. Although the university is a newcomer to Division I, it has established itself well in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Demands are high on a Division I school's athletic program, and Southeast is no exception. The transition to tougher athletic competition has not been easy, but the basketball team fared well this year in the OVC, and the football program shows improvement.

Under McDuffie, the school's athletic budget has grown from $340,000 annually to $1.3 million.

As the school continues to grow in stature athletically, more demands, including money, will be put on the athletic department. The university will be well served if it finds a successor with ideas that can lead the school to higher levels athletically and pick up where McDuffie leaves off.