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VOL. 17.NO. 8 May 15, 1980 The money crunch Intercollegiate athletic departments cutting programs as costs zoom upward College athletic departments from coast to viously has the broadest coast have been racked in recent weeks with effect. what amounts to a nationwide financial crisis. “We’ve kept our head Daily newspapers have included an almost above water, but it’s SMIJCU~SCurbso~,~~~yo~s SchooIathletics out of p-u daily recitation of the economic miseries being getting tougher all the encountered by college and university athletic time, I’ll tell you that,” administrators. Among them: a Memphis newspaper l Impending budget cuts at Colorado State quoted Billy Murphy, University brought about the resignation of director of athletics at two coaches and the possibility of a third. Memphis State Univer- l Baseball has been relegated to club sport sity (where no cuts are status at the University of Tulsa, and coach contemplated). “Infla- Gene Shell-who took the Hurricane to the tion is just out of this College World Series finals in 1969-has re- world. We’re constantly signed as a result. going over the budget, l Southern Methodist University signifi- trying to cut it to the cantly cut its athletic budget and eliminated penny. But it gets golf and baseball as varsity sports. harder instead of easier. l The University of Colorado accumulated a “In 1958, our athletic two-year deficit of $447,292. budget was $lSO,OOO- l Catholic University President Edmund D. total. Now it’s $2.5 mil Pellegrino declared that the CU athletic pro- lion and going up. Of gram could remain in Division I only if $SO,OOO course, we’ve got more could be raised outside the university’s budget sports now. Things like and the University of Idaho dropped baseball gymnastics have been as an intercollegiate sport because of financial Dave Kayfes added over the years 11,111*,,/d,, l.,...,, ” =’ Athletic cuts - Where do you start? reasons. and improved and ex- The problem has three dimensions. panded spring sports. First, there is inflation. The effects of infla- We’ve put a lot more tion have been felt throughout the nation, but into facilities and equip- athletics has been hit particularly hard. One of ment, and we’ve got more full-time coaches and the primary reasons is the frequency of air assistants in the spring sports. So the increase Anti-gambling group acts travel, the cost of which has risen recently at a hasn’t been all inflation because we’ve got a lot rate faster than inflation itself. Other impor- bigger athletic department than we did back A group of recommendations rett. Barrett is the special as- tant factors have been the spiraling costs of then. But inflation’s been a big part of it.” from the NCAA Gambling sistant to the commissioner of tuition and room and board along with the At Ohio State University, Assistant Athletic Task Force has been approved the Southeastern Conference accelerated cost of equipment, particularly in Director James Jones said that ticket prices by the NCAA Council, thereby and a former FBI agent whose contact sports. had been raised to cover anticipated deficits. establishing the means for the bureau career was in the inves- Second, Title IX must be considered. “How much longer we can do that, I don’t Association to more closely tigation of gambling and other Women’s programs that produce little or no know,” Jones said. monitor illegal sports gam- areas of organized criminal ac- revenue often are financed by revenue-produc Although the Buckeye program currently is bling throughout the nation. tivity. ing men’s sports. As a result, something has to in the black, Jones is concerned about the effect The task force, composed of The task force members also give; and when the time for budget cuts arrives, inflation eventually might have on contribu- staff members David E. spoke with FBI agent William men’s nonrevenue sports seem to be the most tions. Ohio State has a $1.084 million grant-in- Cawood (chairman), Hale J. Malone, another expert in expendable programs. aid program that is funded strictly by dona- McMenamin, James H. Wil- the area of sports gambling, Third, budget management occasionally has tions. But dones noted that when inflation kinson and Ralph McFillen, and with the directors of secu- been questionable. The blame does not neces- begins to have a greater effect on contributors, has met with various individu- rity for the National Football sarily lie within athletic departments, although one area where they may he able to cut back als knowledgeable about ille- League and the National Bas- some indisputably have themselves to fault for will be on donations to the athletic program. gal sports gambling in the ketball Association. some of their current trouble. Some of the There is, however, a hole card. United States. Seminars for The task force’s recommen- responsibility, however, may be placed on the “We have an 84,000-seat football stadium,” the task force were conducted dations were as follows: university as a whole and perhaps even on the said *Jones, “and 125,000 people who want to see by Bill Ousley, special Federal 1. A library on gambling in- state government. the games. One way for them to do it is to be a Bureau of Investigation agent formation should be estab- Of the three problem areas, inflation ob- Continued on page 5 in Kansas City, and Bob Bar- Contmued on page 7 I 15 postseason games approved Acting for the Council, the NCAA officers Sun: El Paso, Texas; Saturday, December approved the Extra Events Committee’s 27, 11 or 11:30 a.m. recommendation to certify 15 postseason Liberty: Memphis, Tennessee; Saturday, football bowl games for the 1980-81 season. December 27, 1 p.m. Last season, the same 15 postseason games Hall of Fame: Birmingham, Alabama; generated a record $23,445,035 in gross re- Saturday, December 27, 7 p.m. ceipts. The 30 participating institutions last Gator: dacksonville, Florida; Monday, year received $18,051,932. December 29,9 p.m. The 1980-81 postseason football games Bluebonnet: Houston, Texas; Wednes- certified by the Council: day, December 31, 8 p.m. Independence: Shreveport, Louisiana; Sugar: New Orleans, Louisiana; Thurs- Saturday, December 13,7 p.m. day, January 1, 1 p.m. Garden State: East Rutherford, New Jer- Cotton: Dallas, Texas; Thursday, Jan- sey; Sunday, December 14, 12:30 p.m. uary 1, 1:lO p.m. Holiday: San Diego, California; Friday, Rose: Pasadena, California; Thursday, December 19, 6 p.m. January 1,2 p.m. Tangerine: Orlando, Florida; Saturday, Orange: Miami, Florida; Thursday, Jan- December 20,B p.m. uary 1,8 p.m. Fiesta: Tempe, Arizona; Friday, De- Peach: Atlanta, Georgia; Friday, January cember 26, 1~30 p.m. 2, 2:30 p.m. The Editor’s View Tackling the financial question Reprinted below is un excerpt from the writing of u news To stay afloat in the real world of busi- endangered and concerns about intercolle- columnist commenting pertinently about intercollegiate uthlet- ness, most enterprises must seek new in- giate athletic programs would become in- its. It is selected hecuuse the NCAA News feels it makes a point come through whatever means are avail- significant. and discusses a topic that will in&rest readcars. Puhlicution able-the creation of new products, an But assuming a somewhat better pros- herein, however, does not imply NCAA News endorsement of the appeal to a different group of people or an pect is in store, can those struggling in views expressed by thy author. expansion of their services. intercollegiate athletics do anything to But major intercollegiate athletic pro- solve their current problems? Call made for presidents grams are different. They cannot offer a We hope so. By Ken Denlinger new line of products, nor can they seek l Can the frills be cut? One newspaper The Washington Post different customers in a different locale. story recently detailed how one institution Also, unlike the peripatetic professional budgeted $15,000 on press entertainment For years, much of sport has been frustrated by the sports franchise, a college athletic depart- for football while at the same time con- indifference college presidents have shown their athletic ment cannot pull anchor and ship out to templating the elimination of two nonrev- departments, by their willingness to bask in the glory of more receptive shores once local support enue sports. their teams without establishing and enforcing firm gulde- wanes. l A new philosophy regarding schedul- lines and policies. They may be unable to stay out of touch Times are bad, economically. Not many ing? Many institutions’ conference affilia- much longer. new dollars have been available in recent tions are based on football and basketball The last 13 months, or beginning when Woody Hayes years, and not many more are expected in interests, which calls for extensive travel. punched a Clemson linebacker during the Gator Bowl, have the foreseeable future. Enrollment at the Is the same affiliation needed for nonrev- spotlighted the seamy aspects of intercollegiate athletics as nation’s colleges and universities is expect- enue sports? no other period in recent memory. From Hayes through Chuck Fairbanks through Frank ed to peak in 1981 and then fall gradually The student-athletes do not benefit from Kush through the grade-doctoring mess at New Mexico and through 1988. Presumably, the amount of such travel if the travel itself jeopardizes at least a half-dozen other schools, the common thread has educational dollars available will decrease the well-being of the sport in which they been the apparent neglect of authorities beyond the athlet- at a comparable rate.

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