Board of Trustees recommends ewoo to DII

[EverettGriz]

"It is unsustainable for a university of our size with our budgetary challenges to allow a single unit to accumulate annual deficits as large as the ones listed in this template," the SRA said.

The report continues to call on the school's leadership to make these changes to benefit the university.

"EWU's leadership needs to consider all options to decrease Football's unstainable deficit spending, including moving Football to a lower division," the SRA reads.

https://www.khq.com/news/ewu-board-of-trustees-to-discuss-budget-cuts-to-football-program-move-to-lower-division/article_08523330-94d1-11ee-aaa0-bb440486e210.html


This is an annual discussion over there, but this seems a little more dire.

 

[Brother Bear]

It's not just EWU that is having dire athletic department problems...

https://tucson.com/news/local/education/college/university-of-arizona-faces-difficult-challenge-in-trimming-sports-budget/article_7cfaa8e6-826d-11ee-b974-8f5f93363c67.html

Also, these athletic departments need to understand how Title IX works... all kinds of Title IX athletic lawsuits going on across the country because athletic departments heavily favor athletics for men. (San Diego State and University of Oregon the most recent examples)

---------------------------

University of Arizona President Robert Robbins said he is considering cutting multiple sports programs after admitting to a $240 million miscalculation leading to a campus-wide “financial crisis.”

As Robbins looks for ways to balance the UA’s operating budget, he has pointed out that the athletics department at the university is running on a deficit and unable to support itself independently.

“Everything is on the table in terms of dealing with athletics,” Robbins told university faculty at a meeting last week. “This is an issue that is going to require a lot of tough decisions.”

 

[3-7-77]

This bears watching, as it may be the template for other programs. Money problems aren't just EWUs problem.

How does one MISCALCULATE to the tune of $240 million? May need some fresh batteries in that calculator.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

Board of Trustees have not recommended moving to D2. The SRA report recommends the move. The SRA report is going to be discussed at a regularly scheduled meeting. The Board just affirmed D1 football playing as a Big Sky member in a meeting last month.

 

[Brother Bear]

We really need to beat those guys on September 28, 2024 in Cheney on that red turf.

 

[3-7-77]

Make it redder?

 

[Grizfan-24]

As noted, this is an on going issue at Eastern. Lets just say their board, the state oversight at the Regents/Board of Education and the EWU Athletic departments relationship is not simpatico.

The State of Washington Board of Education has said on multiple occasions over the past 15 to 20 years that the state is not interested in deficit funding athletic programs. They'll provide minimal student population based support to each of the states public schools athletic departments and nothing more when it comes to the directional schools. Eastern's problem then and now is they bet big on creating a sustainable model that involved booster and fan support for the football program and it never materialized to help pay off liabilities. Spokane, Cheney just never bought in and jumped on to the Eastern Football bandwagon.

The faculty senate, administration was super salty then and now about it and I think the perception is they are going to continuously remind the athletic department and state of just how big of a miscalculation it was to dump as much money into the athletic department in what they say was reckless. Moreover they don't want to be asked to take any reduction to the general fund if it means that the athletic department isn't going to pay their fair share of that reduction. They'll beat that horse until it is dead and they aren't necessarily wrong.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

As noted, this is an on going issue at Eastern. Lets just say their board, the state oversight at the Regents/Board of Education and the EWU Athletic departments relationship is not simpatico.

The State of Washington Board of Education has said on multiple occasions over the past 15 to 20 years that the state is not interested in deficit funding athletic programs. They'll provide minimal student population based support to each of the states public schools athletic departments and nothing more when it comes to the directional schools. Eastern's problem then and now is they bet big on creating a sustainable model that involved booster and fan support for the football program and it never materialized to help pay off liabilities. Spokane, Cheney just never bought in and jumped on to the Eastern Football bandwagon.

The faculty senate, administration was super salty then and now about it and I think the perception is they are going to continuously remind the athletic department and state of just how big of a miscalculation it was to dump as much money into the athletic department in what they say was reckless. Moreover they don't want to be asked to take any reduction to the general fund if it means that the athletic department isn't going to pay their fair share of that reduction. They'll beat that horse until it is dead and they aren't necessarily wrong.

I took a quick look at the numbers, and the only FY that the EWU athletic department broke even were 2019 and 2020, which were the covid years. The athletic department has a $10 million deficit between FY2017 and FY2022. In FY2022 the deficit was nearly $4 million on $16 million in expenditures. Not great.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

I will also add that this is most likely the reason why Aaron Best is still the HC. EWU simply has no money to buy the guy out.

 

[griz4life]

Find a coach that doesn't order the menu everytime he hits Olive Garden. Probably balance the books in a month or two.