Athletic funding change

[CNS]

K-State Athletics to Phase-Out University Funding
KSA will eliminate university funding over the next three years

   
 

AD John Currie
 
May 17, 2011

MANHATTAN, Kan. – President Kirk Schulz and Director of Athletics John Currie announced today that the Kansas State Athletics Department will begin a three-year phase-out of university funds as an annual source of revenue in an effort to assist the university and help support critical academic programs and projects.

“Athletics is an integral part of the K-State experience and elevates the national exposure of Kansas State University,” said Schulz. “John and I have worked together to develop a plan to eliminate, over a three-year period, university funding for athletics which will in turn allow these dollars to be used to meet critical needs in our academic programs. We are appreciative of the leadership and commitment of our athletics staff and coaches as we continue towards our goal of Kansas State University becoming a Top 50 research institution.”

Provost April Mason, who serves on the K-State Athletics, Inc. Board of Directors, recognized the significance of the plan and the value it will provide the academic programs at K-State.

“I have been very impressed with the cooperative spirit that our intercollegiate athletics program has demonstrated in support of our overall academic goals and K-State 2025,” says Mason. “We appreciate this significant financial assistance and President Schulz's willingness to prioritize these dollars for direct academic needs.”

K-State Athletics, Inc., currently receives 3 percent, or $1.526 million of its annual budget of $47 million, from the general university budget. Beginning in the coming academic year, this direct university support will decrease by more than 33 percent to $1 million, followed by reductions to $750,000 in 2012-13 and $350,000 in the following year. Effective with the 2014-2015 academic year, K-State Athletics will no longer receive any direct university support.

"Adding value to the greater university and operating with fiscal responsibility are two of our five core goals," Currie said. "Thanks to the support and participation of Wildcat fans nationwide who attend K-State ballgames and support the Ahearn Fund, as well as the bright future of the Big 12, most recently evidenced by the new FOX television contract, we are able to take this important and historic step."

"With the No. 1 all-sports graduation rate in the Big 12 and facility upgrades underway like our new basketball training facility, we are indeed making progress towards our vision of a model intercollegiate athletics program," Currie added.  "We are proud to support the tremendous leadership President Schulz is providing K-State."

[steve dave]

phase it out like a boss

[catzacker]

You're Welcome.

Sinerely,
Tom Osborne

[wetwillie]

 

[Trim]

Media "types" are already taking this as a way to beat FOIA requests and a slap to the face of transparency. 

[steve dave]

Media "types" are already taking this as a way to beat FOIA requests and a slap to the face of transparency. 

eff transparency, like a boss

[sonofdaxjones]

I would think that any enterprise sanctioned under the umbrella of a public university would have a difficult time beating a FOIA request.    I believe all regular employees of the athletic department are technically state employees, all athletic facilities are technically state property. 

[CNS]

I would think that any enterprise sanctioned under the umbrella of a public university would have a difficult time beating a FOIA request.    I believe all regular employees of the athletic department are technically state employees, all athletic facilities are technically state property. 

I always assumed that the sports side was a separate corp and there was some sort of lease/rental/use agreement.   

[06wildcat]

KS and JC are setting up K-State for Prince 2.0. These guys are really, really good.

[wetwillie]

KS and JC are setting up K-State for Prince 2.0. These guys are really, really good.

They are so good we won't even know they did it to us.

[sonofdaxjones]

I would think that any enterprise sanctioned under the umbrella of a public university would have a difficult time beating a FOIA request.    I believe all regular employees of the athletic department are technically state employees, all athletic facilities are technically state property. 

I always assumed that the sports side was a separate corp and there was some sort of lease/rental/use agreement.   

It's still the Kansas State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.   A seperate non profit corp operating under the umbrella of the University.  I would be extremely surpised if State Law, KBOR Rules, or NCAA rules allowed for an athletic department that didn't have at minimum a significant dotted line back to the school itself.

[Stevesie60]

No wonder Frank begged Turgeon to take Te450k off his hands.

[catzacker]

easier pitch to get increased tuition funding?  don't have to hear the academia "we put all this money towards athletics instead of professor's salaries, better classrooms, etc" bullcrap?

[mcmwcat]

how common is this?  any other b12 schools do it this way?

[06wildcat]

I would think that any enterprise sanctioned under the umbrella of a public university would have a difficult time beating a FOIA request.    I believe all regular employees of the athletic department are technically state employees, all athletic facilities are technically state property. 

I always assumed that the sports side was a separate corp and there was some sort of lease/rental/use agreement.   

It's still the Kansas State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.   A seperate non profit corp operating under the umbrella of the University.  I would be extremely surpised if State Law, KBOR Rules, or NCAA rules allowed for an athletic department that didn't have at minimum a significant dotted line back to the school itself.

State or KBOR might have something on the books, or will very soon. NCAA will probably start pushing for all schools to make moves like this if there aren't any rules in place.

The real question becomes what happens if K-State eventually goes away from state funding entirely, which isn't outside the realm of possibility.

[sonofdaxjones]

State funding is only about 25% of the total KSU budget now. 

I suspect the politicians will find a way to provide a minimum level of state funding in order to keep some sort of control.   I would have to believe that any aspiring politician on the state level, who wants to go on to bigger things probably doesn't want "he forced the privitization of the entire university system" on their resume, despite the fact that some people might view that as a good thing. 

[CNS]

I would think that any enterprise sanctioned under the umbrella of a public university would have a difficult time beating a FOIA request.    I believe all regular employees of the athletic department are technically state employees, all athletic facilities are technically state property. 

I always assumed that the sports side was a separate corp and there was some sort of lease/rental/use agreement.   

It's still the Kansas State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.   A seperate non profit corp operating under the umbrella of the University.  I would be extremely surpised if State Law, KBOR Rules, or NCAA rules allowed for an athletic department that didn't have at minimum a significant dotted line back to the school itself.

State or KBOR might have something on the books, or will very soon. NCAA will probably start pushing for all schools to make moves like this if there aren't any rules in place.

The real question becomes what happens if K-State eventually goes away from state funding entirely, which isn't outside the realm of possibility.

Last year Schulzy said that in 5 years that the school will be 100% private funded.  I don't ever see that actually happening, and he was only addressing a trend.  I don't think that this is an actual plan.  Prob more like a jab at the state funding mucky mucks and a warning shot to donors. 

[steve dave]

how/why on earth would a land grant school be 100% privately funded?  seems stupid, like a boss.  

[Rage Against the McKee]

how/why on earth would a land grant school be 100% privately funded?  seems stupid, like a boss.  

Repeal the state sales tax!!!

[BMWWcat]

I don't think the Admins at K-State want to be 100% privately funded.

I think their point is that the State Govt is clueless on how to balance their budgets while maintaining school funding at an appropriate level...look at all of the money owed to K-State by the state just for maintenance on facilities.  I had an Architecture Studio where the roof leaked so bad it flooded part of our studio and rained on my studio computer (that I paid for) and a buddys computer as well.

[CNS]

I don't think the Admins at K-State want to be 100% privately funded.

I think their point is that the State Govt is clueless on how to balance their budgets while maintaining school funding at an appropriate level...look at all of the money owed to K-State by the state just for maintenance on facilities.  I had an Architecture Studio where the roof leaked so bad it flooded part of our studio and rained on my studio computer (that I paid for) and a buddys computer as well.

I don't ever see that actually happening, and he was only addressing a trend.  I don't think that this is an actual plan.  Prob more like a jab at the state funding mucky mucks and a warning shot to donors.  

[Rage Against the McKee]

I don't think that president Shulz actually believes Kansas State will be privately funded. He was simply saying that the current trend in the state legislature is reduced funding. He was just trying to get a point across to those state dudes.