Economic woes continue to batter athletics
Feb 19, 2009 | 12:21:15
posted by: Marta Lawrence

USA Today has another story about athletics departments facing the tough economic realities of the current recession. You know it is bad when Ohio State--one of the few Division I athletics programs to normally operate in the black--is anticipating significant budgetary losses.

As the article points out, smaller schools, like Ohio Northern, face an even more grim reality. Athletics Director Tom Simmons, whose department has a $1 million budget told the paper, "We're feeling it like everybody else. Of course, at our level, there isn't a lot of fat anyway."

As universities look for ways to cut costs, busing, rather than flying, becomes a much more reasonable option. But even as purse strings tighten, universities may not be able to avoid cutting sports.

NCAA President Myles Brand says he's particularly concerned for Olympic sports. "Universities are going to have to cut back; there's no question about that," Brand said. "But can they sustain, at least at a minimum level, these low-visibility Olympic sports until the economy catches back up?"