The University of Idaho is projecting a $1 million deficit in its athletic department and is asking the SBOE to allow the university to use $1 million more a year in institutional support (tax dollars) per year over the next four years. The athletic department blames the deficit on three factors: lower dollars received for its "body bag" football games, shrinking student fees because of drops in enrollment, and falling donor dollars as a backlash against the decision to drop the football program back to FCS level and rejoin the Big Sky in 2018.
Correction : All three state universities will Not report on the state of their athletic departments at this week's state board meeting. Typically they report at the February meeting, but it's not on the agenda this month. In any event, It will be interesting to see how ISU is faring given the drop in enrollment and the disappointing seasons in football and basketball. Longer term if the Big Sky goes forward with the plan to have 9 conference football games, ISU may have to figure out how to replace a sizable chunk of change if they decide to play only one money game a year. Challenging times.
Correction : All three state universities will Not report on the state of their athletic departments at this week's state board meeting. Typically they report at the February meeting, but it's not on the agenda this month. In any event, It will be interesting to see how ISU is faring given the drop in enrollment and the disappointing seasons in football and basketball. Longer term if the Big Sky goes forward with the plan to have 9 conference football games, ISU may have to figure out how to replace a sizable chunk of change if they decide to play only one money game a year. Challenging times.
