Harvard newspaper doesn't want a 4th sorority

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I keep hearing about all the money athletics brings in, but no one can quote me any numbers.

Well, for state universities, this is a matter of public record. One that I have offhand (as it's a good example) is the University of Iowa. Their 2011 fiscal year athletic budget, as reported to the Board of Regents:

Originally Posted by University of Iowa Athletics

FY 10 Estimates FY 11 Budget

INCOME:

Men’s Sports

Football $ 19,725,044 $ 19,897,100

Basketball $ 1,875,000 $ 2,301,500

Wrestling $ 4 07,068 $ 4 26,000

All Other $ 31,273 $ 30,000

Total Men’s Sports $ 22,038,385 $ 22,654,600

Women’s Sports

Basketball $ 1 33,992 $ 1 78,500

Volleyball $ 12,921 $ 10,000

All Other $ 13,000 $ 13,000

Total Women’s Sports $ 1 59,913 $ 2 01,500

Other Income

Facility Debt Service/Student Fees $ 5 00,803 $ 5 00,000

Learfield Multi Media Contract Income $ 5,085,086 $ 5,290,000

Athletic Conference $ 19,968,000 $ 22,196,000

Student Financial Aid Set Aside Reimbursement $ 5 45,200 $ 5 45,200

Interest $ 9 00,000 $ 1,000,000

Foundation Support $ 9,292,180 $ 9,228,149

Foundation Premium Seat Revenue $ 4,880,404 $ 5,180,598

Novelties–Bookstore $ 2,000,000 $ 1,768,680

General Income $ 2,150,000 $ 2,125,000

Total Other Income $ 45,321,673 $ 47,833,627

TOTAL INCOME $ 67,519,971 $ 70,689,727

EXPENSES:

Men’s Sports

Football $ 16,198,717 $ 16,143,273

Basketball $ 4,577,833 * $ 4,576,072

Wrestling $ 1,117,711 $ 1,132,858

Other Sports $ 3,809,754 $ 3,793,655

Total Men’s Sports $ 25,704,014 $ 25,645,857

Women’s Sports

Basketball $ 2,600,072 $ 2,902,480

Volleyball $ 9 06,103 $ 1,039,802

Other Sports $ 7,239,108 $ 7,378,263

Total Women’s Sports $ 10,745,284 $ 11,320,546

Other Expenses

Training Services $ 1,518,635 $ 1,594,692

Sports Information $ 6 39,127 $ 6 38,598

Admin. & General Expenses $ 9,432,561 $ 9,689,942

Facility Debt Service $ 9,467,742 $ 11,100,546

Transfer-New Facility Costs/Reserves (Kinnick) $ 7 00,000 $ 1,000,000

Academic & Counseling $ 1,565,094 $ 1,576,130

Buildings & Grounds $ 7,747,515 $ 8,123,418

Total Other Expenses $ 31,070,674 $ 33,723,325

TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSE $ 67,519,971 $ 70,689,727

Iowa is a little different because it accepts no general-fund money from the school and is athletically self-sufficient, but for a (probably) second-tier athletic school, the numbers are staggering, and even these are dwarfed by the likes of Texas and Florida.

Football drives the train, though, so there's good reason why a Texas State or UL-Monroe wants in on that particular action: it's absurdly profitable. That profitability opens new doors - admissions requests go up, endowment and donations increase, etc.

I can understand, on some level, why DF and others feel this is "dirty money" but there are about a dozen better arguments to counter that (increased opportunity for non-traditional students, destruction of regionalism in the student population, etc etc etc), plus the tangible cash benefits so greatly outweigh any of the intangible negatives or "seedy feelings" in my mind that it becomes a no-brainer.