Location
Bowling Green, KY
Start Date
2-1985 12:00 AM
End Date
2-1985 12:00 AM
Description
The committee concludes there is no strong evidence linking successful athletic programs with either fund-raising activities or patterns of enrollment at Western Kentucky University. Moreover, we find that the established university budget has repeatedly failed to restrain spending in this area. As a result, intercollegiate athletics has persistently been plagued with budget overruns, especially in 1982-83 and 1983-84 when expenditures exceeded the budget by more than 20% each year. Football has played a major role in creating the current situation. In light of all this, the committee recommends the university study the feasibility of moving to Division III in football. Because Division III schools offer no grants-in-aid, the pressure on the athletic budget would ease substantially, freeing more resources for other athletic and academic programs. At the same time, the university would still offer competitive intercollegiate football for interested members of the Western community.
Report on Spending for Intercollegiate Athletics
Bowling Green, KY
The committee concludes there is no strong evidence linking successful athletic programs with either fund-raising activities or patterns of enrollment at Western Kentucky University. Moreover, we find that the established university budget has repeatedly failed to restrain spending in this area. As a result, intercollegiate athletics has persistently been plagued with budget overruns, especially in 1982-83 and 1983-84 when expenditures exceeded the budget by more than 20% each year. Football has played a major role in creating the current situation. In light of all this, the committee recommends the university study the feasibility of moving to Division III in football. Because Division III schools offer no grants-in-aid, the pressure on the athletic budget would ease substantially, freeing more resources for other athletic and academic programs. At the same time, the university would still offer competitive intercollegiate football for interested members of the Western community.