Although I’ve often complained about the lack of response to this blog and have not always considered it to be a great success, I feel that my efforts in creating my first blog have not been in vain. I have learned an immense amount about the blogging process through my work on this site. I’ve gotten introductory lessons in design, style, linking and even the importance of constant posting.
Before creating this blog, I did not have a full appreciation for how much time and effort must go into keeping the blog up-to-date and ever-changing. I also have also learned a great deal about the issue which was the focus of my blog.
My understanding of the OU sports cuts, budgetary constraints and Title IX has increased immensely through my research and the process of consolidating and explaining everything on this site. While I still have unanswered questions, such as concerns about the role Title IX played in the cuts, certain points, such as the budget shortfalls of the athletic department, are becoming more clear.
I hope to continue to explore these issues on my own and to post pertinent information to the site. While posts might become less frequent, I hope to one day have good news to report about the reinstatement of OU sports programs.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Buying into OU sports
In trying to shed some light on the budgetary problems of Ohio University athletics, I found a 2006 internal audit of OU Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA) that listed areas where significant amounts of money could be saved. The report showed that OU’s athletics budget exceeded estimated expenditures by more than $1 million in each of the last two years.
Part of this was due to increased discretionary spending because of lack of control over credit cards. Money spent for supplies, travel and entertainment, communication and maintenance commonly exceeded initial estimates made at the beginning of each fiscal year. In many cases, expense forms were not filled out until after money was spent. In addition, more than $66,000 in travel advances was not accounted for at the time of the audit. OU did not log mileage of university vehicles, which could be claimed on tax forms.
In addition, the audit claimed that OU wasted money on major sports projects. According to the report, the ICA put football and basketball programs above the bottom line, making expensive deals whereby OU would play at major division one schools for two of three years, while the opposing team would come to OU only once. Major capital projects, such as the lowering of Peden Stadium, did not receive adequate funds from outside donors, increasing the amount the university had to spend on the project. Finally OU added three sports in the past seven years.
Part of this was due to increased discretionary spending because of lack of control over credit cards. Money spent for supplies, travel and entertainment, communication and maintenance commonly exceeded initial estimates made at the beginning of each fiscal year. In many cases, expense forms were not filled out until after money was spent. In addition, more than $66,000 in travel advances was not accounted for at the time of the audit. OU did not log mileage of university vehicles, which could be claimed on tax forms.
In addition, the audit claimed that OU wasted money on major sports projects. According to the report, the ICA put football and basketball programs above the bottom line, making expensive deals whereby OU would play at major division one schools for two of three years, while the opposing team would come to OU only once. Major capital projects, such as the lowering of Peden Stadium, did not receive adequate funds from outside donors, increasing the amount the university had to spend on the project. Finally OU added three sports in the past seven years.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Bringing track back
On several of the many Facebook groups dedicated to the reinstatement of the men’s track and field program, OU athletes have identified a strategy for encouraging the athletics department to reconsider its decision to make cuts. Along with the lacrosse team and swimming and diving team, OU track members plan to flood the athletic office and president’s office with complaints and letters, showing their immediate interest in the issue. They also propose a long term strategy of creating a field house that will increase revenue through events that can be held in the building and bring in better recruits.
Thus far, this plan has failed to lead to the reinstatement of any OU sports programs previously cut by the athletic department. However, it is important and interesting to know that the track team has a plan and that this plan even takes into account financial concerns. Team members have also looked to the success of other university sports programs that have fought for reinstatement. In 2005, the University of Vermont men’s track and field team won reinstatement after two years of absence when the university “realigned” its sports programs. However, the reinstatement came at the expense of tennis, golf and swimming programs, all of which were cut the year track was reinstated. Online groups supporting men’s track, a letter writing campaign and widespread belief by university officials that men’s track drew high-caliber students were all cited as reasons for the reinstatement.
An even more interesting example of a successful fight for reinstatement can be found at Dartmouth, where the men’s swim team successfully raised more than $2 million in private contributions to pay for its return in 2003. The contributions were pledged for the next ten years and were expected to pay for much, but not all, of the team’s expenses. Ultimately, both of these sports teams showed more than simply anger at the cutting of sports programs. They took initiative to find reasons for their own reinstatement.
Check out these links dealing with reinstatement:
A Facebook group in opposition of OU athletic director Kirby Hocutt outlined the policies of athletes in lobbying for reinstatement.
UVM campus newspaper, The Vermont Cynic, covered the reinstatement of the track and field team, while lamenting the loss of three other sports programs.
The Dartmouth News explained how zealous athletes saved men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs in 2003.
Thus far, this plan has failed to lead to the reinstatement of any OU sports programs previously cut by the athletic department. However, it is important and interesting to know that the track team has a plan and that this plan even takes into account financial concerns. Team members have also looked to the success of other university sports programs that have fought for reinstatement. In 2005, the University of Vermont men’s track and field team won reinstatement after two years of absence when the university “realigned” its sports programs. However, the reinstatement came at the expense of tennis, golf and swimming programs, all of which were cut the year track was reinstated. Online groups supporting men’s track, a letter writing campaign and widespread belief by university officials that men’s track drew high-caliber students were all cited as reasons for the reinstatement.
An even more interesting example of a successful fight for reinstatement can be found at Dartmouth, where the men’s swim team successfully raised more than $2 million in private contributions to pay for its return in 2003. The contributions were pledged for the next ten years and were expected to pay for much, but not all, of the team’s expenses. Ultimately, both of these sports teams showed more than simply anger at the cutting of sports programs. They took initiative to find reasons for their own reinstatement.
Check out these links dealing with reinstatement:
A Facebook group in opposition of OU athletic director Kirby Hocutt outlined the policies of athletes in lobbying for reinstatement.
UVM campus newspaper, The Vermont Cynic, covered the reinstatement of the track and field team, while lamenting the loss of three other sports programs.
The Dartmouth News explained how zealous athletes saved men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs in 2003.
The end of a run?
Bobcat track and field may have reached the end of its season. Of the six men’s and women’s track members competing in the NCAA regional track and field competition this past weekend, no competitor placed in the top five to receive an automatic bid in the national Championships June 6-9 in Sacramento, California. Men’s senior long jumper Scott Mayle and women’s freshman shot putter Bahiyjuai Allen are currently being considered for at-large bids. Mayle had advanced to nationals in each of the last two years. He finished seventh with a 7.40-meter jump, .13 meters behind the fifth place finisher.The NCAA offers results for all of the Mideast regional competition events.
Monday, May 28, 2007
And then there were three
Three members of the men's track team participated in the NCAA regional track meet this weekend. The meet could be the final step in qualifying for the national championships for Scott Mayle, Eric Bildstein and Brian King. The cats are hoping to extend this final season a few more weeks. Check out The Post for an in-depth preview and look for results tomorrow.
Cutting teams v. cutting the extras
The proposed sports cuts, when they take effect, will save the OU athletic department $685,000 … out of a $13.6 million budget. A budget that large begs the question of whether there are other ways to save. For example, would cutting some of the many extras offered to student athletes be sufficient to save four university teams?
My friend is a student and soccer player for the Hiram College terriers, an NCAA Division III sports team at a school of about 800. Due to NCAA regulations, the school can’t even offer athletic scholarships, but that never stopped the coach from putting his athletes’ applications on the top of the pile for academic scholarships, nor did it stop the college from pouring funds into meals, maids and laundry services for athletes. Sure, the laundry people are only supposed to wash uniforms or whatever laundry can be crammed onto the ring on which the uniform is washed. My friend can actually squeeze a shockingly respectable percentage of her weekly wardrobe choices onto the ring.
In talking to non-athletes, it seems that athletes are offered an unfair number of advantages, from priority scheduling to laundry services to free trips. Granted, the life of a student athlete is far busier and more complicated than that of the average undergrad. Yet, I plan to try to look into the university athletics budget more closely to see how much money is actually spent on athletic equipment and scholarships and how much goes to dinner at 7 Sauces. I’m also curious to see how much the coaches of each team make. If OU is going to cut entire athletics team, I would like to at least be reassured that it is a last resort.
My friend is a student and soccer player for the Hiram College terriers, an NCAA Division III sports team at a school of about 800. Due to NCAA regulations, the school can’t even offer athletic scholarships, but that never stopped the coach from putting his athletes’ applications on the top of the pile for academic scholarships, nor did it stop the college from pouring funds into meals, maids and laundry services for athletes. Sure, the laundry people are only supposed to wash uniforms or whatever laundry can be crammed onto the ring on which the uniform is washed. My friend can actually squeeze a shockingly respectable percentage of her weekly wardrobe choices onto the ring.
In talking to non-athletes, it seems that athletes are offered an unfair number of advantages, from priority scheduling to laundry services to free trips. Granted, the life of a student athlete is far busier and more complicated than that of the average undergrad. Yet, I plan to try to look into the university athletics budget more closely to see how much money is actually spent on athletic equipment and scholarships and how much goes to dinner at 7 Sauces. I’m also curious to see how much the coaches of each team make. If OU is going to cut entire athletics team, I would like to at least be reassured that it is a last resort.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Title IX
According to an overview on american.edu:
Title IX requires that schools, which receive federal funding, provide equal opportunities for members of both sexes. It addresses the availability, quality and kind of benefits, and the opportunities and treatment that athletes receive. There are three basic aspects of Title IX as applied to athletics:
1) Participation: Title IX is not a quota system. Every institution has three options to demonstrate fairness in athletic opportunities. Schools can show that they comply with Title IX if they can demonstrate any one of the following:
• Substantially proportionate athletic opportunities for male and female athletes;
• A history and continuing practice of expanding opportunities for the under-represented sex;
• Full and effective accommodation of the interests and abilities of the under-represented sex. Schools do not necessarily need to offer identical sports, yet they do need to provide an equal opportunity for females to play in sports of interest.
2) Scholarships: The total amount of athletic aid must be substantially proportionate to the ratio of female and male athletes. For example, consider a college with 90 female athletes and 115 male athletes and a scholarship budget of $100,000. An equitable distribution of funds would award $44,000 in scholarship aid to female athletes and $56,000 to males.
3) Additional Athletic Program Components: Title IX also mandates equal treatment in the provision of coaching, equipment and supplies, game and practice times, medical and training facilities, locker rooms and practice facilities, publicity, travel per diem allowance, recruitment of student athletes and tutoring opportunities.
The standard for compliance is one of quality rather than quantity. The actual amount of money spent on women's and men's programs may differ as long the quality of facilities and services for each program achieve parity. For example, equipment needed for men's football may cost more than equipment needed by women's field hockey. Title IX compliance is achieved as long as both teams are given equipment of comparable quality. However, Title IX is violated if a community builds a state-of-the-art field and locker facilities for males, but requires female athletes to share a field owned by a local community center. In this example, quality of facilities is far from equitable, and Title IX is violated.
So, although OU likely violates the first point of participation stipulations for compliance, it may follow both of the other points. While the athletic department commonly uses Title IX as an excuse to cut men’s sports programs, many OU track members seem to believe that it is just an excuse, not a legitimate reason, according to posts on Facebook.
For more on Title IX, check out the following links:
A recent Newsweek article breaks down the major issues of Title IX.
A 2003 NY Times article focused on men’s track and field as the newest victim of Title IX, covering the cutting of track programs at UVM and Bowling Green.
Title IX requires that schools, which receive federal funding, provide equal opportunities for members of both sexes. It addresses the availability, quality and kind of benefits, and the opportunities and treatment that athletes receive. There are three basic aspects of Title IX as applied to athletics:
1) Participation: Title IX is not a quota system. Every institution has three options to demonstrate fairness in athletic opportunities. Schools can show that they comply with Title IX if they can demonstrate any one of the following:
• Substantially proportionate athletic opportunities for male and female athletes;
• A history and continuing practice of expanding opportunities for the under-represented sex;
• Full and effective accommodation of the interests and abilities of the under-represented sex. Schools do not necessarily need to offer identical sports, yet they do need to provide an equal opportunity for females to play in sports of interest.
2) Scholarships: The total amount of athletic aid must be substantially proportionate to the ratio of female and male athletes. For example, consider a college with 90 female athletes and 115 male athletes and a scholarship budget of $100,000. An equitable distribution of funds would award $44,000 in scholarship aid to female athletes and $56,000 to males.
3) Additional Athletic Program Components: Title IX also mandates equal treatment in the provision of coaching, equipment and supplies, game and practice times, medical and training facilities, locker rooms and practice facilities, publicity, travel per diem allowance, recruitment of student athletes and tutoring opportunities.
The standard for compliance is one of quality rather than quantity. The actual amount of money spent on women's and men's programs may differ as long the quality of facilities and services for each program achieve parity. For example, equipment needed for men's football may cost more than equipment needed by women's field hockey. Title IX compliance is achieved as long as both teams are given equipment of comparable quality. However, Title IX is violated if a community builds a state-of-the-art field and locker facilities for males, but requires female athletes to share a field owned by a local community center. In this example, quality of facilities is far from equitable, and Title IX is violated.
So, although OU likely violates the first point of participation stipulations for compliance, it may follow both of the other points. While the athletic department commonly uses Title IX as an excuse to cut men’s sports programs, many OU track members seem to believe that it is just an excuse, not a legitimate reason, according to posts on Facebook.
For more on Title IX, check out the following links:
A recent Newsweek article breaks down the major issues of Title IX.
A 2003 NY Times article focused on men’s track and field as the newest victim of Title IX, covering the cutting of track programs at UVM and Bowling Green.
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