University Senate leaders have been critical of excessive spending on intercollegiate athletics in the past, but they welcome Nike CEO Phil Knight’s pocket-book gift with open coffers.
Members of the senate, the sole governing body for the University, said Friday that Knight’s unspecified contribution could indirectly bolster University teacher salaries. Faculty salaries are 12.5 percent lower than those at comparable universities, according to a Senate Budget Committee report.
“The stadium expansion will be able to go ahead, which will allow the Athletic Department to become self-sufficient,” said Nathan Tublitz, biology professor and president of the University Senate. “And because subsidy funds are no longer being used by intercollegiate athletics, they can be used to support faculty salaries.”
In the past, intercollegiate athletics has drawn $2 million each year from the University general fund — a cookie jar that many departments count on — to pay for athletes’ tuition and other academic endeavors. But last spring, the Faculty Advisory Council, which is composed of 10 elected faculty, suggested the senate incrementally reduce the subsidy over four years and eliminate it by 2005.
“Basically, the Athletic Department agreed to reduce that $2 million over a four-year period,” said Tom Larson, director of finance and contracts for intercollegiate athletics. “Without replacement revenue, that would mean some major cuts in programs we have.”
Larson also said Knight’s gift for the Autzen Stadium renovation “should generate well more than $2 million a year.”
Athletic self-sufficiency is a first step to appeasing the University Senate. Last winter, the senate was emboldened by excessive athletic spending to lead other Pacific-10 Conference schools to vote for a resolution that trimmed how large athletic budgets could grow.
Among the suggestions in the resolution was resisting over-commercialization of college sports teams. Universities are institutions of learning, after all, not sports franchises, the resolution said.
“Various individual faculty members have argued that we should be concerned about excessive athletic spending at this University and country-wide,” said Suzanne Clark, English professor and member of the Senate Budget Committee.
“My personal reaction to Phil Knight’s announcement, ‘I’m Back,’ is to welcome him wholeheartedly. The University values its supporters and needs them badly.”