The rising costs of National Collegiate Athletics Association college sports teams are affecting schools all over the country, West Virginia schools included.
“I don’t think we’re any different than any other university. We’re facing the same challenges that the people we compete with in terms of trying to manage our costs in order to be competitive and deal with the economy,” said David Steele, associate director of athletics for administration and business.
Steele said he thinks the impact of these rising costs varies for each institution, but it is something that affects every school at Marshall University’s level.
“I think when you’re in a competitive situation, resources are always a method of being successful,” Steele said.
In order to gather these resources, it’s necessary to be competitive, he said.
The main things that are costly for college institutions are facilities, salaries, recruiting expenses and increasing scholarship costs, Steele said.
He said a major challenge college athletics departments face is reducing costs.
Marshall has been working to do this by trying to reduce game travel expenses.
“We’ve looked into making sure those travelling were only essential personnel,” he said. “All conferences, not only Conference-USA, but all conferences took a look at minimizing the rosters of the numbers of student-athletes that travel.”
Printing costs are another expense the athletic department has been cutting down on by using technology, such as the Internet, to pass on information.
“There were a lot of schools, and we were one of them, that eliminated the traditional media guides,” Steele said. “It’s an ongoing thing. It’s just like any department. You’re always looking for the most efficient way to operate.”
The rising costs of West Virginia University’s athletic program is a continuing concern they are dealing with everyday, said Russ Sharp, senior associate director of athletics at WVU.
“You want to remain competitive and that’s something we certainly strive to do,” Sharp said. “You’ve got to look at what other people are doing, what facilities they’re building, what salaries they’re paying and so forth.”
He pointed out that the economic downturn has caused them to be a little more careful with spending than normal.
“If there’s something that’s major that we can afford to defer, then maybe that’s a good time to defer some kind of a cost just because there is uncertainty,” Sharp said.
“There’s always going to be pressure, I think, to look at what other people are doing and assess what we’re doing in that environment,” he said. “It’s always a challenge. We’re always looking at ways to be more efficient. I wouldn’t call it cutting back. It’s just ways to be more efficient.”
Kristen Barry can be contacted at ryder8@marshall.edu.
Rising costs effecting Marshall athletics
Published: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Updated: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 00:11
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