As painful as Wednesday’s announcement of more than $250,000 in budget cuts, including dropping six sports, is for St. Cloud State University’s coaches, athletes and fans, it was inevitable.

The university is facing a $9 million gap between revenue and expenses. That is real money.

Making a balanced budget requires all sectors of the university community to make budget cuts.

The reduction is about 5 percent of the total athletic department budget of about $10 million. The total doesn’t seem unreasonable give the university’s total annual budget is $200 million.

The athletic department already anticipates a deficit of roughly $500,000 this fiscal year, which ends June 30. The school hopes to reduce the deficit next fiscal year with increased donations and sponsorships. Filling any remaining gap has to come from the university’s general fund.

What is the outlook for the next fiscal year? More challenges. The cuts announced Wednesday will only slice in half the expected deficit for next year.

Sadly, the cuts will affect about 80 roster spots for student-athletes. Three head coaches, three part-time paid assistants and one volunteer assistant are affected, according to university officials.

Part of the reductions include “roster management,” which means some teams will have to reduce the size of their rosters so the university stays in compliance with Title IX requirements on gender fairness.

It will be painful. There will be fewer players on the football, wrestling and baseball teams. That is especially sad given the success of the wrestling and baseball teams. Wrestling will lose 14 roster spots. Baseball will lose 12.

University leaders have made it clear all areas of the university will be looked at for expense savings. That’s as it should be.

Sports are a critical part of the university’s marketing plans. College athletics attract students, including those who enroll to be part of the athletic teams. Sports also provide ways to help the university raise money with ticket and concession revenue.

An important point to keep in mind is that SCSU had the largest number of sports of any of the colleges in the NSIC conference.

The trend in intercollegiate sports is to make athletic departments self-sufficient or at least show minimal losses. State funding for college athletics is fast going away.

For those protesting increases in tuition cost and crushing debt loads for students after they graduate, these cuts are part of the answer. Imagine the outcry if the $9 million shortfall was filled with a tuition increase. Thanks to the Legislature, tuition at SCSU is scheduled to remain unchanged next year.

University officials are to be commended for several other elements of the cutbacks:

— They discouraged any efforts by boosters or others to raise donations to save any of the teams.

— They allowed athletes to keep their scholarship aid for up to four years.

— They granted written permission for coaches from other institutions to contact student-athletes about transfer opportunities. St. Cloud State will support transferring students in credit and eligibility review if they choose to compete at another institution.

What else can be done?

An increase in student fees to support the athletic program isn’t an option. The Minnesota State College and Universities board has a cap on those fees, and SCSU has hit the limit.

Sponsorship and donations are another way to raise money to help the athletic department. Buying tickets and attending SCSU home games help, too.

Bottom line: How much do area companies, boosters and fans care about SCSU athletics? How that question is answered is ultimately the key to whether these are the last cuts to the department.

 

— St. Cloud Times, March 5