New Orleans Athletics face elimination

[dbackjon]

http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories ... 938f5.html


Chancellor Tim Ryan said UNO's cut will be more than $15 million. As a result, he said there's a hiring freeze on campus, layoffs are expected and athletics are on the chopping block if students don't agree to pay higher fees.

[dbackjon]

I guess I just don't understand "the process" on college campuses.


At the University of New Orleans, the student body will, the week of April 27th, vote on an increase in student fees that support athletics.

An increase in the fee is critical.

As part of a budget cut proposal imposed on state schools, UNO will cut out athletics from any contribution from the school's general fund. In the 2007-2008 school year, that contribution was $1.043 million.

Here's what UNO Athletics is proposing: an increase in the student fee from 100 dollars per semester to 185 dollars per semester for a fulltime student.

But, here's the kicker. Whether UNO students approve or not, the LSU board of supervisors will have the final say on the fee increase.

And, there's no doubt the fee should go up.

ABC26 Sports obtained a copy of student athletic fees of various Sun Belt conference schools, including UNO.

Florida International generates $13.456 million from student athletic fees. Florida Atlantic $8.5 million. Middle Tennessee generates 5.4 million from its student athletic fee.

Troy generated only $10,000 from student fees. But, Troy athletics also received $7 million dollars in funding from the University.

UNO's take from student fees was $1.859 million dollars.

If the fee isn't approved, could UNO athletics simply go away?

According to Sun Belt Conference commissioner Wright Waters, shutting down isn't that simple.

Waters said if a member school drops out of the Sun Belt Conference without one year's notice that school is assessed a fee of $500,000.

Can UNO athletics be saved? The answer to that question is absolutely.

But, several things must be done.

And, the first thing is someone in the state legislature needs to call out these budget cuts to higher education for what they are: absolutely ludicrous.

Systems President John Lombardi said if the proposed cuts are enacted, "(LSU) will no longer be capable of competing among America's significant public university systems. Its flagship will lose its place in the competition among American flagship institutions and its campuses and medical enterprises will find themselves dramatically behind the rest of the South, let alone more prosperous and vibrant areas of the economy."

Time for the legislature to do what the Governor will not, and that is stand up for higher education.

And, while the legislature is at it, they can raise the cost of tuition at state schools and/or scale back TOPS.

Please don't tell me you can't afford an increase. Base tuition at the University of New Orleans (an excellent school by the way) is under $2,000 per semester.

That number is so low it is almost laughable.

30 years ago, yours truly graduated from Loyola University. A big portion of the cost was covered by a student loan.

You get a job, you work your tail off and pay off the loan.

In other words, welcome to America.

Our state schools shouldn't take a hit every time gas prices take a nosedive.

All of our state schools deserve better. The legistlature should tell Bobby Jindal no to draconian cuts.

And, the citizenry of Louisiana should embrace the notion that outstanding state schools aren't made with shoestring budgets.


http://www.neworleans.com/sports/uno/12 ... -vote.html

[dgreco]

cost-benefit analysis says 500k is saving a lot more than running athletics in the red.

TT must be crying.

[tampajag]

All smack aside,.................................. I've got nothing.

I wonder why a certain someone didn't say anything about this, UNO has never really been known for their athletics. Hell their best basketball player was only known for being a 6'10 bagboy before he went there. At least they update their website daily.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

hate to see any school face this... i still can't believe Birmingham Southern went down to D-III a couple years ago...

the other side of this is, I suppose the counter to how crowded D-I has become (and I realize as an NDSU fan how questionable it is for me to say that)

[slycat]

Looks like a spot will open up in the Sunbelt for Texas St....