That would be the University of Akron’s board, InsideHigherEd here:
“For years, the university has disinvested in academics while simultaneously losing millions on its athletics programs,” Akron’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors wrote in a position paper about proposed cuts earlier this month. “In the spirit of shared sacrifice, we believe that it’s time to move to a responsible and sustainable model of funding for athletics.”
While the vast majority of university revenue comes from academics in the form of student tuition and fees, the union wrote, its athletic programs are another story. According to the AAUP chapter’s accounting, Akron has been losing an average of $21.5 million per year on athletic programs for the last 10 years, topping $215 million in lost revenue during that time. Among other options, the AAUP advocates leaving Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Such losses, paired with the cuts of academics, are “no longer defensible,” the AAUP wrote in its report. This is “not fair to our students, who are subsidizing athletics at a higher rate than students at other Ohio public universities.”
It would be good to know what happens here if there are similar layoffs. Who goes in what order?
Also, if they cut pay, what recourse do people have? How much notice does an employee get, and how much must they give? I think most people haven’t a clue.
Around 50 universities are subsidizing their athletic department 20-40 million dollars a year. https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances
The crazy thing is that they feel they have to do this to have a shot at being like Oregon and not subsidizing athletics. Can you imagine giving a business pitch that says “We expect to have losses of millions of dollars a year for an indefinite period in the hopes of one day breaking even. But since those dollars are from students racking up debt and working nights to pay tuition it is easy money.”