Pres Schill’s Track & Field Championship construction boom adds $15M a year to UO costs, UO credit rating goes negative

In June 2015 UO projected that debt expense payments for 2021 would be about $43M a year:

Now in June 2020 they are projecting debt expense payments for 2021 will be about $58M a year – a $15M increase:

Why the increase? Mostly for 30 year bonds sold to build new dorms, part of the “Athlete’s Village” that Phil Knight needed for the IAAF Track and Field Championships bids. We’ll be paying them off for a long time.

For perspective, the average student brings in about $20K a year in tuition, so it would take about 750 new students to cover this $15M in new debt.

Enrollment increases are unlikely, so the current plan from President Schill and Provost Phillips is to cut wages for faculty and staff to cover this debt expense increase and any revenue declines from cuts in state contributions and enrollment.

In any case the party is over. In March – before the impact of the coronavirus – Moody’s had already revised UO’s credit outlook to negative, citing the increased debt, spending, resistance to tuition increases, low reserves, etc. (Thanks to a helpful reader for sharing this public record, which took Kevin Reed’s office 3 weeks to provide. Full report here. So far as I can tell Angela Wilhelms and Chuck Lillis never showed it to the Trustees, nor was if discussed in their public meetings. Not exactly due diligence.)

The tables are from the back pages of the Trustees agenda materials. June 2015 here, 2020 here. It seems unlikely that the Trustees will do their due diligence on this at their June 4th meeting, given that they are the people who approved all the decisions that got us here.

Pres Schill & BoT Chair Lillis let Ducks skim $5.5M off top of new IMG deal

For as far back as I can tell UO and the Duck Athletic Department have split licensing revenues down the middle. It’s *college athletics*. No college, no money for the coaches, and vice versa.

So it’s 50/50. (Nothing for the athletes of course, it’s an NCAA rule). This is why when your department wants to sell $5 t-shirts with the “O” on them, you have to get permission and pay a fee. These licensing deals are increasingly lucrative, as our IMG licensing partner churns out more and more deals for Duck crap.

How lucrative? So lucrative that UO GC Kevin Reed’s Public Records’s office doesn’t want you to know how lucrative. They’ve been stonewalling my public records request for 3 weeks now. What they have released is this:

That’s right, President Schill and our Trustees have agreed to a deal that will take $5.5M off the top for the Ducks, before the university’s academic side gets anything. That’s a lot of Jumbotrons, or a lot of career faculty.

The Ducks have $63M in cash. Will Pres Schill let them keep spending it on their raises and bonuses?

VPFA Jamie Moffitt has noted that UO’s operating reserves are about $60M, for a general fund budget of about $650M. After it’s gone, it’s not clear how UO will meet payroll.

Meanwhile the Ducks are sitting on $63M in their “Legacy Fund”, for an annual budget of about $125M. This was set up at the insistence of the Legislature to ensure that they had enough money to pay off the $230M in Arena bonds. (The academic budget pays about $450K a year to help them out). Phil Knight has donated about $145M to this so far, and the Ducks have used it as a slush fund, raiding it whenever they want more money to pay themselves higher salaries or bigger bonuses.

The most recent report is here, and the gist is below:

Altman’s heavily subsidized Duck BBall gets new coaches offices

Some buckets are more equal than others. From Carrington Powell in the Daily Emerald:

The University of Oregon is updating the Matthew Knight Arena with new enhancements, such as a rebranding and new coach offices, nine years after its construction. …

“It’s areas that haven’t been updated from a graphic and branding standpoint in a while,” he added. Stanton said the branding update will give many different parts of the arena a “fresh, attractive and innovative” look. The update will include the locker room, weight room, training room, corridors, common space and nutrition area.

…The renovations are not being paid by out of UO’s operating budget, according to the Board of Trustees meeting packet. Stanton said the project is funded by a private gift and said he didn’t know how much the construction will cost. Phil Knight’s private contracting company, Phit Too, LLC, is in charge of the project.

The three-story office building will allow student athletes to come to their coaches’ offices in the same building that they train in. According to a meeting packet from the UO Board of Trustees each floor will be 5,000 square feet and each floor will have a dedicated area for coach offices, meeting rooms, break rooms, restrooms and a reception area.

That’s nice. Meanwhile UO’s operating budget just paid ~$2.37M for utility tunnels and electrical work to wire up Hayward Field, and the academic side continues to pay another ~$5M recurring to subsidize the Jock Box, Matt Court land bonds, Presidential Skybox and Matt Court tickets, etc.

Pres calls for athletic department to pay 25% of TV revenues to academic side

That would be OSU’s new President F. King Alexander, reflecting on his successes and failures at LSU, on a piece from the Sambla Sweden blog today:

… Another area where Alexander wishes he could have been more effective was convincing the leadership of other SEC institutions to join him in a pact that would have required 25% of revenues generated by the SEC Network, which premiered in 2014, to go to academics.

Alexander says he and the president of the University of Georgia were pushing the idea during negotiations with the upstart network six years ago. But smaller schools were unwilling to go along, not wanting to be told how they should allocate the revenues they receive.

As a result, the $42 million a year per university the network generates goes to athletics.

“If that vote had gone our way we would have gotten nearly $11 million or so every year for academics,” he says. “That would have been a significant amount of money.” …

As it happens UO Pres Mike Schill will be leading the Pac-12 this year, perhaps Alexander can push him to accept a similar proposal.

Duck budget bucket full to the brim

These are the 2018-2019 forecasts for the Athletic Department $120,584,750 in operating expenses, $120,584,750 in revenue. This is ignoring the ~$5M in subsidies from the academic side for the Jock Box, President Schill’s skybox, Lorraine Davis, etc. The ~$1.5M subsidy for the Hayward Field utility tunnel is buried somewhere else.

https://static.goducks.com/custompages/pages/athlfin/FY19Budget.pdf

Some partial compensation data for the athletic department from spring 2019 (doesn’t include bonuses, DAC  & CC membership, family travel, etc.). It totals $28,055,867:

last_name first_name base_salary total_comp academic_title
Altman Dana D $2,500,000 $2,506,000 Head Men’s Basketball Coach
Altman Dana D $6,000 $2,506,000 Courtesy Car Stipend
Cristobal Mario $2,500,000 $2,500,000 Head Football Coach
Leavitt James P $1,700,000 $1,703,600 Assistant Football Coach
Leavitt James P $3,600 $1,703,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Arroyo Marcus $825,000 $828,600 Assistant Football Coach
Arroyo Marcus $3,600 $828,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Mullens Robert A $780,189 $787,389 Dir Intercollegiate Athletics
Mullens Robert A $7,200 $787,389 Courtesy Car Stipend
Salavea Joseph $650,000 $653,600 Assistant Football Coach
Salavea Joseph $3,600 $653,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Graves Kelly L $650,000 $650,000 Head Women’s Basketball Coach
Heyward Keith $600,000 $603,600 Assistant Football Coach
Heyward Keith $3,600 $603,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Horton George E $500,000 $500,000 Head Baseball Coach
Williams Donte A $400,000 $403,600 Assistant Football Coach
Williams Donte A $3,600 $403,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Stubblefield Anthony G $400,000 $400,000 Assist Men’s Basketball Coach
Lombardi Melissa K $325,000 $375,436 Head Softball Coach
Lombardi Melissa K $50,436 $375,436 Softball Camp Overload
Mastro James E $367,000 $370,600 Assistant Football Coach
Mastro James E $3,600 $370,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Wilson William K $350,000 $353,600 Assistant Football Coach
Wilson William K $3,600 $353,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Johnson Robert A $350,000 $350,000 Head Coach M&W Track Field
Mirabal Alejandro J $350,000 $350,000 Assistant Football Coach
Williams Robert $350,000 $350,000 Assistant Football Coach
Johnson Michael E $335,000 $335,000 Assistant Football Coach
Feld Aaron W $310,000 $310,000 Strength & Conditioning Coord
McKenna Kevin R $300,000 $300,000 Assist Men’s Basketball Coach
Lananna Vincent J $289,855 $289,855 Associate Athletic Director
Mennenga Michael M $280,000 $280,000 Asst Men’s Basketball Coach
Roedl Eric L $265,200 $265,200 Deputy Athletic Director
Davis Lorraine G $234,370 $234,370 Special Assistant to AD
Martin Casey M $227,500 $232,300 Head Men’s Golf Coach
Martin Casey M $4,800 $232,300 Courtesy Car Stipend
Peterson Lisa L $204,376 $209,176 Deputy Athletic Director/SWA
Peterson Lisa L $4,800 $209,176 Courtesy Car Stipend
Campbell Mark J $204,000 $204,000 Assoc Head Women’s BB Coach
Duncan Michael P $181,023 $185,823 Sr Assc AD Operations & Events
Duncan Michael P $4,800 $185,823 Courtesy Car Stipend
Skaggs Gregory C $181,800 $181,800 Director of Athletic Medicine
Radcliffe James C $181,622 $181,622 Head Strength Coach
Cohn Henry J $178,500 $178,500 Sr Assoc AD for Development
Dietrich Jason E $171,259 $174,859 Pitching Coach/Recruiting Coor
Dietrich Jason E $3,600 $174,859 Courtesy Car Stipend
Uhlman Jason A $160,712 $164,312 Assistant Baseball Coach
Uhlman Jason A $3,600 $164,312 Courtesy Car Stipend
Hawkins Jeffrey N $131,745 $161,245 Ar Assc AD/HDC Admin & Ops
Hawkins Jeffrey N $29,500 $161,245 Performance Stipend
Delaney Jace A $160,000 $160,000 Dir of Perf & Sports Science
Stanton James T $155,040 $159,840 Senior Assoc Athletic Dir Communications
Stanton James T $4,800 $159,840 Courtesy Car Stipend
Ulmer Matthew D $155,000 $155,000 Head VB/Beach VB Coach
Berry Jodie R $149,152 $152,752 Asst Women’s Basketball Coach
Berry Jodie R $3,600 $152,752 Courtesy Car Stipend
Shults Justin R $118,000 $151,600 Assistant Softball Coach
Shults Justin R $30,000 $151,600 Softball Camp Overload
Shults Justin R $3,600 $151,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Yamanaka Herbert S $148,067 $148,067 Associate AD
Sykes Jody M $142,794 $147,594 Sr Assoc AD, Chief Compliance
Sykes Jody M $4,800 $147,594 Courtesy Car Stipend
Shea Devon M $143,125 $146,725 Assoc AD Facilities & Events
Shea Devon M $3,600 $146,725 Courtesy Car Stipend
Taylor Curtis A $135,000 $138,600 Assoc Hd Coach M&W Track Field
Taylor Curtis A $3,600 $138,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Langenfeld Megan D $100,000 $133,600 Assistant Softball Coach
Langenfeld Megan D $30,000 $133,600 Softball Camp Overload
Langenfeld Megan D $3,600 $133,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Brooks Stephanie L $64,448 $127,658 Athletic Trainer
Brooks Stephanie L $63,210 $127,658 Instructional Overload
Lehman-Winters Helen L $120,000 $123,600 Assoc Hd Coach M&W Track Field
Thomas Benjamin D $120,000 $123,600 Assoc Hd Coach M&W Track Field
Lehman-Winters Helen L $3,600 $123,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Thomas Benjamin D $3,600 $123,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Mertz Katherine H $118,000 $122,800 Head Women’s Soccer Coach
Mertz Katherine H $4,800 $122,800 Courtesy Car Stipend
Field Stephen L $122,388 $122,388 Director of Recruiting
Schyllander Nils J $120,000 $120,000 Head Men’s Tennis Coach
Jamieson Joshua A $115,815 $119,415 Dir of Men’s Basketball Ops
Jamieson Joshua A $3,600 $119,415 Courtesy Car Stipend
Fisher Justin J $116,580 $116,580 Asst Athletic Dir, Development
Radley Derek $110,000 $110,000 Head Women’s Golf Coach
Mansfield Mary Ellen $106,639 $106,639 Asst AD-Budget & Business Svcs
Butler Christopher P $105,000 $105,000 Asst AD for Information Tech
VanBecelaere Evan P $105,000 $105,000 Asst Strength & Conditon Coach
Gamble Chelsea R $100,000 $104,800 Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach
Gamble Chelsea R $4,800 $104,800 Courtesy Car Stipend
Smith Jody L $104,156 $104,156 Assistant Athletic Director
Clever John W $103,331 $103,331 Executive Asst AD, Compliance
Murray Kimberly $103,057 $103,057 Assistant AD Development
Fyle Matthew S $102,000 $102,000 Asst Strength Condition Coach
Lopez Xavier $97,627 $101,227 Asst Women’s Basketball Coach
Lopez Xavier $3,600 $101,227 Courtesy Car Stipend
Noyer Matthew M $100,797 $100,797 Director of Football Ops
Broadstone Courtney N $100,000 $100,000 Head Women’s Tennis Coach
Smith Jerrold L $98,828 $98,828 Radio Announcer
Terrell Kimberley S $98,238 $98,238 Assoc Dir Athletic Medicine
Groscup Leslie E $96,918 $96,918 Senior Dir of Arena Operations
Arends Thomas P $96,900 $96,900 Director of Player Personnel
Covington Samuel J $94,350 $94,350 Dir of Athletic Facilities Sys
Steil Kevin P $93,442 $93,442 Assoc Dir Ath Med/Football
Blood William N $92,700 $92,700 Exec Asst AD Business Ops
Pierson Patrick S $92,700 $92,700 Assoc Ath Dir Communications
Pohl Steven A $90,537 $90,537 Video Coordinator
Dillard Erika M $86,700 $90,300 Assitant Volleyball Coach
Dillard Erika M $3,600 $90,300 Courtesy Car Stipend
Wasson Aaron T $88,736 $88,736 Asst AD Equipment & Champion
Brewer John C $88,087 $88,087 Asst AD for Marketing & Sales
Campbell Charles R $87,358 $87,358 Event Fire Protection Mgr
Henson Seth H $82,000 $85,600 Asst Men’s & Women’s T&F Coach
Henson Seth H $3,600 $85,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Ruckwardt Mark E $83,752 $83,752 Exec Asst AD Human Resources
Schaffeld Joe C $83,066 $83,066 Special Projects
Klein Jacqueline M $52,000 $82,000 Dir Softball Operations
Klein Jacqueline M $30,000 $82,000 Softball Camp Overload
Williams Shaud R $81,600 $81,600 Asst Strength Conditional Coach
Broders Jonathan M $77,548 $81,148 Director of Development
Broders Jonathan M $3,600 $81,148 Courtesy Car Stipend
Brooks Leanne R $81,136 $81,136 Asst AD Academic Eligibility
Whitsitt Erik M $76,376 $79,976 Assistant Track & Field Coach
Whitsitt Erik M $3,600 $79,976 Courtesy Car Stipend
Sargeant John E $79,944 $79,944 Dir Food & Beverage Concess Sv
Harris Jason R $75,000 $78,600 Asst AD, Ticket Sales & Serv
Harris Jason R $3,600 $78,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Steele Jillian K $74,753 $78,353 Asst AD for Track & Field Ops
Steele Jillian K $3,600 $78,353 Courtesy Car Stipend
LaBounty Scott B $77,784 $77,784 Assistant AD/Video Services
Strand Victoria R $76,684 $76,684 Dir Of Athletic Events Srvs
Dillon Mark A $76,500 $76,500 Asst Strength & Cond Coach
Walker Gregory S $74,830 $74,830 Assoc Director Media Services
Toy Roger C $74,578 $74,578 GM Concessions Autzen & Mo
Halseth Travis J $62,220 $74,220 Athletic Trainer
Halseth Travis J $12,000 $74,220 Conf Injury Data Stipend
Farr Kenneth S $73,248 $73,248 Football Equipment Admin
Vanorsdel Kari J $73,097 $73,097 Director of Food Operations
Harbert Katherine E $72,010 $72,010 Asst AD Student-Ath Develop
Santos Holly F $70,884 $70,884 Asst AD, DAF Operations
Lopez Megan M $67,183 $70,783 Dir of Women’s BB Operations
Lopez Megan M $3,600 $70,783 Courtesy Car Stipend
Martins Emanuel M $69,901 $69,901 Assoc Head Womens Soccer Coach
Smith Dustin E $68,680 $68,680 Football Video Coordinator
Motta Joseph V $67,450 $67,450 Director Facility Operations
Jamieson Clayton E $63,089 $67,089 Athletic Trainer
Jamieson Clayton E $4,000 $67,089 Conf Injury Data Stipend
Butler David R $66,300 $66,300 Assistant Volleyball Coach
Price Nicole L $65,000 $65,000 Asst Women’s Lacrosse Coach
Lanning Bradley E $64,978 $64,978 Assistant Men’s Golf Coach
Jorgensen Laura A $64,654 $64,654 Asst AD/Director of Ticket Ops
Wagner Carolyn M $60,770 $64,370 Dir Annual Giving Duck Ath Fun
Wagner Carolyn M $3,600 $64,370 Courtesy Car Stipend
Embree Thomas R $62,721 $62,721 Athletic Trainer
Phillips Joshua E $62,500 $62,500 Asst AD Creative&Digital Media
Winters Da’Vell A $62,500 $62,500 Assistant Director Football
Won Keenyn M $57,000 $61,800 Head Acro & Tumbling Coach
Won Keenyn M $4,800 $61,800 Courtesy Car Stipend
Davis Mark C $61,200 $61,200 Asst Strength Condition Coach
Robinson Elizabeth L $57,500 $61,100 Assistant Women’s Tennis Coach
Robinson Elizabeth L $3,600 $61,100 Courtesy Car Stipend
Moseley Robert J $61,083 $61,083 Editor in Chief
Batley James W $57,217 $60,817 Sr Assoc Dir of Development
Batley James W $3,600 $60,817 Courtesy Car Stipend
Sigler Andrew M $60,636 $60,636 Sr Assoc Dir of Development
Wilson Grant $56,556 $60,556 Athletic Trainer
Wilson Grant $4,000 $60,556 Conf Injury Data Stipend
Halseth Heather R $60,030 $60,030 Athletic Trainer
Asisi Funaki T $60,000 $60,000 Assistant Director Football
McKay Benjamin A $60,000 $60,000 Sports Science Coordinator
Heim Joshua A $59,950 $59,950 Assistant Director Football
Spencer Arron R $56,175 $59,775 Assistant Men’s Tennis Coach
Spencer Arron R $3,600 $59,775 Courtesy Car Stipend
Malme Christopher N $58,866 $58,866 Senior Assoc Dir of Development
Noyer Cassidy J $57,570 $57,570 Assistant Director Football
Crockett Lauren C $53,560 $57,160 Assoc Dir of Admin, Events
Crockett Lauren C $3,600 $57,160 Courtesy Car Stipend
Gottfried Timothy C $56,560 $56,560 Gen Mngr Concessions-MKA
Verdugo Alexander $55,957 $55,957 Assistant Director Football
Miles Kenneth S $55,282 $55,282 Assoc Director Communications
Jackson Nia J $54,060 $54,060 Dir Creativity Womens BBall
Smith Terrence C $53,990 $53,990 Director of Ticket Sales
Vaughn Monica R $50,000 $53,600 Assistant Women’s Golf Coach
Vaughn Monica R $3,600 $53,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Barrientos Christian $53,000 $53,000 Interim Football Ops Syst Mgr
Oshiro Tracy C $52,887 $52,887 Athletic Trainer
Walton James D $52,412 $52,412 Dir of Baseball Operations
Kendrick Erica B $52,186 $52,186 Athletic Trainer
DeMartini Michael J $51,500 $51,500 Asst Dir Business Office
Gomez Vanessa $51,123 $51,123 Athletic Trainer
Look Kodi W $51,000 $51,000 Asst Director of Football Ops
Kirby Jessica M $50,684 $50,684 Dir of Operations for VB & LAX
Dougherty Charles D $50,410 $50,410 Operations Supervisor
Clinton Arne R $50,000 $50,000 Operations Supervisor
Eaton Jeffrey P $50,000 $50,000 Asst Strength Condition Coach
Terai Guysen S $50,000 $50,000 Asst Strength & Cond Coach
Callaghan Thomas $49,809 $49,809 Production Manager
Robertson Megan B $49,029 $49,029 Dir, Promotions & Gameday Exp
Wardsworth Katherine G $45,000 $48,600 Director of Track & Field Ops
Wardsworth Katherine G $3,600 $48,600 Courtesy Car Stipend
Jupe Nikki M $48,450 $48,450 Senior Sports Dietitian
Stewart Jeffrey L $47,594 $47,594 Assoc Dir of Ticket Operations
Hinton Tyler P $47,301 $47,301 Asst Dir Athletic Compliance
Lewis Cris M $47,000 $47,000 Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach
Manseau-Toth Julia R $46,920 $46,920 Event Manager
Cross Alexis N $46,683 $46,683 Assoc Dir Dev Women in Flight
Waltasti Joseph F $45,911 $45,911 Asst Dir Ath Communications
Rogers Joseph D $45,125 $45,125 Matt Knight Equipment Mgr
Harlee Jessica N $45,000 $45,000 Coord Student-Athletic Devel
Salemo Anna F $45,000 $45,000 Asst Women’s Lacrosse Coach
Grotefend Cynthia A $43,038 $43,038 Luxury Suites Service Manager
Hughes Taylor A $42,650 $42,650 Sports Dietitian
Lawson Zachary D $42,500 $42,500 Asst Director Athletic Comms
Lockett Dana J $41,395 $41,395 Cheer Advis/Prod Asst
Frieler Bethany J $40,594 $40,594 Junior Sports Dietitian
Sylvester Jordan E $40,594 $40,594 Junior Sports Dietitian
James William F $40,117 $40,117 Concessions Event Manager
Harrer Janice M $40,000 $40,000 Assist Beach Volleyball Coach
Groen Brielle N $38,760 $38,760 Coord of Athletic Admin
Krueger Nathan J $38,494 $38,494 Asst Director Athletic Comms
Fraser Elise J $37,911 $37,911 Assistant Events Manager
Herteg Lee R $37,512 $37,512 Asst Dir Promo & Gameday Exper
Tacey Anthony C $36,465 $36,465 Asst Dir of Ticket Operations
Jeffries Jacqueline S $35,700 $35,700 Asst Acro and Tumbling Coach
Morill Allen $35,578 $35,578 Asst MBB Conditioning Coach
Sanders Kenneth $12,000 $12,000 Moving Expense Stipend

 

Rob Mullens negotiates porkalicious deal with Nike for Duck athletics cash

12/7/2017: All the cash and apparel goes to the Duck Athletic department, except for a cut of the royalties for the academic side. Academic Departments will have to contract with Nike if they want to sell t-shirts. More details in the Register Guard here:

Stanton said that the additional money from the deal would be used to keep up with department’s growing expenses “including the rising cost of scholarships and student-athlete support,” rather than being spent on new initiatives, facilities, or staff.

Really? Because I heard Mullens was planning to give the money to Willie Taggart. And last time I looked the Ducks were telling Duck Athletic Fund donors that it was their donations that paid for scholarships and student-athlete support. And you wouldn’t want to misinform the donors – there’s a state law about that, as Jamie Moffitt knows.

My apologies to GC Reed for blaming him for this deal in my first post below.

11/30/2017: GC Kevin Reed negotiates a vastly improved apparel deal with Nike

The details are still under negotiation, but the basics are on the UO Board website here (pdf p56):

I wonder how much of the $3M bonus and annual payments will go to the academic side?

In comparison the old deal was a giveaway – though the administration did get themselves some free sneakers out of it:

From Matthew Kish in the Portland Business Journal:

Here’s a breakdown of Nike’s [athletic apparel] deal with each university in the playoffs. The terms cover the 2014-15 academic year [reordered in descending order of cash payment]:

– Ohio State: $2.5 million in equipment and apparel and nearly $1.5 million in cash. The university also gets $150,000 in discretionary apparel, typically for athletic department personnel.

– Florida State: $3 million in equipment and apparel and $1.4 million in cash.

– Alabama: $2.8 million in equipment and apparel, $780,000 in cash.

– Oregon: $2.2 million in equipment and apparel and $600,000 in cash. The university also gets $185,000 in discretionary apparel, typically for athletic department personnel.

But hey, we’re #1 in “discretionary apparel”!

From what I can tell from Dave Hubin’s redacted public records, $30K of that goes to our colleagues in Johnson Hall, presumably including some who signed off on the contract. So they’ll be looking good on their Jan 1 Rose Bowl junkets.

Screen Shot 2013-12-31 at 1.05.07 PM

Pres Schill to throw more money at Duck coach Willie Taggart?

That’s the rumor from Sports Illustrated, here. Presumably the porkalicious deal will have to be approved by the Board of Trustees, although last year Schill gave AD Rob Mullens millions more without going to the board, and managed to keep it secret for  8 months.

At this rate there’s not going to be any money left over to reduce the subsidies the Ducks get from regular UO students’ tuition, much less pay the student-athletes. Oh, right, this is the NCAA. Never mind.

Meanwhile, we’re still stuck paying Matt Helrich $3M+ a year. Or was it Mike? Marty? Whatever. Here are the memories from the February 2015 meeting where the Trustees voted unanimously to commit UO to that. He was fired less than a year later – but his money pours on:

In February the UO Board of Trustees gave big raises to Duck AD Rob Mullens and football coach Mark Helfrich, after a second place finish in last year’s championship. Board Secretary Angela Wilhelms kept the purpose of the meeting secret until the last minute, and even left the contracts off the docket of meeting materials. The board approved them with no discussion after then Interim President Scott Coltrane enthusiastically endorsed the raises:

Screen Shot 2015-09-22 at 1.42.05 PM

The contracts were made public later, and along with many perks and bonuses the Trustees basically doubled Helfrich’s base salary, which had been a mere $1.8M:

 Screen Shot 2015-09-22 at 1.45.41 PM

Daily Emerald explains ~$5M in Duck subsidies to new UO students

ODE reporter Kenny Jacoby is back from a summer internship at NBC TV in San Diego, and he’s wasting no time getting to work. Today the Emerald has the most comprehensive accounting I’ve seen yet of the ~$5M a year in subsidies that UO’s academic side pays to Rob Mullens and the Ducks:

It’s the beginning of another school year, which means another round of tuition hikes for UO students. The damage this year is a 6.6 percent increase for in-state students (about $810 per year) and a 3 percent increase for out-of-state (about $945). It was nearly 10.6 percent for in-state students, but a last-minute influx of state support helped mitigate the increase. Tuition has gone up for the fourth straight year and roughly doubled in the past decade.

The Oregon athletic department, meanwhile, continues to thrive. According to its projected 2018 budget, it expects to make $113 million in revenue, up from $110 million last year and $40 million a decade ago. Each year, however, it spends every dollar it brings in. It recently paid to buy former football coach Mark Helfrich and his coaching staff out of their contracts and hire Willie Taggart and 12 new assistant and strength coaches.

Of the $113 million in revenue in 2018, about $5 million will come directly out of UO students’ pockets. Students, through tuition and fees, foot the bill for tutoring and advising services for student-athletes, President Michael Schill’s luxury seats at Autzen Stadium and Matthew Knight Arena, student tickets to football and basketball games and debt service on the basketball arena and parking garage.

Over the summer, the Emerald asked Schill whether he would consider pulling any money from the athletic department budget to mitigate a tuition increase for students. The answer was a resounding no. He said athletics is going through its own budget issues, and that he is “comfortable” with the the current level of subsidy.

Some big ticket subsidies from Jacoby’s story:

Jaqua Academic Center – $2 million

UO students pay roughly $2 million per year on tutoring and advising services available exclusively to UO’s approximately 450 student-athletes, financial transparency reports show. By comparison, UO spends about the same amount each year on the Teaching and Learning Center in the fourth of the library or basement of PLC, which offers free group tutoring services and paid one-on-one sessions to 20,000 undergraduates.

Matthew Knight Arena – $502,000

The most expensive on-campus basketball arena in the U.S. costs UO students roughly $502,000 a year in debt service, plus the cost of using the arena for school events. A decade ago, when Knight pledged $100 million to build the $227 million arena, the athletic department scrambled to find funds to buy the land on which to build it, which at the time was owned by a bakery plant. So in 2009, then-athletic director Pat Kilkenny made a deal with then-President Dave Frohnmayer that ultimately left UO students paying roughly a quarter of of the $1.8-million-a-year land debt payment. …

In addition to land debt service, UO students also pay money to use Matthew Knight Arena. Financial records obtained by the Emerald show UO has paid athletics more than $230,000 in the past three years on expenses on 27 school events at Matthew Knight Arena, including rent, audio/video technology, janitors, ushers and changeover (changing the venue from a basketball facility to accommodate different types of events). Using Matthew Knight Arena for Ta-Nehisi Coates’ lecture in February, for example, cost UO nearly $40,000 — not including the $41,000 in donor money it paid to Coates.

Student Tickets – $1.7 million

UO students pay athletics nearly $1.7 million a year in student fees for tickets to UO sporting events.

President Schill’s Luxury Seats – $412,000

As part of the 2009 agreement between Frohnmayer and Kilkenny, UO agreed to pay the athletic department $375,000 a year for use of the presidential suite, 80 club level season tickets, eight reserved season tickets and 11 parking spaces at Autzen Stadium. UO also agreed to pay for 20 men’s basketball season tickets and four garage parking passes at Matthew Knight Arena, which amounted to $32,456 last year. The seats are used “for donor engagement and fundraising activities,” according to athletic department spokesman Craig Pintens.

Parking Garage and Parking Revenue – $625,000

Also part of the 2009 agreement, UO agreed to finance a portion of the debt service on the underground parking garage at Matthew Knight Arena and allow athletics to keep the parking revenue generated during games, as well as outside events managed by athletics, such as concerts. This amounts to $521,000 a year for debt service and between $250,000 and $270,000 in lost revenue — minus roughly $150,000 that the athletic department pays the City of Eugene for parking enforcement — during Matthew Knight Arena events.

Why are UO students’ health fees paying for the Duck’s Team Doctor?

9/20/2017: I don’t know. Here’s his job description, explaining that his duties are split between the Ducks Department of Athletic Medicine, and the University Health Center, followed by his salary report showing all his pay comes from the UHC, which is funded by student health fees:

But at least he’s board certified in Sports Medicine. In fact it was a requirement for the job, although his boss doesn’t have it.

9/7/2017:  Duck Director of Athletic Medicine Greg Skaggs is not board certified in Sports Medicine

The American Medical Association / ABMS website notes:

My Doctor is Board Certified. Is Yours? You want quality care for your family. That’s why choosing a Board Certified doctor is so important.

Board Certification is a voluntary process that goes above and beyond licensing requirements – it’s a commitment to continually expand knowledge in a medical specialty.

Presumably that knowledge would include concussion treatments, rhabdo, exercise during low air quality, and perhaps some CTE on medical ethics and conflicts of interest while working as a team doctor. This 2010 UO job announcement for a University Physician notes:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduate of accredited medical school
M.D. or D.O. Licensure by the Oregon Medical Board – (or license eligible)
ABMS-approved board certification in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine or Pediatrics
Successful Completion of Sports Medicine Fellowship
Board Certified or Board Eligible in Sports Medicine

Dr. Skaggs’s Sports Medicine certification lapsed in 2009: https://www.theabfm.org/diplomate/find.aspx?ts=636403559

9/2/2017: Duck Physician Greg Skaggs delays Utah game over unhealthy smoke levels Continue reading

Southern Utahns crush Ducks in body-bag game records release

8/25/2017: While the Ducks are so broke they can’t pay for tutoring their student-athletes, they’ve got no problem paying Southern Utah $500K to show up and lose the football season’s opener next weekend. The contract is below.

10/13/2015: It’s not really a fair contest. While for years the UO administration has used its Public Records Office and their $300K budget to delay, redact, and charge excessive fees to frustrate the intent of Oregon’s public records law, the PRO’s at most other universities are in the business of making public records public. Here’s the latest example.

Monday morning I emailed identical public records requests to UO and Southern Utah University, asking for copies of the contract for the football body-bag game scheduled for September 2017:

Date: October 12, 2015 at 10:14:21 AM PDT

To: Lisa Thornton <[email protected]>

Subject: public records request, football game contract with SUU

Dear Ms Thornton –

This is a public records request for a copy of the football game contract between SUU and UO, for the game to be played in the fall of 2017.

A sample of the sort of contract I am looking for is here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/971644/uomatters/IAC/Football%20contract%20-%20Georgia%20State%20(Final%20Executed%20Version).pdf

I edit a news and opinion blog about the University of Oregon, and I ask for a fee waiver on the basis of public interest.

I would appreciate it if you could send a pdf copy of this contract to this email address.

Thanks for your assistance

This sort of request typically takes UO a week or two. But SUU responded in less than 24 hours:

From: Jennifer Oberhelman
Date: October 13, 2015 at 9:13:01 AM PDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: GRAMA Response

Good morning Mr. Harbaugh,

Attached is the contract between Southern Utah University and University of Oregon for a football game set for 9/2/17 in Eugene, OR requested 10/12 in the form of a GRAMA request.

Please contact me if you have any additional questions.

Thank you.
Jennifer Oberhelman
Exec. Asst. for Administration

“We don’t quit playing because we grow old, we grow old because we quit playing.”

Not bad, though the record is still the 50 minutes it took Georgia State to provide their contract, and Eastern Washington’s General Counsel only took 3 hours.

So Rob Mullens will pay SUU $500K to come to Eugene. Presumably AAD Eric Roedl will get the cash by raising the price he charges ASUO for “free” student tickets  to these body-bag games:

Screen Shot 2015-10-13 at 9.30.32 AM

Screen Shot 2015-10-13 at 9.29.30 AM

9/14/2015: Georgia State Panthers whip Oregon Ducks in football public records release

Continue reading

Athletic Director to pay University $5M for academic scholarships

That would be Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst at the University of Nebraska:

Nebraska Athletics will provide $5 million in scholarships to nonathletes, potentially providing additional aid to hundreds of students each year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

… “We’ve worked very hard and very strategically over the course of the last few years to build upon our great history and tradition and to strengthen our foundation for success — particularly as it relates to our collaborations across the academic spectrum,” Eichorst said. “It’s been an important initiative for me from day one to ground and base everything we do in athletics in academics.”

Here at UO the cash flows in the opposite direction, thanks to Duck Athletic Director Rob Mullens and his ilk.

UO’s non-tenure track faculty to take generous $45K buyout offer

Update: Sorry, there is no such offer for real UO faculty. UO is planning to lay off ~75 non-tenured and pro-tem faculty in RL, AAD, CoE, and the SOJC with no buyout at all.

But things are a little different over in Rob Mullens’ heavily subsidized Duck athletic empire. The Oregonian’s Andrew Greif has the follow-up to the Emerald report that the $175K volleyball coach (or, in the preferred nomenclature of our General Counsel’s office, the volleyball professor) was being fired for cause, here:

… When asked about the letter and the allegations of abusive behavior, senior associate athletic director Craig Pintens said Oregon wouldn’t comment. …

And it now seems that Mullens will pay the coach a few months salary to leave quietly – let’s call it $45K – and will also find alternative work for his assistant/spouse. Emerald reporter Jonathan Hawthorne spikes it:

The [shameless PR flack Craig Pintens press release] added that Moore will work remotely to craft a transition plan to ensure the the program’s success going forward.

Meanwhile, Provost Coltrane’s academic budget is still subsidizing the Jock Box to the tune of $2.4M a year, we’re paying Mullens $500K a year for Frohnmayer’s Mac Court land scam, and don’t get me started on the overhead.

Update: The Oregonian’s Andrew Greif has made a PR request for a list of self-reported NCAA infractions involving volleyball, here. At many schools these are posted on the web, but the Duck athletic department does its best to hide them. Not always successfully. Here’s the 1981 opinion from the Oregon DOJ, written when Dave Frohnmayer was AG, ordering a partial release of the report from some long forgotten 1979 scandal. Very interesting reading which bears on many current issues, including FERPA and the claim that coaches are faculty:

This opinion was very useful back when Gottfredson was President, and UO was trying to hide information about the Willie Lyles scandal.

3/13/2014: Two more UO faculty fired, apparently “for cause.”

The Daily Emerald has the scoop here.  But they’re only UO faculty in the alternative-fact world of our General Counsel’s Office, so that they can hide their personnel records from public records requests. They’re really Duck volleyball coaches.