One of the main questions stemming from the recent approval of the House settlement is whether sports that don’t generate positive cash flow will be impacted.
With schools like Indiana now facing a new $20 million annual expense in the form of revenue sharing, cuts have to be made somewhere.
Around the nation going back five years colleges have been eliminating programs to ward off budgetary concerns. Those instances have accelerated over the last year as schools have anticipated the House settlement. Title IX, which requires schools to provide equal opportunities to male and female athletes, puts men’s sports at even greater risk.
Will IU be able to maintain all 24 of its varsity sports? In a statement released Wednesday in response to the House settlement, IU AD Scott Dolson signaled it is Indiana’s intent to do just that. But he also suggested continuing financial support from fans and alumni is critical to holding it all together.
Here’s the full statement Dolson e-mailed:
Dear Hoosier Nation,
Friday was a landmark day for college athletics. The U.S. District Court for Northern California granted final approval for a settlement in the House vs. NCAA litigation, paving the way for a new and exciting era of intercollegiate athletics. Our department has been anticipating and preparing for this settlement for an extended time, and we are excited that we can move forward with a new level of confidence about what our world will look like in the coming years.
As a passionate IU fan, you likely have questions about what the future looks like. While a lot has changed in the last several years, our quest remains the same – to bring you and fellow Hoosier fans to your feet as you cheer on your beloved IU programs as they pursue championships and provide us all with cherished experiences and memories.
With that in mind, I want to highlight a couple of things as we embark on this journey together.
First, IU Athletics’ core principles are our foundation, and they remain as solid as ever. We are committed to supporting student-athletes’ opportunity to excel academically, athletically, and personally. We want to see our students challenge themselves academically and earn their IU degrees. We want them to maximize their athletic abilities and compete for championships. And when their time in Bloomington is done, we want them to be well prepared to succeed in the next chapter of their lives, whether that is in athletics or in any other professional pursuit or journey.
Second, the successes that we can enjoy moving forward are inextricably linked with you, our passionate and dedicated supporters. IU Athletics is excited to support our student-athletes’ opportunities to the fullest in terms of both revenue sharing and NIL. We plan to do that while maintaining a broad-based athletic program that features 24 varsity programs with their own proud traditions. To make all of that happen, we need Hoosier Nation to rally together and propel our programs and student-athletes to the upper echelon in all areas on and off the field.
We can do this, but we need to do it together. Over the course of time, new challenges have always meant new opportunities for IU Athletics, and this is no different. We are Never Daunted, and with your support, we can and will build on our tradition of championship success in this new era of college athletics.
Scott Dolson
Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
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