BleedGopher
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per Chip:
Joel Maturi ran the Gophers athletic department for a decade. He encountered his share of financial challenges and turbulent moments but nothing that compares to the harsh realities caused by this pandemic. He can’t imagine being athletic director under current conditions.
“It’s one of the good reasons for being old,” he joked of retirement.
Like many, he’s concerned about the state of college athletics and the financial implications from lost revenue, especially if this crisis lasts long enough to impact the football season. That would be a significant problem because football keeps many departments afloat financially.
Maturi’s legacy as AD is that he championed Olympic, nonrevenue sports. He worries about the fate of those sports as departments everywhere — from Power Five conferences to Division III schools — deal with massive revenue loss.
“I don’t know any AD who wants to cut sports,” he said. “[But] you have to look at every option that’s available to you.”
COVID-19 will change the way college sports operate. That’s not debatable at this point. Just like with every industry and occupation in America. The only question is the degree to which change happens.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
Joel Maturi ran the Gophers athletic department for a decade. He encountered his share of financial challenges and turbulent moments but nothing that compares to the harsh realities caused by this pandemic. He can’t imagine being athletic director under current conditions.
“It’s one of the good reasons for being old,” he joked of retirement.
Like many, he’s concerned about the state of college athletics and the financial implications from lost revenue, especially if this crisis lasts long enough to impact the football season. That would be a significant problem because football keeps many departments afloat financially.
Maturi’s legacy as AD is that he championed Olympic, nonrevenue sports. He worries about the fate of those sports as departments everywhere — from Power Five conferences to Division III schools — deal with massive revenue loss.
“I don’t know any AD who wants to cut sports,” he said. “[But] you have to look at every option that’s available to you.”
COVID-19 will change the way college sports operate. That’s not debatable at this point. Just like with every industry and occupation in America. The only question is the degree to which change happens.
Gophers' athletic budget concerns signal a complete restructuring of college sports
The COVID-19 pandemic already has taken a bite out of sports revenue in universities across the country. If it lingers long enough to eradicate the football season, colleges will face difficult decisions.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
