Nebraska's $450M football stadium renovation plan criticized as academic programs are cut

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SeaBee_Gopher

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This article is full of good stuff!

https://www.espn.com/college-footba...d-450m-renovation-football-stadium-criticized

"Faculty at Nebraska and nationally acknowledge the importance of athletics at a Big Ten university but said the divergent funding plans send a message that teaching and research take a back seat to Nebraska's football program."

"The high-priced Memorial Stadium renovation was given preliminary approval this fall, even as the four-campus University of Nebraska system faces a $58 million budget shortfall that threatens to cut staff and academic programs."

"The University of Nebraska-Lincoln -- the system's flagship campus and home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers - and the University of Nebraska-Omaha also are anticipating academic program cuts to deal with shortfalls blamed on inflation, stunted revenue growth and declining enrollment. UNL has also proposed cutting its Office of Diversity and Inclusion budget by more than 70%."

"The struggle facing college academia comes as a string of high-profile, high-dollar issues highlight just how much money is pouring into college athletics."

"Despite the decades long slump, Nebraska football remains exceptionally popular in a state with no other Division I college football program and no professional sports teams." Is there any wonder as to why their NIL program will continue to beat the pants off of ours?

"Alberts and other university officials say the project will not use taxpayer money, instead relying on private fundraising and the athletic department's surplus funds."

"Some in academia want to see private fundraising for academic programs and staff, much the way athletics raises money for athletic programs." Good luck with that!

At some point, this comes to a head. College enrollment is shrinking as our population growth slows, but interest in college football is only increasing as people become more isolated and are looking for ways to connect. Football will eventually be less connected to the academic mission of universities. Football is now big business entertainment!
 

‘The state has to let you drive.’ - Joe Friedberg. Oh Danny.
 

There has been private funding for academics for 100+ years. What do you think colleges do w endowments and where does money come from for all those buildings and science wings - donations from the wealthy vanity crowd. This to me sounds like professors concerned about their paychecks. Which they should be, why couldn’t AI provide personalized learning, for any subject, at each person’s own speed? It will!
 

The problem is that no matter how much money flows in from TV, it is all spent - and now NIL will add the burden of paying players so that alumni contributions and other contributed income will be diverted in that direction.
 

Football rules in that wasteland. The glorified community college is going to take a back seat. Marv and Thelma from Kearney drive their Winnebago every Saturday to watch the Bugeaters play. Don't F with them.
 


Lets be honest, the fact that college tuition is so insanely high and colleges find a way to lose money is a red flag in itself. Football is a money maker and some of these departments are financial drains. Diversity and inclusion departments, to me, are the dumbest thing companies and universities have. IMO, if you need those, you already hired the wrong people. But I'll stop going too far down that "political" issue. Invest in things that make you money and instead of complaining about football or sports in general, those faculty can thank them they brought in that money to get them their job in the first place.
 

Let’s be honest, without Nebraska football for the last 75 years the university of Nebraska is probably an awful lot like the university of South Dakota or the university of Wyoming right now.
 

Some guy said:
Let’s be honest, without Nebraska football for the last 75 years the university of Nebraska is probably an awful lot like the university of South Dakota or the university of Wyoming right now.
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Also solid in baseball and women's volleyball.

Men's basketball, notsomuch. 0 NCAA Tourney Wins ever, which is the same amount as South Dakota and 8 less than Wyoming.
 

I love college football, but I don’t necessarily disagree….
 



Feel so bad for those academics who might have to finally work.. way to heavy on the top end . Most college professors wouldn’t last 2 weeks in a high school setting..
 

Jack jones said:
Feel so bad for those academics who might have to finally work.. way to heavy on the top end . Most college professors wouldn’t last 2 weeks in a high school setting..
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So academics don't have to work? You might be right that professors would not last one 2 weeks in a high school class. Just like most high school teachers would not last 2 weeks teaching kindergarten? I think that people tend to gravitate to where their skills/personality/interests fit. They all do work. I agree that colleges are too heavy on highly paid administrators.
 


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