A Grip on Sports: College athletics is dealing with a House repair issue, one that could stretch budgets throughout the Inland Northwest to a breaking point
A GRIP ON SPORTS • One of the failings of our nation’s educational system? No one ever taught us how much work, and money, goes into keeping a home livable. The drip, drip, drip of time and dollars. Sort of like keeping a college athletic department humming along.
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• A group of younger (than me) folks, a description that describes a high percentage of the world population these days, will descend on the homestead today, doing work around the house I can no longer accomplish. That comes on the heels of paying for a new roof. And the hours and hours spent in the yard already this spring, trying to keep Mother Nature’s shock troops, weeds, from making inroads into our flower beds.
The budget, and our back muscles, have been stretched to the breaking point.
It gives an appreciation of what folks like Inland Northwest residents Anne McCoy, Chris Standiford, Tim Collins and Terry Gawlik are going through these days.
Budgets stretched to the limit. More and more demands, externally and internally, on their time. Planning for a future that is unknown, all the while knowing the only constant is whatever happens will mean finding more funds to fix the problems as they crop up.
And juggling. Always juggling.
Budgets only go so far. Looking around the home this spring, I realized the air conditioner is more than 30 years old, well beyond its expected lifespan. The driveway is starting to reach the end of its long, honored run. So is the downstairs carpet.
Does McCoy see similar stresses when she walks the halls of Bohler Gym?
Certainly. Football will need millions in name, image and likeness funds if the House settlement is approved. So will basketball. The Olympic sports also need some shoring up. Where will the money come from, especially considering Washington State University has a new president who needs to deal with a system-wide budget crunch?
Not from savings, that’s for sure. Or from another mortgage. The WSU athletic department has already borrowed enough. Probably maxed out its credit just trying to keep a roof over its head the past 20 years.
But McCoy isn’t alone, though the Cougars’ money woes seem to be at another level. Even Standiford, who leads a department that doesn’t have to support a football program, is looking at a remodel – in a way.
Gonzaga has a top-tier men’s basketball program. One that has been 40-minutes away from an NCAA title twice in less than a decade. One that wants to stay in that rarified ecosystem even as the sport evolves into a jungle dominated by football schools.
It takes money. More money on a yearly basis than Gonzaga may have spent on the program in total the first 80 or so years playing the sport. Where will it come from?
Do you think Standiford works late some nights, looking at his department’s financial statements, trying to figure how to afford the next financial hit some court ruling will send his school’s way? And hoping the McCarthey HVAC system won’t need to be replaced this summer?
Collins, at EWU, and Gawlik, at Idaho, have similar issues, with fewer ways to patch the budget holes. In that, they are just like almost every athletic director at every institution of higher learning in America. At least those that want to be part of the highest level of competition.
It’s funny to me the impetus of the latest round of changes in how college athletics operates is due to a legal challenge with House in the name. For years, the homeowners in college athletics got by through a neat bookkeeping trick. Their budgets never had a line item for payment for those who did a majority of the work around the place. Room, board and educational expenses, sure. But a salary?
Not a worry. Until now.
After putting it off for decades and decades, the bill is coming due. It’s a big one. But it has to be paid.
Or, then again, maybe it’s time to downsize. To something a little more affordable.
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WSU: As we love to say, recruiting never stops. Not in college football. Not in Pullman, where Greg Woods shares the news the Cougars have added a quarterback to their roster. A transfer from Rutgers, Ajani Sheppard. With minimal college playing experience, sure, but not zero. Fall football practice just got a bit more interesting. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, there will be mediation. Between the Pac-12, its incoming Mountain West members and the conference they are leaving behind. Both lawsuits, one day, one mediator. May 19. What will come of it? Your guess is as good as mine. Jon Wilner and John Canzano both opine about the process. … ESPN seems ready to give the SEC more money if the conference will expand to nine games. You know, like the Pac-12 played for years before breaking apart. … Washington has signed a new deal with Learfield, the Goliath of college multimedia rights. Christian Caple delves into the contract. … Former Utah quarterback Cam Rising has to retire from the game. Too many injuries. … A Colorado safety is ready for his turn in the spotlight. … Arizona signed a new punter. … San Diego State answered a bunch of questions in spring camp. … Colorado State addressed a bunch of needs through the spring portal. … In basketball news, the Oregon State and Oregon men each welcomed roster additions yesterday.
Gonzaga: We talked about the new financial demands paying for high-level basketball programs is going to put on the Zag athletic budget. No one knows how that will impact the other sports, including baseball. Why do we ask? Because we love reading stories like this one in the S-R today. It’s about former GU (and North Central High) pitcher Alek Jacob, who is in the Padres’ bullpen this season. … Speaking of former Gonzaga athletes, Yvonne Ejim, who holds just about every scoring record at the school, was waived by Indiana on Wednesday. … Wait, there is more. Another story, this one on former Bulldog guard Jalen Suggs, who is rehabbing another injury and prepping for next season with the Orlando Magic.
EWU: The Eagle volleyball program is rebuilding its roster. That news leads off the S-R’s latest local briefs column. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the conference’s softball tournament finally got started but was interrupted often by showers. The upshot? Host Northern Colorado topped Portland State, then lost to Idaho State. And Weber State routed Montana. … Northern Arizona and Portland State added to their men’s basketball rosters with transfers. And, yes, the Walker Timme headed to Flagstaff is Drew’s younger brother. … Montana State welcomed home a junior college transfer. … Portland State opens its football season against BYU.
Preps: The spring sports season is winding down. There are, however, daily competitions. Cheryl Nichols has this roundup of what happened Wednesday.
Chiefs: One more day until the WHL finals begin. But Spokane has been prepping for them for a week. After about 24 hours of celebrating earning a berth. Dave Nichols tells us the Chiefs are ready for the next challenge, getting past Medicine Hat and earning a Memorial Cup berth. It would be their first since winning it in 2008.
Indians: After being pretty well handcuffed last week against Tri-City, Spokane’s bats have been freed from their shackles against Vancouver. Two games, 18 runs, split evenly. Dave has this coverage of last night’s 9-7 win at Avista.
Mariners: Nine consecutive series wins? That’s old school. And the first time the M’s have done it since the magic season of 2001. It didn’t look good for the streak continuing yesterday, as Bryan Woo struggled and Seattle fell behind 5-0 against the A’s in Sacramento. But Ben Williamson delivered an RBI double, Rowdy Tellez hit a three-run bomb and the offense scored twice in the top of the eighth to rally for a 6-5 win. … Just how are the M’s winning? No one is quite sure, but there is no denying it is working. … Leody Taveras joined the party Wednesday and delivered a game-tying RBI single.
Seahawks: We linked this Times story about veterans who will have to hold off rookies yesterday. We link it again in the S-R today. … Grey Zabel knows a bunch about offensive line play. Quite a bit about kicking butt. And a lot about farming. … A defensive line signing was announced officially Wednesday.
Sounders: The Club World Cup, in which Seattle will participate, is new. And is causing the worldwide soccer schedule to be stretched to the limit. Maybe beyond. For the players at least.
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• Some 40 years ago, I used to trim the trees around the house, most of which I planted myself (or, in one really special case, with the help of my dad). For some reason they have grown. A lot. As they’ve reached for the heavens, I have become more earth-bound. To get them cleaned up and healthy these days, a professional crew is needed. And a check has to be written. Oh joy. Until later …