For the last couple of weeks, the Ohio University faculty senate and the Ohio University Athletic Department have traded jabs in the battle over budgeting.
The faculty senate is under the impression that downgrading athletics is necessary because the athletic department continues to operate over-budget year after year.
Yes. This is true. The athletic department IS operating over their allotted budget. But, does that make it OK to downgrade athletics?
Absolutely not.
Athletics, just two months ago, brought the university FREE national publicity in the form of a FRONT PAGE picture on USA Today, highlighting the epic win the men's basketball team had over the Georgetown Bulldogs. Not to mention, a large portion of the country saw the game because it was on NATIONAL television (More free publicity)
The football team did much of the same thing, going to the 2009 Little Caesers Bowl, and playing on national television for the SECOND time in a month (The 'Cats also played in the MAC Championship game, which was shown on ESPN earlier in December)
And how about we ask the students what they want? Ask each individual that stormed onto Court Street on March 18 what they think about athletics. Ask those kids that skipped classes to drive to Cleveland and watch the MAC basketball tournament. And ask the kids that drove 12 hours to Providence why they did so.
The faculty should definitely be concerned with the budget, and they have every right to try to help the university be as successful as possible. But, this is one fight they shouldn't try to continue, because athletics is important to so many people.
How many alumni would stop giving money if there were no longer a Division 1 basketball team in Athens? How much revenue would Ohio lose if they couldn't sell football tickets anymore?
Too many questions that I don't want to know the answers to.
Honestly, I don't think athletics should be too worried with Dr. McDavis declaring that athletics would be safe not too long ago, but the stubbornness of the faculty senate and their inability to see the glaringly obvious positives makes me wonder what their agenda really is.
Alright. End rant.
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