UTC faculty panel to examine spending on football

UTC’s faculty senate voted Thursday to have a panel report in the fall on the “total financial costs of continuing the UTC football program.”

East Tennessee State University last year eliminated its 80-year-old football program in a cost-cutting move. UTC and Middle Tennessee State University are the only two state universities that this year increased funding for athletics.

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission, which oversees all public institutions, requested in 2002 that colleges begin phasing out tax dollars for sports.

“With ETSU dropping football, and if they can save $1 million, then maybe we can save $1 million,” UTC professor Gail Meyer said at the faculty senate meeting.

UTC athletic director Steve Sloan said he wasn’t worried about losing football to budget cuts.

“The study is not a problem,” Sloan told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. “I’m always glad to learn something new. We’ll be glad to cooperate.”

Chancellor Bill Stacy said there was no agenda behind the faculty senate’s action and the request for a report was intended to find out “what we’re spending and what we’re getting for it.”

UTC Student Government Association leaders were deciding Friday whether to include a proposed $150 per semester student activity fee increase on a Tuesday election ballot.

UTC records show about 65 percent of $2.1 million currently generated by the student activity fee goes to athletics, up from 50 percent in 1999.

Football coach Rodney Allison declined comment, saying he had not seen the faculty senate’s request.

UTC this year increased state support of athletics by 1 percent to $2.86 million, while Middle Tennessee State increased spending 3 percent to $5.7 million.

The University of Memphis is eliminating state support for athletics with increases in special student fees, fund-raising and ticket prices.

Stacy said the state subsidy for sports was reduced about 18 percent, or $614,000, two years ago. He predicted more cutting next year.