‘I think it’s money well spent’: Defending WKU Athletics Spending
Controversy and confusion surround the recent decisions about athletics spending at Western Kentucky University (WKU). During a recent Board of Regents meeting, Todd Stewart, the Director of Athletics, and President Timothy Caboni, defended the allocation of funds towards the athletic department.
Addressing the Budget Query
Shane Spiller, the Faculty Regent and a management professor, raised an inquiry regarding the 2022-23 athletics spending during the Board of Regents meeting. The NCAA independent accountant’s report, which was approved during the meeting, highlighted that the athletics department had used over $25.3 million from WKU funds to balance their budget. This accounted for 63% of the year’s total athletics operating revenue that stood at $40.4 million.
Stewart rebuffed the report’s insinuation, firmly maintaining that the annual operating budget is “not close” to the reported revenue figure. He suggested the inflated number might include additional sources like endowments and debt service.
David S. Brinkley, the Staff Regent and Director of Public Broadcasting, shared similar sentiments, terming the report’s $40 million total revenue number to be “misleading”.
Annual Athletics spending
While the Director of Athletics could not provide an exact value, he estimated that the annual athletics spending for WKU stood between $28 and $30 million. He defended these expenses stating, “I think it’s money well spent. I’m biased, I’m the Athletic Director, but I would say it’s money well spent”.
Bowl Game Revenues
Stewart also addressed the matter of the 2022 New Orleans Bowl. Though the report indicated bowl revenues of $13,320 against expenses of $568,217, Stewart said the Conference-USA covers most of the bowl costs, insisting that they had actually made profits from the bowl game, and had not incurred losses.
Spending Prioritization
WKU President, Timothy Caboni, addressed the recurring question of prioritization of athletic spending over other areas. He emphasized that spending on athletics should not be seen as a detriment to other areas. Instead, he proposed viewing the matter as a collective effort benefiting the university as a whole.
Caboni highlighted other groups such as forensics and speech and debate, E-Sports, and Student Publications, which also receive funding from the university. He stressed the strategic importance of getting these investments right, iterating that there was enough to accommodate all.
Going Forward
As the issue continues to be discussed, the WKU community is passionate about ensuring funds are allocated efficiently, enhancing your student experience. Whether in athletics or academics, the commitment is to do it right. “The same way we do academics right. We can do all of it because that’s the kind of institution we are,” said Caboni.
