In Columbus, Joey Kaufman notes no college athletic department "spent more" than Ohio State's did during FY '19. A database of financial reports showed Ohio State with $220.6M "in total operating expenses." The school's athletic department also reported $210.5M "in total operating revenue, leaving it with its first budget shortfall in a decade." But administrators who cited an internal report earlier this year said that the size of the deficit was "considered to be less than" $1M instead of more than $10M (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 7/17).
MAKING SACRIFICES: In Detroit, Chris Solari notes Michigan State, in an effort to reduce expenses during and beyond the coronavirus sports shutdown, announced that it "will cut its athletic department salaries." Men's basketball coach Tom Izzo, football coach Mel Tucker and AD Bill Beekman "will be among those taking the biggest reductions." Beekman's salary "will be reduced by 10%, and Izzo and Tucker will take 7% cuts." The cuts, which are for contract employees "making $100,000 or more, are temporary and run from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31, 2021" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/17).
CAPACITY LIMITS: The Univ. of Illinois announced that it "will limit seating at Memorial Stadium to 20% capacity (10,000-12,000 people) during the upcoming football season" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/17). Meanwhile, in Houston, Joseph Duarte notes the Univ. of Houston informed season-ticket holders that it "will host reduced-capacity crowds at home games this season." Though there has been "no announcement, capacity at TDECU Stadium is expected to be 20,000 or 50 percent capacity, for the six scheduled home games" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/17).
