Michigan State AD Bill Beekman yesterday said that if MSU's football season is canceled, "severe cuts would be required" within the athletic department, according to Graham Couch of the LANSING STATE JOURNAL. Beekman: "There's roughly $85 million in lost revenue potential if we don't play football." He added, "We have modeled some fairly severe budget reductions, that probably if we don't play football, we would not be playing most other, maybe all other, sports." Beekman also said there have been "no formal decisions on cutting programs." Beekman: "That obviously is a last resort and I would hope not to do so" (LANSING STATE JOURNAL, 8/11). In Michigan, Kyle Austin noted the amount of money MSU could lose if football is not played "represents more than half of the school's total athletic revenue," which is around $140M per year. Beekman said that TV contracts bring in around $45M total and ticket sales bring in around $25M per year. Austin noted MSU has "already instituted salary cuts throughout the athletic department," including for Beekman, men's basketball coach Tom Izzo and football coach Mel Tucker (MLIVE.com, 8/10).
MORE LOSSES: Purdue AD Mike Bobinski said without football, the department is headed toward a "potential loss" that could be in the $50M range, if things "really fall apart from an opportunity to compete perspective." In Indiana, Mike Carmin notes the $50M loss would be "due to no media rights, ticket sales and other revenue generated through football." Carmin: "It's a worst-case scenario and one Bobinski had to plan for." Purdue’s original budget for '20-21 was $103M in revenue, but later was "reduced by $10 million after adjustments were made" (Lafayette JOURNAL & COURIER, 8/11).
