Fresno State president leaves open possibility of eliminating sports programs

Fresno State President Joseph Castro has been opposed to cutting Bulldogs sports programs, but with the university and its athletics department struggling due to declining revenues related to the coronavirus he left open the possibility of eliminating sports in the future.

“The pandemic has already affected the university and auxiliary organization budgets,” Castro said in a statement Tuesday, responding to questions from The Fresno Bee on the possibility of cutting sports programs and pay cuts for university and athletics administrators and coaches.

“Like other universities across the nation, we have experienced a significant loss of revenue in areas such as dining, housing, parking, athletics, Save Mart Center and other auxiliary operations. In addition, the state of California has delayed its assessment of tax receipts, which will delay the final 2020-21 state budget allocation to the California State University until early fall. The Governor’s May revision to the proposed 2020-21 state budget will guide our budget planning for next fiscal year.

“We have already imposed a pause on virtually all new hiring and ceased all business travel and event expenses for the foreseeable future. Other options for reducing costs will be considered in the coming weeks and months.”

Fresno State, which restored wrestling and added women’s water polo in 2015, has 21 sports programs. That is among the most in the Mountain West Conference and more than some Power Five conference schools, taxing an athletics department that has struggled to cover its costs.

In 2019 athletics received $20.9 million in university support with $16.5 million coming from the institution and $4.4 million from student fees, according to financial documents Fresno State submitted to the NCAA.

Revenues for the year were $49.8 million. Total costs were $50.1 million.

With university support likely to be cut and growing questions about how the 2020 football season will shape up, the Bulldogs’ athletics department could have no choice but to trim sports.

Football accounted for more than 60% to 70% of athletics generated revenue including more than $5 million in ticket sales last season.

Group of Five asks NCAA for relief

Commissioners from the Group of Five conferences last week sharpened focus on what life could be like for college athletics departments post-coronavirus, requesting relief from the NCAA on a number of bylaws that govern Division I membership due to the financial impacts of the pandemic.

One of those bylaws is a requirement that schools sponsor 16 sports programs.

In a letter to the NCAA, the Group of Five commissioners including Craig Thompson from the Mountain West also asked the NCAA to relax bylaws on football attendance, football scheduling, athletic aid and summer activities for football and basketball, among others.

The Group of Five cuts have already begun: Old Dominion cut its wrestling program, and Cincinnati eliminated men’s soccer.

“We have been working closely with our membership for the past few weeks developing potential options to address the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Thompson said in a news release. “Other conferences are engaged in the same process and this collaborative request from the Group of Five is intended as the sort of creative alternative these unprecedented times demand.

“The waivers of NCAA legislation would create a permissive environment, allowing each institution and conference across the Division I landscape the necessary flexibility to determine how best to proceed in making financial adjustments which are intended to preserve sports and opportunities for student-athletes.”

How Fresno State’s 21 sports compares

While the Group of Five commissioners and athletics directors across college athletics are concerned about supporting 16 sports, Fresno State is wondering how it will support 21.

It has eight men’s sports – baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, outdoor track and field and wrestling.

It has 13 women’s sports – basketball, cross country, equestrian, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, volleyball and water polo.

Fresno State is sponsoring more sports than some Power Five conference schools that generate far more athletics revenue.

In the Pac-12, Arizona has 18 sports programs and in 2019 generated $95.9 million in athletics revenues, according to USA Today. Utah has 18 with $91.4 million in revenue, Colorado has 16 with $89.6 million, Washington State has 16 with $65.1 in revenue.

Every one of the Bulldogs’ programs lost money in 2019.

Fresno State athletics director Terry Tumey already has warned Bulldogs coaches of budget cuts next year, with the Mountain West and NCAA distributions cut by as much as $1.3 million due to the cancellation of the NCAA basketball tournament.

Tumey and the Bulldogs’ coaches are assessing other ways to cut costs including scheduling and travel, staying closer to home and traveling by bus rather than by air when possible. Fresno State spent $3.6 million on team travel in 2019, including air and ground travel, lodging, meals and incidentals.

It also could consider pay cuts or furloughs for athletics administrators, staff and coaches. Boise State on Monday announced it was furloughing employees including coaches with losses due to coronavirus-related cancellations on campus running close to $10 million.