Athletics feel pinch of recession

Author: Katie Siegner

The effects of the recent financial cuts announced by the administration have been felt by ever-expanding sectors of the College, and athletics has not been exempt. In light of the rapid changes, it is difficult for students to foresee how the budget cuts will affect them, and information sharing has been limited. President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz explained this in a recent e-mail, writing, "We must act quickly to address the budget deficits that are projected to develop during the next two years as a result of the deteriorating financial markets and the College's reduced wealth."

The athletic facilities will soon see a number of changes.

"Fitness Center hours have been reduced from being open 16 hours a day to 13 hours a day," Chief Financial Officer Patrick Norton wrote in an e-mail, and "several staff positions have been frozen." Furthermore, plans to replace old equipment over the next couple of years "have been put on hold," which means that athletes visiting the fitness center on crowded weekday afternoons will have to resign themselves to the difficulty of finding a functioning treadmill that isn't already in use.

"I've taken to running around the hockey rink when there are no available treadmills," said Francie Alexandre '12.

In keeping with the recent climate of fiscal restraint, Norton also wrote, "a five percent cut was made in discretionary spending in the operating budget."

To ensure transparency and participation in the budget decisions, Director of Athletics Erin Quinn formed the Athletic Budget Oversight Committee (ABOC) which consists of staff, coaches and students.

"Our purpose is to advise the Athletic Director on possible cost-saving measures in our department and to determine 'best practices' for the department with cost savings in mind," said Committee Chair and Women's Lacrosse coach Missy Foote.

The committee has sparked many discussions regarding the financial problems the athletics department is facing and the possible responses. As a result, Quinn said, "members of the department have been willing to be flexible and adjust to the changing times."

Since its formation, the ABOC has been examining the department's expenditures, large and small. As student member Lindsay McBride '09 said, they have been looking for "ways to save money without greatly affecting the students' experience. Every $100 here and $200 there adds up to a significant amount." The ABOC has also been conscientious in ensuring that the cuts do not disproportionately affect certain athletes.

"We have tried to concentrate equally on budgets for varsity teams, club and intramural teams and general athletic services," said McBride.

Foote said that sports teams will also be affected by the tightening of the College's budget. Sports teams at the College have been "level funded" for the past several years, meaning that their budgets remain constant even if prices rise. Because of this, Norton said, they "did not cut team budgets across the board." However, the luncheon portion of teams' senior banquets will be eliminated and their uniform budget will be reduced, according to Foote.

This is occurring within NESCAC-wide changes designed by the conference's athletic directors. For example, changes in travel policies "may include limitations on travel squads, may replace some overnight trips with same day trips and may contain other measures," said Foote. Student athletes can expect noticeable impacts when the new NESCAC policies are finalized.

The administration has made efforts to make the process open to student and faculty input, as can be seen from the establishment of the ABOC. The committee is dedicated to implementing "low-impact cuts" according to McBride, and thus reducing expenses without significantly altering students' athletic experiences.