I've never been crazy about sports, whether it's on the collegiate or professional level – I'm just not too wild about them.
However, a recent article about sports in The New York Times caught my eye.
The article discusses some SUNY schools being part of Division-I athletics. It also mentions the proposed $90 million cut to the SUNY system, which is coming after the $143 million cut from last year.
In addition, the article states that UB has expanded its athletic budget to $21.85 million, from $17.86 million during the 2003-04 academic year. With the combined budget of Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Stony Brook, the total budget is $147.26 million.
So, with the lingering threat of a $90 million cut to SUNY, do we really need an unsuccessful D-I athletics program?
No, we don't, and I say cut it.
We don't need to cut the entire athletic department – that would be a bit outrageous. However, the SUNY athletic system should make drastic changes.
With a combined total nearing $150 million, the schools could easily make cuts to their sports programs, and put some more emphasis on the real purpose of colleges and universities –higher education.
Sure, sports are great for entertainment, but that's all they're good for. I personally see no difference in watching the Bulls play a D-I or a D-III team. The point is, they're playing and providing the students with some entertainment, school spirit and a relief from classes.
A common argument is that the SUNY system needs sports, and by having a D-I sports program, the universities will bring in more students.
I disagree. SUNY is one of the more prestigious research systems in the academic community, with UB as a sturdy backbone to the system. Students come here from across the world to participate in research projects or attend one of the diverse master's or Ph.D. programs.
A D-I sports team has no influence on academics. Tens of millions of dollars to the athletics department is not enhancing anyone's education.
The school should spend my tuition and tax money on my education, not on the sports teams. Add more classes to a rapidly shrinking list and hire new faculty.
Granted, many high-level research centers have sports teams to match, but is this necessary? Does this directly benefit the students aside from entertainment purposes? I think not.
I know that there is money set aside for the sports teams, and part of tuition goes to the athletics department. But in tough economic times, I would much rather see cuts to the Bulls and other SUNY sports teams than hikes in my tuition and activity fees.
When the time comes for discussion about budget cuts, I hope administrators and politicians see this as well.
The Times article also featured Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera, a Democrat from the Bronx, who said athletic powerhouses should not be the focus of state money.
'That's not the purpose of a SUNY school,' he said in the article. 'The purpose of a SUNY school is to provide the best education possible.'
E-mail: matt.mosher@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
