CLEVELAND, Ohio - Ten public universities in Ohio spent a total of $192 million in student fees and other non-athletic money from sources such as tuition and taxes to cover the bill for Division I athletics on campus last year, up from $164 million five years ago.
Subsidies ranged from $10 million at Wright State University, which does not field a football team, to $29 million at the University of Cincinnati, cleveland.com found in its annual review of college sports spending based on financial reports each school files with the NCAA.
On average, subsidies amounted to $1,000 for every student on campus, regardless of whether the student plays sports or even ever attends a game.
Not included in these totals is Ohio State University, Xavier and Dayton. Ohio State is the only public school in Ohio that generates enough money through ticket sales, TV contracts, athletic department donations and other sources to entirely fund its sports program within its athletic department. Private schools Xavier and Dayton do not release their NCAA reports.
Each of the 10 other public universities needs millions of dollars from from non-athletic sources to field teams and compete at the NCAA’s top Division I level.
The cost per student shown above is calculated by dividing the subsidy from non-athletic sources to pay athletic expenses by the number of undergraduate full-time equivalent students on campus, regardless of whether they play sports.Rich Exner, cleveland.com
* Cincinnati, a member of the American Athletic Conference, covered 44% of its sports spending of $66.8 million last school year with what was reported as “direct institutional support.” This, according to the NCAA form, can include things such as state tax money, tuition, tuition waivers and endowments not earmarked specifically for sports.
* Subsidies for Mid-American Conference schools Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State, Miami, Ohio and Toledo ranged from 58% at Ohio ($20 million) to 70% at Miami ($27.1 million).
* In the Horizon League, in addition to Wright State, the subsidies were 83% at Cleveland State ($11.2 million) and 72% at Youngstown State ($11.6 million). Among these three, only YSU fields a football team.
Scholarships, coaching pay on the rise
One of the biggest expenses was for scholarships, valued at $71.5 million. The equivalent of 2,049 full scholarships were split among 3,357 athletes. Football and basketball players usually receive full scholarships, as well as women’s volleyball, tennis and gymnastic athletes. Competitors in other sports typically receive partial scholarships.
Spending on scholarships was up 22.7% during the 2018-19 school year from $58.3 million five years ago. Also growing, but not as fast, was the pay and benefits for coaches (up 17.3%), and administrators and staff (up 17.7%), cleveland.com found.
The cost for coaches was $61.1 million last year, up from $52.1 million in 2013-14. Pay and benefits for administrators and staff was $43.3 million, up from $36.8 million.
The two top-paid coaching positions among these 10 schools outside Ohio State during the 2018-19 school year were at Cincinnati.
UC football coach Luke Fickell received $2,123,340 in salary and benefits, UC reported. And $2,429,631 was reported for the head men’s basketball coaching position held by Mick Cronin until he left for UCLA, replaced by John Brennan’s in April 2019. The financial reporting year ended in June.
Head football coach was the highest paid position at eight of the other nine schools, ranging from $339,557 in salary and benefits for Bo Pelini at Youngstown State to $1,373,150 for Toledo coach Jason Candle. Pelini last month stepped down to take the defensive coordinator job at LSU.
At OU, the head men’s basketball coach position was the highest at $807,722 - covering two coaches during the academic year. Saul Phillips was replaced by Jeff Bauls in March 2019.
For women’s teams, the top was Toledo basketball coach Tricia Cullop at $526,368 in salary and benefits.
Spending on athletics during the 2018-19 school year at the six Mid-American Conference schools in Ohio, the three in the Horizon League and Cincinnati.Rich Exner, cleveland.com
Why subsidies are needed
Among the financial realities the 10 schools must deal with is that they don’t collect nearly enough from ticket sales ($17.3 million), media rights ($1.4 million), conferences ($11.1 million) and the NCAA ($14 million) to come close to paying the combined $310.3 million bill for their Division I sports.
This is part of an annual series on cleveland.com to share details about sports budgets at public universities. (Read earlier story about Ohio State University sports finances.)
College administrators and athletic officials often cite a valued return on the investment in terms of adding exposure to the schools and improving the quality of student life on campus. Among the critics has been John McNay, president of the Ohio Conference of American Association of University Professors, who has called the spending irresponsible in the context of budget restraints on academics.
Here are details from each school’s latest report to the NCAA, due by Jan. 15 of this year for the 2018-19 academic year.
Akron
Total expenses: $37,275,978, with a subsidy of $26,011,378 from the school reported as “direct institutional support.” Ticket sales totaled $733,786.
Akron fielded 18 sports teams with 407 athletes; a total of 210.03 scholarships were split among 334 athletes, costing $6,734,906.
Pay and benefits: $6,525,843 for coaches and $5,004,282 for staff and administrators. This included $650,623 for head football coach, $496,581 for head men’s basketball coach and $293,852 for head women’s basketball coach.
Severance to coaches or staff totaled $527,590.
Bowling Green
Total expenses: $25,780,900, with a subsidy of $15,625,182 from the school or student fees, with most of it from student fees ($12,935,182). Ticket sales totaled $2,014,099.
BG fielded 18 sports teams with 441 athletes; a total of 237.61 scholarships were split among 371 athletes, costing $6,888,703.
Pay and benefits: $6,014,630 for coaches and $3,804,505 for staff and administrators. This included $689,179 for head football coach, $493,538 for head men’s basketball coach and $318,754 for head women’s basketball coach.
Severance to coaches or staff totaled $431,310.
Cincinnati
Total expenses: $66,832,326, with a subsidy of $29,702,420 from the school, with $27,261,434 of it reported as “direct institutional support.” Ticket sales totaled $7,736,020.
UC fields 19 sports teams. A total of 246.92 scholarships were split among 383 athletes, costing $9,865,114.
Pay and benefits: $13,164,835 for coaches and $8,310,119 for staff and administrators. This included $2,123,340 for head football coach, $2,429,631 for head men’s basketball coach and $521,510 for head women’s basketball coach.
Severance to coaches or staff totaled $229,616.
Cleveland State
Total expenses: $13,400,944, with a subsidy of $11,091,831 from the school, nearly all of it from student fees. Ticket sales totaled $204,669
CSU fielded 19 sports teams with 359 athletes; a total of 127.35 scholarships were split among 262 athletes, costing $3,733,882.
Pay and benefits: $2,831,937 for coaches and $2,086,671 for staff and administrators. This included $493,850 for head men’s basketball coach and $219,151 for head women’s basketball coach.
Severance to coaches or staff totaled $0.
Kent State
Total expenses: $29,573,232, with a subsidy of $18,874,287 from the school, including $14,016,822 in student fees. Ticket sales totaled $790,721.
KSU fielded 19 sports teams with 561 athletes; a total of 206.04 scholarships were split among 365 athletes, costing $6,460,147.
Pay and benefits: $6,128,386 for coaches and $5,184,605 for staff and administrators. This included $583,598 for head football coach, $511,503 for head men’s basketball coach and $260,495 for head women’s basketball coach.
Severance to coaches or staff totaled $0.
Miami
Total expenses: $38,650,630, with a subsidy of $27,154,286 from the school, including $19,324,753 in student fees. Ticket sales totaled $1,375,091.
Miami fields 19 sports teams with 554 athletes; a total of 248.89 scholarships were split among 397 athletes, costing $12,255,912.
Pay and benefits: $7,303,292 for coaches and $5,921,417 for staff and administrators. This included $761,278 for head football coach, $603,478 for head ice hockey coach, $516,179 for head men’s basketball coach and $353,612 for head women’s basketball coach.
Severance to coaches or staff totaled $33,284.
Ohio
Total expenses: $34,677,243, with a subsidy of $19,992,428 from the school, nearly of all of it reported as “direct institutional support.” Ticket sales totaled $1,123,311.
OU fielded 16 sports teams with 414 athletes; a total of 243.83 scholarships was split among 359 athletes, costing $8,734,107.
Pay and benefits: $6,118,806 for coaches and $3,642,664 for staff and administrators. This included $639,723 for head football coach, $807,722 for head men’s basketball coach and $314,320 for head women’s basketball coach.
Severance to coaches or staff totaled $0.
Toledo
Total expenses: $35,560,555, with a subsidy of $21,886,157, mainly from student fees ($10,528,721) and “direct institutional support" ($9,155,632). Ticket sales totaled $2,489,312.
Toledo fielded 16 sports teams with 433 athletes; a total of 230.67 scholarships was split among 323 athletes, costing $8,929,451.
Pay and benefits: $6,611,265 for coaches and $4,289,401 for staff and administrators. This included $1,373,150 for head football coach, $711,499 for head men’s basketball coach and $526,368 for head women’s basketball coach.
Severance to coaches or staff totaled $0.
Wright State
Total expenses: $12,370,379 with a subsidy of $10,047,356 from the school or student fees, nearly all of it from “direct institutional support.” Ticket sales totaled $402,508.
WSU fielded 16 sports teams with 240 athletes; a total of 99.27 scholarships was split among 211 athletes, costing $2,888,152.
Pay and benefits: $2,721,883 for coaches and $2,318,975 for staff and administrators. This included $730,307 for head men’s basketball coach and $220,987 for head women’s basketball coach.
Severance to coaches or staff totaled $0.
Youngstown State
Total expenses: $16,206,122, with a subsidy of $11,595,395 reported as “direct institutional support.” Ticket sales totaled $484,084.
YSU fields 19 sports teams with 425 athletes; A total of 198.66 scholarships was split among 352 athletes, costing $5,010,213.
Pay and benefits: $3,677,179 for coaches and $2,784,951 for staff and administrators. This included $343,159 for head football coach, $339,557 for head men’s basketball coach and $290,875 for head women’s basketball coach.
Severance to coaches or staff totaled $0.
Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner. Find other data-related stories at cleveland.com/datacentral.
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