New york times
Páginas: 4 (828 palabras)
Publicado: 2 de septiembre de 2010
As Colleges Compete, Money Flows to Minor Sports
Daron Dean for The New York Times
The Florida diver Mike Lewark worked out at the university’s conditioning complex. The Gators have 21 sports and14 of them finished in the top 10 in the nation last year.
Final del formulario
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — He has a budget of almost $95 million, growing fast, and command of three private planes. Heoversees a newly renovated and certified green building as well as nearly a dozen other tricked-out facilities that are among the most prized on campus.
Even as the University of Florida cuts facultyand budgets, its athletic director, Jeremy Foley, has been expanding a formidable empire dedicated to winning championships, not just in football and men’s basketball but in 19 other sports.
Thesoftball coach makes a quarter of a million dollars a year. When Foley decided to start a lacrosse program for women, he built a $15 million complex for them before they ever played a game.
Thiscommitment to excellence is well rewarded. Among the incentives built into Foley’s $1.2 million contract is a $50,000 bump for finishing in the top 10 of the Directors’ Cup, a little-known but highlyprized honor for the program with the most success across many sports. At stake is not just bragging rights, but hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses for athletic directors and coaches who feelincreasing pressure to win.
Something has changed on many college campuses across America. Universities are investing in once obscure sports that do not come close to paying for themselves, even in theface of dire budget cuts. Winning in all sports is what matters now, and the message is driven home from the highest levels of the university.
“If we are going to compete in something, we want towin at it — whether it is in pediatrics or women’s gymnastics,” said J. Bernard Machen, the University of Florida president. “It is important to our supporters, both financial and among our community....
Daron Dean for The New York Times
The Florida diver Mike Lewark worked out at the university’s conditioning complex. The Gators have 21 sports and14 of them finished in the top 10 in the nation last year.
Final del formulario
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — He has a budget of almost $95 million, growing fast, and command of three private planes. Heoversees a newly renovated and certified green building as well as nearly a dozen other tricked-out facilities that are among the most prized on campus.
Even as the University of Florida cuts facultyand budgets, its athletic director, Jeremy Foley, has been expanding a formidable empire dedicated to winning championships, not just in football and men’s basketball but in 19 other sports.
Thesoftball coach makes a quarter of a million dollars a year. When Foley decided to start a lacrosse program for women, he built a $15 million complex for them before they ever played a game.
Thiscommitment to excellence is well rewarded. Among the incentives built into Foley’s $1.2 million contract is a $50,000 bump for finishing in the top 10 of the Directors’ Cup, a little-known but highlyprized honor for the program with the most success across many sports. At stake is not just bragging rights, but hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses for athletic directors and coaches who feelincreasing pressure to win.
Something has changed on many college campuses across America. Universities are investing in once obscure sports that do not come close to paying for themselves, even in theface of dire budget cuts. Winning in all sports is what matters now, and the message is driven home from the highest levels of the university.
“If we are going to compete in something, we want towin at it — whether it is in pediatrics or women’s gymnastics,” said J. Bernard Machen, the University of Florida president. “It is important to our supporters, both financial and among our community....
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