KENT: A consulting firm is not recommending that Kent State cut any sports programs, but it says the university needs to boost private donations for athletics and has concluded that Dix Stadium and the MAC Center "are tired and outdated."
President Beverly Warren and Athletics Director Joel Nielsen provided an update Wednesday morning for the board of trustees on an ongoing athletics study being conducted by Collegiate Sports Associates of West End, N.C.
The university hired the firm to see where it fits in the changing collegiate sports world that includes devoting more money for athletes.
A final report is expected in June.
Earlier this year, Nielsen said "everything is on the table" when it comes to evaluating the athletics program, including the option of chopping sports. Last year, the University of Alabama-Birmingham shut down its football program for financial reasons, leading to questions about whether that could happen at Kent State.
"It really makes no sense to talk about adding sports, eliminating sports ... while we're trying to figure out where we want to go with the athletics program," Warren said.
Kent State offers 18 sports programs involving about 380 student-athletes.
The consultant has suggested that the university form a unified vision and brand for its sports programs. And despite the conclusion about the university's sports facilities, there are no immediate plans to renovate them.
The consultant recommended focusing first on improving athletic safety and performance at facilities, such as the weight room.
Warren also said the description of Dix Stadium and MAC Center as "tired and outdated" was generous.
"Certainly we have not made the investments that other institutions, some very close by, who have invested millions of dollars in new facilities," Warren said, alluding to the $65 million InfoCision Stadium at the University of Akron.
There is a critical need for private donations to support athletics and capital sports projects because Kent State shouldn't use institutional money and student fees for athletics, she said.
"That is not the right way to invest those funds," Warren said. "You must have private support to really renovate Dix Stadium, MAC Center or other kinds of capital outlay."
Kent State receives about $4.5 million a year in private donations for athletics.
Nielsen noted that the NCAA changes, such as providing the full cost of attendance for athletes, offering unlimited food and
ying for travel for parents to postseason games will cost money.
"It's safe to say that everything coming down the pike will cost more money," he said.
Kent State competes in the Mid-American Conference and has averaged eight championships a year for the past 10 years. The conference requires members to maintain Division I/Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) status, along with offering men's and women's basketball and volleyball.
Providing the full cost of attendance could cost the university as much as $1.1 million additional a year. That's a lot of money for a school with an athletics budget of $27 million, Nielsen said.
Meanwhile, the trustees heard a report from 160over90, a Philadelphia consulting firm, on its effort to rebrand the university.
The firm showed examples of its work with Ferrari, American Eagle Outfitters, AAA, Philadelphia Eagles, University of Hartford and University of Florida. The examples included print ads, radio advertising and promotional videos.
160over90 is on campus trying to determine what makes Kent State unique as it develops a branding strategy for the school.
The trustees also were briefed on an ongoing effort to boost research and development money coming into the university. KSU wants to become one of the top 200 research universities in the nation.
The university is spending about $27 million a year on research, officials said. That figure roughly would need to double for KSU to move into the top 200 (see link).
KSU not looking to cut sports programs
President Beverly Warren and Athletics Director Joel Nielsen provided an update Wednesday morning for the board of trustees on an ongoing athletics study being conducted by Collegiate Sports Associates of West End, N.C.
The university hired the firm to see where it fits in the changing collegiate sports world that includes devoting more money for athletes.
A final report is expected in June.
Earlier this year, Nielsen said "everything is on the table" when it comes to evaluating the athletics program, including the option of chopping sports. Last year, the University of Alabama-Birmingham shut down its football program for financial reasons, leading to questions about whether that could happen at Kent State.
"It really makes no sense to talk about adding sports, eliminating sports ... while we're trying to figure out where we want to go with the athletics program," Warren said.
Kent State offers 18 sports programs involving about 380 student-athletes.
The consultant has suggested that the university form a unified vision and brand for its sports programs. And despite the conclusion about the university's sports facilities, there are no immediate plans to renovate them.
The consultant recommended focusing first on improving athletic safety and performance at facilities, such as the weight room.
Warren also said the description of Dix Stadium and MAC Center as "tired and outdated" was generous.
"Certainly we have not made the investments that other institutions, some very close by, who have invested millions of dollars in new facilities," Warren said, alluding to the $65 million InfoCision Stadium at the University of Akron.
There is a critical need for private donations to support athletics and capital sports projects because Kent State shouldn't use institutional money and student fees for athletics, she said.
"That is not the right way to invest those funds," Warren said. "You must have private support to really renovate Dix Stadium, MAC Center or other kinds of capital outlay."
Kent State receives about $4.5 million a year in private donations for athletics.
Nielsen noted that the NCAA changes, such as providing the full cost of attendance for athletes, offering unlimited food and
ying for travel for parents to postseason games will cost money.
"It's safe to say that everything coming down the pike will cost more money," he said.
Kent State competes in the Mid-American Conference and has averaged eight championships a year for the past 10 years. The conference requires members to maintain Division I/Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) status, along with offering men's and women's basketball and volleyball.
Providing the full cost of attendance could cost the university as much as $1.1 million additional a year. That's a lot of money for a school with an athletics budget of $27 million, Nielsen said.
Meanwhile, the trustees heard a report from 160over90, a Philadelphia consulting firm, on its effort to rebrand the university.
The firm showed examples of its work with Ferrari, American Eagle Outfitters, AAA, Philadelphia Eagles, University of Hartford and University of Florida. The examples included print ads, radio advertising and promotional videos.
160over90 is on campus trying to determine what makes Kent State unique as it develops a branding strategy for the school.
The trustees also were briefed on an ongoing effort to boost research and development money coming into the university. KSU wants to become one of the top 200 research universities in the nation.
The university is spending about $27 million a year on research, officials said. That figure roughly would need to double for KSU to move into the top 200 (see link).
KSU not looking to cut sports programs
