Athletic budget revisited
By JJ Ossola
IV Leader Sports Editor
For 14 years the sword of Damocles has been hovering over the
head of IVCC sport teams in the form of budget cuts.
In November of 1990, a failed attempt to pass a referendum
that would have given the school more income forced them to watch their spending
even more.
Citing the failed referendum, then Athletic Director, Vince
McMahon decided to resign from IVCC and take on a similar position at Joliet
Junior College. McMahon was worried that the budget would have to be cut
drastically and that many of the sports programs would either be ... eliminated
or severely limited. He was partially correct and his beloved football program
was eliminated nearly 5 years after his departure.
Another referendum in November of 2002 failed to get passed and Athletic
Director Mike Riley was asked to look at his budgets for ways to save money.
This time the goal was to reduce the overall spending by $80,000.
Athletic Director Riley and Vice-President of Student
Services Bob Marshall submitted a proposal that would cut the $80,000 from the
athletic budget by not funding the golf and tennis teams and reducing the
General Athletics fund.
Flash forward to 2005 and IVCC athletics struggle but
survive.
The men’s and women’s tennis teams, the golf team and the
newly revived cheerleaders all have to deal with a budget of zero. These
programs depend on individual and group fund-raising in order to continue
operations at IVCC.
The golf team is the single most expensive sport per player
at IVCC, according to Riley. The green fees, equipment and transportation
average out to about $1,500 per person.
The men’s and women’s tennis team contend with a playing
court that is unusable for practice or play. The estimated costs for resurfacing
the courts range from $100,000 to $150,000. The teams also have to pay for their
personal equipment and transportation to events. They play their games away and
practice in Peru.
The biggest portion of the current budget is in General
Athletics. This portion of the budget is what pays for conference dues,
insurance, some equipment, some travel expense, and a post-season playing
contingency.
The fund also pays the salaries of the athletic director, the
director’s assistant and a secretary.
Five of the eight athletic programs have yet to play this
year. Men’s baseball, golf and tennis as well as women’s softball and tennis are
scheduled to play in the spring.
Although the future is always uncertain, the rising costs of
gasoline and insurance promise that things will be tight for IVCC athletics but
Riley hopes that all the teams will be able to be funded well enough so that
they can concentrate on a successful 2005.