Athletic Budget Expands

Opinions are mixed on proposed changes to the College's budget soon to be presented to the Board of Trustees.  Of main concern is the expansion of the athletic operational budget when most departments are being told to cut expenses.  The reason for the increase, of course, is the transition to NCAA Division III and the five new sports being added because of it.  

Professor of philosophy Ben Lipscomb, a faculty representative on the Finance Council, summarized two main changes in the budget this year: "Athletic expenses are going up, and academic expenses are being cut (in exact proportion, as it happens)," by $500,000 each over a couple years.  Though these changes may be especially attention-grabbing, Lipscomb was careful to point out that other areas of the College will be impacted too.  "Don't get the impression…that it's simply athletics vs. academics."

Dale Wright, Chief Business Officer and chair of the Finance Council, also stated, "Reductions aren't being concentrated in one area; everyone's contributing."  This includes Student Life, Advancement, and Athletics, as well as Academics.  When considered in the net balance of increases and decreases, "it's not as if there's a bunch of additional money going to athletics."  Because Houghton is primarily an academic institution, the overall proportion of the academic budget "is a little bit lower" than in other areas.  In fact, searches for more faculty are currently underway in the sciences, education, and Bible departments.  "In the academic area, rather than reductions," Wright clarified, "it'd be better phrased ‘reallocations.'"  Wright emphasized that these budgetary changes, while significant, are not unusual.  Colleges across the country "are having the same conversations," and Houghton's position is definitely "not a crisis situation."

Lipscomb represented a range of responses to the proposed changes.  It is hoped that the athletic transition "will have a net positive impact on enrollment, offsetting the expenses associated with the new sports."  But concern has also been voiced over allowing athletic expenses "to rise at the same moment" that the overall budget is being cut, thus "requiring (obviously) that the compensatory cuts (in academics and elsewhere) be deeper."  Reasons given for the team additions were also questioned.  "Others think we should have pushed harder to see if we could be admitted to NCAA DIII without adding the new sports.  And they worry...that the new athletes might not actually expand the student body in a way that will cover the new costs."

Professor Carlton Fisher, philosophy, raised "concern about student cost of the athletic program," adding that his concern "precedes these recent changes" and extends to Christian college athletics in general.  With no gate fees, the College's main source of athletic revenue is student tuition.  If the increased athletic budget were divided among all students (currently just below 1100), the price students pay for athletic programming is roughly $1400 per student per year.  

This figure comes in part from a high ratio of teams to size of school.  Adding men's and women's lacrosse, tennis, and golf, in addition to baseball and softball will bring Houghton's total teams to 18.  According to NCAA.org/divisioniii, this is typical for the average NCAA DIII school, but average enrollment in DIII is around 2600, over twice the size of Houghton.  

Athletics Director Skip Lord defended the move and presented athletics as an integral part of the educational experience.  The NCAA philosophy, especially in Division III, "really hangs their hat" on offering students a broad experience.  "If [we're] going to be part of an organization that says we believe in broad-based athletic participation and opportunities because they're educational by nature," Lord reasoned, "then we need to do that."  Houghton wouldn't have even been permitted to apply to NCAA without raising the team count to at least 12.

Lord mentioned several other advantages to balance with increased costs.  "NCAA DIII is a step up in affiliation for us...not a parallel or a de-emphasizing of athletics."  The transition is part of a larger "strategic plan to increase visibility...and was not even primarily an athletic decision."  Houghton's name and academic reputation will be more visible both nationally and "in our geographic footprint" through associating with the NCAA and "highly-respected small mid-size academically-rigorous schools" in Empire 8.  Even if they never play sports here, "a whole population of intelligent, academically, [and] spiritually serious young people" will hear about Houghton "because of our move to NCAA Division III and Empire 8."