The sports department is looking for new revenue sources.
The University of Arizona has some serious financial problems with a $240 million shortfall in its budget. But if you think that the school’s financial woes will impact sports, think again. The University of Arizona’s financial problems will not impact the sports department, at least for now. Arizona Wildcats athletic director Dave Heeke in a letter posted to the school’s website said UA has “no immediate plans” to eliminate sports programs. “At this point in time, I want to share the key components of our plan which is in alignment with our campus partners and the structure of the University of Arizona’s Financial Action Plan. Arizona Athletics has no immediate plans to eliminate sports. The athletics department will continue the hiring freeze that it instituted this fall. All new major construction projects will be paused after the completion of the Golf Center. Budgets have been pared back in areas that do not impact the health and wellbeing of student-athletes”.
Arizona has left the Pac 12 Conference and the sports program will begin play in the Big 12, so it would not be a good look if the school cut some of its 23 varsity teams. The University of Arizona has a good football team and a pretty good basketball team and that, of course, is a big deal in the college sports industry. But the University of Arizona sports business has to make some adjustments in its business approach and that means it will soon cost more money to buy tickets for football and basketball games. After all, college sports is a business. It will cost more to rent out the university’s sports facilities and the University of Arizona is going to see how much more media revenue is available for the sports programs. And boosters, send more money fast, the business needs it.
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