Where Goliath Keeps Winning

Reading over the funding request from the WSU Services and Activities Board, a familiar childhood song comes to mind.

One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn’t belong.

The S&A board, which is made up of various undergraduate, graduate and faculty leaders at the university, was tasked with allocating $8 million out to 17 different groups that directly benefit students. These include smaller organizations, like the Disability Awareness Association and the Marching Band, as well as some heftier groups like the CUB and University Recreation.

And then, fourth item down, there’s the Goliath that is WSU Athletics.

The fact that Athletics is receiving $837,902 from students’ pockets is disturbing on multiple levels. It’s disturbing that they even qualify to present to the board. It’s disturbing that they actually take the university up on their offer. Most of all, it’s disturbing that Athletics receives a chunk of money that represents mere pennies to their monstrous budget, when that amount would make or break any of the 16 other organizations who depend on the board for survival.

Let me be clear: I approach this topic with wholehearted bias. Student Media is among those dependent groups, and as someone who is deeply involved in that organization via The Daily Evergreen, I only dream of receiving the generous allocation currently enjoyed by Athletics. I presented to the board on behalf of Student Media. I sat in on the subsequent deliberations. I care a lot.

But my vehement opposition to lining Athletics’ coffers stems from more than my role as a representative of Student Media- it stems from the fact that, like every other student at WSU, I pay an annual $544 in mandatory S&A fees. And I damn well expect these fees to go to organizations that genuinely depend on them in order to sustain their contributions to the WSU community.

To the credit of the S&A board, this year’s funding is a marked decrease from the past. Last year, Athletics received $1,087,902 from the board, marking a $250,000 decrease in their dependence on S&A funds. This is certainly a step in the right direction, and I encourage future S&A boards to follow through on this attempt to wean them off.

Taking into account a 12-year $3 billion media contract, a 10-year $35 million marketing rights agreement with IMG College, and a $30 million annual operating budget (which, based on the recent $92 million fundraising effort from The Campaign for Cougar Athletics, is on the rise), this takes WSU Athletics down from an annual $284,587,902 to $284,337,902.

I sure hope they don’t starve.

The S&A board could have and should have cut their budget altogether, especially because the only compelling reason for granting Athletics a hearing seems to be because, well, that’s what we’ve always done. Chief University Budget Officer Joan King said that in her 13 years serving on the board, Athletics has made a presentation every year. Two years ago, Athletics Director Bill Moos promised to decrease his department’s dependence on the fund, but so far hasn’t made much good on his promise.

Cougar Athletics is an amazing organization. They provide a vast number of student jobs, and they foster a sense of community at WSU while extending Cougar pride around the globe. They work with a massive budget because they require a massive budget to be successful on a grand scale, and I don’t begrudge them that necessity.

But here’s the thing- that’s not what S&A funds are for. This comparatively modest amount is to fund groups that don’t have multibillion dollar contracts. With such a limited pool of money, these groups are in direct competition with one another, clamoring shoulder to shoulder to compete for the board’s investment on any given year. For groups like the Coalition for Women Students, or the Center for Civic Engagement, or yes, Student Media, an annual allocation of $837,902 would be utterly transformative. For Athletics, it’s hardly worth bending over to pick up off the sidewalk.

S&A funds are supposed to come from the students to benefit the students, and their repeated allocation to the Athletics department is the equivalent of putting Warren Buffet on food stamps. The only difference is that Buffet has enough class not to ask.