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August 19, 2010

St. Cloud State’s situation should serve as a warning

By Chad Courrier Free Press Staff Writer

— This week, St. Cloud State officials announced it was considering three proposals to eliminate $500,000 in the athletic department’s budget for 2011, and two of those plans including the elimination of the football program.

When you hear that, the first reaction is disbelief, then you might give a chuckle, considering that the Huskies are probably Minnesota State’s biggest rival.

But the more you think about St. Cloud State’s problems, the more you have to realize if it happens there, it can happen here. Just a couple of years back, when the North Central Conference ceased to exist and Minnesota State was contemplating its athletic future, there were proposals to eliminate football or make it a non-scholarship program.

But those talks didn’t reach the stage where St. Cloud State is now.

The entire state is facing increased economic challenges, and higher education is not immune.

Since St. Cloud State and Minnesota State are similar in so many ways, you should be nervous when something bad happens there.

But you can give some credit to Minnesota State officials who saw this coming and made adjustments earlier. A year ago, Minnesota State cut roughly $350,000 from its athletic budget, mainly through administrative reductions. This year, the cuts were much less.

There is a proposal to deal with around $250,000 for the 2011-12 that could eliminate four programs: men’s and women’s tennis, men’s swimming and women’s bowling. Those are certainly tough cuts, but the gradual nature and widespread effects of the process makes it easier to sell.

You may not agree with the answers, but Minnesota State faced some of the budget decisions before the situation turned critical.

And the budget reductions might not be done. The forecast for future state revenues is hardly optimistic.

It still seems unlikely that St. Cloud State will eliminate the football program, but it will be interesting to see what happens. Is this a ploy to energize the fan base, hoping donors rescue the athletic budget? Or will the administration turn the attention to itself, protecting the students first?

The rest of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference is watching, too. If this can happen at St. Cloud State, it can happen here. Or Winona State. Or Minnesota Duluth. Or any of the universities that rely on state funding.

Once one school provides a blueprint to massive cuts, it’s easier for others to follow along.



Chad Courrier is a Free Press staff writer. To contact him, call 507-344-6353 or e-mail at ccourrier@mankatofreepress.com or check out his local sports blog.

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