Athletic Directors Recommending NCAA Cost Cuts

Major college athletics directors are recommending a series of cost-cutting measures that would touch on every sport, including football.

The seven-part plan was pitched Monday at the Knight Commission's 20th anniversary meeting by Dutch Baughman, executive director of the 1-A Athletics Directors' Association and came out of his group's annual gathering last month in Dallas.

The Knight Commission, a blue-ribbon panel of education and business leaders, has no power to enact proposals but can serve as a pressure point. One of its members, Georgia president Michael Adams, is also chair of the NCAA executive committee. Baughman says he will meet in the near future with the NCAA on the suggestions:

•travel-squad size limitations in every sport

•elimination of non-traditional playing seasons; for example, some sports can play what amount to exhibition games against other schools out of season

•elimination of all foreign team travel

•limit on the sport-specific administrative personnel

•elimination of micro-websites; these would be sites for individual teams or people outside the official athletic department site

•elimination of off-campus housing prior to home contests; for example, many football teams will stay at a local hotel instead of dorms the night before a game

•reduction in the number of regular-season contests, though this would likely not include football.

It was not clear how much money could be saved by the cuts.

Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith said he would like to see a task force study the recommendations and report directly to the Division I board of directors in order to get legislation approved.

"This needs to be implemented with a heavy hand," said Smith, who appeared before the Commission. Nevertheless, Smith said he did not support all the recommendations, including the restriction on websites. He also said he views the off-campus housing as a "local" issue.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, another panelist, said cutting costs at a national or conference level "is a contact sport. ... Unless you are ready to deal with power coaches, boosters, board members and the public -- we're talking about in a conflict-rich environment -- don't take it on. It's easier to generate revenue than to cut costs. I'm being honest with you."

Chuck Young, former Florida president and UCLA chancellor and an original Knight Commission member, said of Baughman's proposals, "These things have come before us time and time again. Nobody will ever adopt these revisions in my opinion. But I'm glad to see them coming up to review again."