Mizzou AD Jim Sterk on MU’s budget, spring sports athletes and postseason bans
When the NCAA Division I Council approved an additional year of eligibility for spring sports athletes, Missouri athletic director Jim Sterk said he agreed with the decision. He pointed to the student-athletes whose seasons were shortened or canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding they deserved another chance to compete.
But the decision led to a number of different issues and questions — especially when it comes to the budget Sterk oversees.
Athletic departments across the nation will feel the impact of so many cancellations. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is an annual money-maker, with revenue dispersed among schools nationwide. Other canceled events — from championships to regular-season events — also figure to hurt the bottom line for many member schools.
Sterk said his department will meet via teleconference in coming days to discuss the situation. The MU athletic department has run in the red the past three fiscal years.
“We’re getting budgets from our coaches and staff this week and starting to look through where we might project next year,” Sterk said. “At a minimum, you’ve got to project there’s going to be a decrease in donations and ticket sales and things like that. We just don’t know where that will be. We’ll have some models where we think it might be.”
For Missouri, about “20-something” spring-sports seniors were affected by the NCAA’s eligibility decision, said Andy Humes, MU executive associate athletics director for compliance and administration. If every Tigers senior decided to return for another year of eligibility at his or her 2019-20 level of aid, Humes said, it would cost the university about $463,000.
However, Sterk said not every senior will return. And in sports like baseball or track and field, some athletes are not on full scholarship. Some will want to graduate and perhaps seek jobs, start their professional careers. Mizzou is still in the process of hearing back from its seniors, Sterk said.
While MU scrambles to recalibrate its budget, Sterk said the university will prioritize funding those seniors who decide to return for one more year of eligibility.
“We’re all going to be struggling with our budgets and how our new models look like,” Sterk said. “We’ll be wrestling with those decisions. But I think the investment of the student-athletes is a positive thing, and that will be a top priority.”
Some schools have already taken measures to counteract budget shortfalls. Wyoming athletic director Tom Burman reduced his salary by 10% through Dec. 31. Iowa State is implementing a one-year temporary pay reduction for coaches and some staff, reducing total payroll by at least $3 million. It will also temporarily suspend bonuses and incentives for coaches, saving an additional $1 million.
When asked whether MU has considered salary reductions for high-level executives, Sterk said all possibilities will be considered.
Sterk said the SEC’s athletic directors hold a daily conference call as they navigate the overall situation. The conference has suspended all athletic activities until at least April 15. Sterk said he expects that date to be pushed back even further.
“We’re moving along and trying to grasp the new reality,” Sterk said. “Trying to determine where the new normal will end up.”
What about football?
While Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz is prepping his team for an eventual return to football, Sterk is going through the same steps on a broader scale. The athletic director said he’s working under the assumption that the various fall sports seasons will be played.
Sterk said there’s no concrete timetable for what needs to happen in order for the 2020 football season to proceed. He noted that even if classes are held as online-only, which is the case right now, the university stays open and there’s a chance that football practices and similar activities can move forward.
The SEC has been in communication with coaches about elements of the usual buildup toward a season, such as football training camp in the late-summer.
“We’re planning on the (football) season happening,” Sterk said. “I’m just not really going to get into the speculation phase.”
Postseason bans
Officially, MU has not heard from the NCAA as to whether its baseball and softball bans will be carried over into the next school year.
But Humes noted a couple of positive signs for programs in similar situations. Humes said, for instance, that even amid the backdrop of coronavirus cancellations, Georgia Tech men’s basketball team had met its own NCAA-imposed conditions.
When the NCAA’s spring sports athletes were granted an extra year, the NCAA sent its member schools a 23-page document with answers to their likely questions. Humes said the missive included a specific question about a situation comparable to Mizzou’s, in which a particular program is on a postseason ban because of academic progress rate penalties.
Humes said the document suggested that such schools will have met their postseason penalty obligation this spring. While MU has yet to hear formally from the NCAA, Humes considered this a positive development.
“That’s been our internal position,” Humes said. “As soon as we knew the seasons weren’t going to be played, the penalty was set for spring 2020. We didn’t compete in the postseason in spring of 2020.”
Recruiting restrictions
The NCAA had instituted a temporary recruiting dead period through April 15 because of the pandemic. On Wednesday, it was extended through May 31.
The Tigers’ football program faced certain recruiting restrictions after the NCAA considered Mizzou’s infractions appeal. Humes said most of those restrictions have been met, with only a couple weeks left where MU is prohibited from making phone calls to recruits.
That means football will not be hugely impacted during this time of uncertainty. The remaining penalty the Tigers face is a four-scholarship reduction for the 2020 season.
This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 7:05 PM.