Greenspan: Athletics fee will not be raised

Late Wednesday afternoon, Athletics Director Rick Greenspan went in front of the Committee on Fee Review and said he would not ask for a fee increase during renewal hearings of the mandatory $30 student athletics fee. He also said students would not receive tangible services in return, comparable to those of the transportation fee or the legal services fee.\n"I don't think anybody necessarily wants to pay more but I'd like to think the intercollegiate athletic program provides significant benefits to students, faculty, staff and the community, and it's a worthwhile investment," Greenspan said during the 90-minute meeting. \nFlanked by Athletics Department Business Manager Kevin Clark and Associate Athletics Director Mary Ann Rohleder, Greenspan explained that the money raised by the fee, about $1.1 million based on this year's enrollment figures, will be used to support the school's Olympic sports, which constitute all sports except football and men's and women's basketball. The budget for those 21 sports equals about $6 million, and the fee money would "only cover a small portion," Clark said.\nIU Student Association President and CFR Chair Tyson Chastain said historically, once a fee passes its test year and gets renewed, it is renewed for good.\nNow that Greenspan has presented his case for the fee renewal to the CFR, something that did not occur last year when former Athletics Director Terry Clapacs pushed the fee through, it is up to the seven-member committee to decide whether the fee is needed.\n"The one thing that's important is that every department and organization presents in front of the CFR," Chastain said. "But the CFR, in the end, can make recommendations to where that money should go and if that money should exist. And then the committee, off that experience, makes their decision."\nChastain, a non-voting member, said the CFR appreciated Greenspan not asking for a fee raise. \n"It's interesting that the athletics department did not ask for an increase, and that was well-respected by the board, because of the problems associated with tuition and fee caps," he said.\nGreenspan offered to do two things in response to criticism and the whirlwind of questions surrounding the fee.\nFirst, he said he would submit an audited report to the CFR each July of the previous fiscal year to show exactly how the fee helped the department. Greenspan said the salaries of coaches would be removed from that audit to give a clearer view of the exact impact of the fee. \nSecond, Greenspan said the athletics department would take $100,000 of the $1.1 million expected from the students and invest it in the athletics department endowment, which helps support scholarships for student-athletes. \nThe $32 million endowment is the largest in the Big Ten, and of that, the athletics department is allowed to use $1.6.\n"We need the student fee support for our operating budget," Greenspan said. "And the concept of taking some of it and putting it into the endowment is consistent with what we're trying to do across the board, and that's to make our financial ends meet."\nEven though the students will not receive a direct service from the athletics fee, Greenspan said they will benefit later in life from it.\n"I think the students on this campus that choose to take advantage of the athletics events and partially world-class competition in many, many sports, receive some benefits from this athletics department that might be felt years later when they rekindle relationships through football games and through basketball contests and tailgating," Greenspan said. "If there's a direct and immediate (impact on) every student on this campus I'd be surprised. But I think a lot of students benefit from the satisfaction of success and recognition that hopefully it brings in a positive way to the campus."\nThe CFR will have its report completed and submitted to Dean of Students Richard McKaig on March 1. \nGreenspan is unsure whether or not the fee will pass CFR certification, but he follows the rules.\n"I'm not a betting person," he said. "The NCAA doesn't allow it."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Josh \nWeinfuss at .