 April 1998 |
|
 |
BOV Delays Football Vote, Calls for Financial Analysis
The possibility of starting a football team at George Mason University remains under consideration as the Board of Visitors (BOV) decided at its March 25 meeting to conduct a detailed financial analysis before taking a final vote at its next meeting in May. The decision to postpone its vote was recommended by the Student Affairs Committee following lengthy testimony on the pros and cons of football at Mason by students, faculty, alumni, and President Alan G. Merten. President Merten said that starting a football program at Mason would be "inconsistent" with the university's overall mission and a "poor use of our time and financial resources." "An expanded football program at this time could have unfortunate repercussions," Merten wrote in a March 18 letter to the BOV that was made public at its meeting. "It could divert university and community attention from our academic programs. It could undercut our reputation of fiscal responsibility. It would be inconsistent with our ongoing review of programs and related activities for relevance to our mission and to cost-effectiveness. It would increase the cost of attending George Mason for our students." Student Affairs Committee chair Joann DiGennaro announced that an ad hoc task force would be created to conduct the financial analysis and then, in May, report its findings to both the BOV's Student Affairs and Finance and Resource Development Committees. The task force's assignment, she noted, is to work with financial planners, corporate advisors, and other pertinent members of the community to compile a detailed analysis of the issue. The membership of the task force has not yet been determined. |
|
Related Links:
Board of Visitors |
An earlier task force, led by Gerald Cook of the School of Information Technology and Engineering, was created by President Merten to study the issue. The task force, in a vote of 9 to 10, recommended against starting a football program. In its report, the task force estimated that a football program would generate about $365,000 a year in revenue while incurring $4.2 million a year in costs. Additionally, the task force said it would cost between $4.3 million and $7.1 million to build a stadium.
In his report to the BOV, President Merten said a vote to establish a football team should not be made without a major commitment from the private sector in the sum of "seven figures," he said, and a detailed 10-year financial plan. It is estimated that if the cost of an expanded football program were borne by students alone, it would require assessing students a fee of at least $225 a year. Surveys by Cook's task force show that while the majority of Mason students support having a football team, only 25 percent are willing to pay the higher fees to fund it. |