This year, students at Southern Oregon University can expect a majority of the athletic department is being funded by student fees.
Full-time students currently pay $286 per term as a required “Incidental fee” charge; part-time students are charged a prorated fee.
In comparison, students taking at least 12 credits at Oregon State University currently pay $250.90 per term in fees. Students at the University of Oregon taking at least 12 credits currently pay $195 for fall and winter semesters.
Currently, 5,624 students attend SOU, which brings in enough money to fund Associated Students of SOU, a variety of clubs on campus, theatre arts and music department events, the Stevenson Union, publication and the athletic department.
According to ASSOU Athletic Senator Stephen Land, 80 percent of the Athletic programs, salaries, and for equipment upkeep are funded by student dollars.
“The school doesn’t want to pitch in,” Land said.
Most of the on-campus events are funded from student fees, but administrative events are funded out of the general fund.
“The University needs to take some of the weight off of student fees,” said Land.
Roughly 300 students participate in collegiate athletic programs at SOU, including basketball, cross country, football, softball, soccer, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.
“The money goes towards travel, uniforms, scholarship, equipment, upkeep, salaries and a few other things,” said Land in regards to the distribution of athletic department funds.
School policy states that student-athletes are required to maintain a GPA of at least 2.0, but some team coaches insist their athletes have a higher GPA.
As part of the Cascade Collegiate Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the SOU Raiders have consistently placed on top in collegiate events.
“If we want to keep our athletes at a competitive level, we need to take the right steps,” Land said.
Those steps, according to Land, have included recent talks of SOU switching to the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Chaired by Dennis Slaterry, the Athletics Task Force, consisting of 10 other members, is currently examining the future of SOU’s athletics department.
“Right now, they’re debating to see whether we can do it or not,” Land said.
Joining the NCAA would mean that the SOU football and wrestling programs would finally be part of a conference, because the Cascade Conference does not support a league for either sport.
SOU is currently the only university to support a wrestling and football team within NAIA that is not part of a conference. Eastern Oregon University also supports a football team however they participate in the Frontier Conference.
Even though neither team is a member of a conference, both still stay in contention for a shot at a NAIA championship depending on their performance against other opponents.
While wrestling partakes in invitationals along the West Coast, SOU’s football team travels to games in Texas and North Dakota, so that they can face NCAA opponents along with a few NAIA matchups.
Yet the cost to send the team to face more NAIA opponents can be quite a strain for the University.
“With 132 players, the school is unwilling to help pay to send them to other NAIA football games,” said Land.
If SOU decides to switch to NCAA, they would join Division II’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
“One reason they’re looking at the change is for competition,” said Land.
If SOU joined the GNAC its team would play predominantly in the Northwest.
Raider coaches were aware that SOU was looking to move to the GNAC, but did not reveal specific plans until this past week after the Athletic Task Force met with representatives of both the NAIA and NCAA.
However, SOU doesn’t know whether or not switching to the NCAA will save them any money, a concern that has led to these discussons that have been taking place since October 2009.
Land said that the moveto the NCAA would allow SOU to add an indoor track team, as well as swim team, if funding was given.
“We’re hoping to drop the [student] fees by $25 and have admin contribute at least half for athletics or more,” said Land.
After the task force finishes talks, they will make their recommendation to SOU President Mary Cullinan, who will have the final say in the future of the athletic department.
The Siskiyou’s Sports Editor Laura Sadler contributed to this article.
