Dr. Gene Budig – Athletics in Education

Oct 29, 2013: Dr. Gene Budig has served as both University President/Chancellor (Nebraska, Illinois State, West Virginia, Kansas) and as the President of Major League Baseball’s American League. He is also a Retired Major General in the Air National Guard. Now a part owner of the Charleston Riverdogs and local resident, Dr. Budig joined us this week to talk about intercollegiate athletics and their role in higher education.

Dr. Budig emphatically stated that intercollegiate athletics are “hopelessly out of control” and we, the fans, are the problem. Citing a new $8 billion cable television contract for college sports, he stressed that the money being paid for tickets and fan gear, as well as coach’s salaries, is outrageous. These spending patterns subsequently drive big money to schools for televised games.

He affirmed that college Presidents understand how alumni and athletics positively impact the bottom line, yet athletics aren’t the budget solution at many schools. Dr. Budig proposed that when schools say athletics draw attention to the school and help it financially, that is “utter nonsense”. He feels only 12 – 15 of the major programs actually make money on their athletics. The expense of building infrastructure and programs to entice key players and coaches as well as alumni is rarely met or exceeded by the revenue generated by the games. He predicts that the top universities (by size) will attempt to create their own exclusive conference and not share the benefits by playing outside that group, rationalizing that it’s a fair and competitive approach. In other words, why should the schools who draw the crowds (and money) share the proceeds with those that don’t?

Dr. Budig then turned to education in general, saying we should never minimize the importance of a community college. If a community is serious about economic development they better have a well-oiled community college, such as Trident Technical College. He also reminded the audience that the term “state-supported school” is now a misnomer. At best, our colleges and universities can be considered state-assisted. Most institutions now receive only 6 – 9% of their budget from state funding. Tuition and fee increases have made up the difference and this trend is likely to continue, albeit on a smaller scale.

Feeling strongly that education can’t be valued only in terms of dollars and cents, Dr. Budig stressed that it’s only right for our children and grandchildren to have the advantage of a good formal education, whether community college or university or both. He is a strong advocate of the humanities and fine arts as part of the curriculum, stating that is what sets us apart from other parts of the world. He also sees great potential in the health services fields, both as a source of research money and of jobs and is concerned about a deficit of interest in rural health programs. Finally, Dr. Budig encouraged higher education opportunities for older, non-traditional students.   

Submitted by Tammy Louise Coghill, Keyway Committee