The Board of Regents voted 7-3 to approve the addition of six new varsity sports to NKU Athletics’ Division I roster at their Nov. 8 meeting.
The new programs include men’s and women’s swim teams that hold 30 students each, men’s and women’s triathlon teams that hold 15 students each, a women’s stunt team of 40 members and a men’s volleyball team of 20. Volleyball is currently the fastest-growing men’s sport nationally and regionally, according to Athletics Director Christina Roybal.
The new teams will come with new coaches: the triathlon coaches are expected to assist in the coaching of track and field, and the assistant triathlon coaches will help with swimming. All of the new sports will join NKU Athletics in the 2023-24 academic year with the exception of men’s volleyball, which will begin in 2025.
Proposed budgets for the new programs will set aside a preliminary $177,500 in 2023-24, which is projected to jump to $911,852 in 2024-25 as 26 student-athletes are enrolled. Steady annual increases are expected thereafter, eventually reaching over $1.1 million in 2027-28 after 150 students have been recruited. The new programs might contribute a revenue margin of at least $233,240 in 2028, or a total of $1.4 million to NKU.
The proposal will also expand four current programs, adding 50 more students to track and field, 10 to cheerleading, 10 to dance and 30 to pep band.
Speaking to the board, Faculty Senate President John Farrar voiced his opposition to the proposed plan on grounds that it does not take into account instructional costs for the new student-athletes, meaning the actual expenses for the new programs might well exceed $1.1 million. The only return on investment is related to vague promises in increased enrollment, retention and graduation, he said. “This amounts to an expensive recruitment plan.”
Farrar further raised the issue of adding new sports programs amid budget cuts to academics.
“We have had millions cut in Academic Affairs, we have had 100 faculty and more in positions we have lost. Faculty and staff have continued to do more and more with less and less,” Farrar said.
Regents Michael Baranowski, Cori Henderson and Brad Zapp voted to oppose the plan. Baranowski, who is retiring from NKU at the end of the year, stated that he has too many questions about the projected numbers and would be happy to revisit the decision in December to have clearer figures, which Henderson concurred with.
NKU most recently saw a $23.5 million loss in the 2023 fiscal year, with $279 million in expenses and $255.5 million in revenue, according to the financial report presented at the meeting by CFO and Vice President of Administration & Finance Jeremy Alltop.
In spite of more funding from the state of Kentucky due to NKU’s good academic performance ranking, the expiration of federal pandemic grants, continuing decline in undergraduate enrollment, and accumulated pension and construction debt have all contributed to the loss this year.
The financial report advises further spending reductions and realignment to increase revenue for the coming year.