Below, a pair of articles written this summer by Cornell's Jon Jaques for AthleticManagement.com.- "What to Cut"-- Below is an excerpt of the article:
See also Jaques' article, "Stop the Presses."...As a current student-athlete, I can appreciate the tough decisions administrators face when choosing which resources to cut back on. But at the same time, there are certain amenities that an athletic department, and more specifically student-athletes, can't do without. So here's a list of the amenities I've found are essential from a student-athlete's perspective, and a couple of areas I think are okay to cut from.
Don't cut spending on ...
• Locker Rooms: Without breaking the bank, you can also add personal, team oriented decorations to the locker room that increase the room's décor and the school's attraction to recruits. For example, at Cornell, where our nickname is the Big Red, a small touch that makes a big difference is the red carpet in the locker room. The carpet combined with photos of current and former players and great moments in team history that adorn the walls help build team spirit. Adding a sign with a coach's motto or favorite quote is also a nice way to decorate the room and build team chemistry. These are all ways to design a locker room your players will love without burning a hole in the athletic department's wallet. Too much time is spent on the court or in the weight room to not give your players a place to unwind and relax...
• Athletic equipment: ...at Cornell we have a shooting machine called "The Gun" that rebounds shots and spits the ball back out to the shooter, allowing a player to come in to the gym on his own time and get shots up. This equipment, while undoubtedly expensive, is an invaluable resource since nearly every member of the team uses it and has improved because of it.• Marketing/Advertising for Games: ... A deafening crowd makes you feel like someone injected a shot of caffeine straight into your bloodstream--you have the energy to do anything and perform at your peak level. When no one is in the gym, it's hard to not feel a little less excited about the game, and more often than not, that carries over to the team's performance on the court. The crazy crowds we've been drawing lately to Cornell basketball games are due in large part to the success of the team, but also our athletic department's efforts to advertise in campus and local media.
It's ok to cut spending on ...
• Plane Travel: ...At Cornell we only fly to a couple of non-conference away games per year and spend a lot of the time traveling by bus. It may surprise athletic administrators to know that those long bus rides are some of the most fun I've had during college, just hanging out, watching movies, or cracking jokes with my best friends. In many ways I prefer road trips because of the time spent bonding with teammates.• Extra Gear, Clothing: ... I probably have more Cornell basketball t-shirts and sweatshirts than I do any other type of clothing in my closet. And I'm not even at a big time, major conference basketball program that probably gives out free shirts and shoes daily. As great as getting free clothing is, it is probably unnecessary and a good place to start looking for areas to cut back on spending. While it may be free to us players, someone, namely the athletic department, has to pay for it. While players might be upset at first, I'm sure they will understand that it just doesn't make sense to give each player on the team six shirts that look exactly the same.
