@CollegebaseballInsights posted:
Highlights - what does this even mean?
Johann Rafelski, a physics professor at the school, urged Robbins [UA president] to consider selling the athletics department to an outside vendor, which Robbins noted that he has considered in the past. Doing so, Rafelski added, could help the athletic department turn a profit. “People who are qualified to run an athletics department may turn it into a profit,” Rafelski said. “We could perhaps get a good sales price.”
Although Robbins said selling the athletic department to an outside vendor is an option on the table, he also noted that the university could lease some of the school’s land to bring in income.
If they did that, would athletes be employees, finally?
From a different article:
Robbins cited two major problem areas: the athletics department and financial aid.
During the Covid pandemic, the university lent $55 million to the athletics department, using money from cash on hand. The loan has not been paid back fast enough, Robbins said. Now the athletics department “is going to require some draconian cuts, and we’re just going to have to live with that,” Robbins said. It’s possible Arizona will eliminate some of its 23 sports programs.