University Of Tennessee System Discussing Athletics Cuts

University of Tennessee trustees today discussed eliminating athletic programs, providing more courses online and changing the way tuition is calculated as options for cutting the UT budget by up to 15 percent.

The trustees also were told that administrators already are putting in place a program to provide counseling to employees who lose their jobs.

About 70 percent of UT’s costs come from payroll and benefits, officials said, so it is probable that 70 percent — perhaps more — of imminent budget cuts will come through layoffs, furloughs or other personnel actions. Already, UT has abolished 174 vacant job positions.

The UT trustees’ Committee on Effectiveness and Efficiency met in Nashville for the discussion, though it made no recommendations. UT President John Petersen said he hopes to present Gov. Phil Bredesen with a budget-cutting plan by mid-January.

Among options discussed were:

-- Cutting the athletic programs at UT-Martin and UT-Chattanooga, which are subsidized by taxpayer dollars. The state provides about $3.9 million per year for athletics at Martin and about $4.3 million at Chattanooga, officials said. At UT Knoxville, the cost of all athletic programs is covered money from revenue-producing football and basketball programs.

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel