The University of Idaho Argonaut

At the student fee hearing on Feb. 7, departments across the University of Idaho put in their requests for increases to the dedicated student fee. The largest proposed increase came from UI’s Athletic Department.

Athletics requested a $10 increase in student fees for full-time students next year. Part-time students will be asked for a 50 cent increase per credit hour. The largest portion of the dedicated student fees goes to the athletic department. Students currently pay $113.70 to the department, according to the UI student fee schedule for the 2007-08 academic year.

Senior Associate Athletic Director Matthew Kleffner said the money acquired through student fees is used to help cover the cost of items directly associated with the students, like team travel, uniforms, equipment, scholarships and coach salaries.

“Student fees go into operations and how we fund our programs,” UI Athletic Director Rob Spear said. “Basically everything we do to operate successfully.”

The fee increase is consistent with the Western Athletic Conference strategic plan, which outlines specific budget growth parameters for UI, Kleffner said. In order to comply with these parameters, income in all areas must increase. The WAC budget goal for UI is set at more than $23 million by 2011.

“The WAC strategic plan says we need to increase our revenue by at least 8 percent a year,” Spear said. “If we don’t get the money it will be a challenge to meet the strategic plan and it will put us even further behind our peers in the WAC conference.”

UI ranks eighth out of 10 WAC schools in terms of total income with an estimated $13 million. The WAC average is at approximately $20 million. Teams like Boise State University and Fresno State are well above the average, with more than $26 million in revenue each year.

“We are in the bottom three in revenue and the teams that are more successful are at the top,” Spear said. “I’m not saying we need to be at the top, but we need more to be competitive.”

Spear said a larger profit will also help establish a more competitive salary for coaches, which will make it easier to attract and retain a high quality coaching staff.

According to USA Today, former UI head coach Dennis Erickson made an estimated $215,000 last season. The head coach for Fresno State made more than $1 million.

“We have the opportunity to really help put the university in the forefront,” Spear said. “We want to have our athletic programs comparable to what it is academically.”

Student fees aren’t the only thing that will help increase proceeds. The renovation and expansion of the Kibbie Dome will hopefully bring in an estimated $1 million per year, Kleffner said.

The restoration consists of two phases, the first being a safety and code compliance upgrade. The full project is expected to cost $52 million, $17 million from university funds and $35 million from private gifts.

“The biggest change this phase will bring is the replacement of the end walls of the dome,” Spear said. “They’ll be replaced with a translucent fiberglass structure that will allow light in.”

The Kibbie Dome is one of only two indoor, on-campus division 1A stadiums in the country and the fiberglass will help give the feeling of an outside game.

Planning for this phase just began and construction will hopefully begin a year from now, Spear said.

“People forget that even the cost of utilities goes up three to five percent every year,” ASUI President Jon Gaffney said. “If we want to pay the bills, we have to get the money from somewhere.”

The second phase is the improvement of the Kibbie Dome’s physical appearance. One drastic change is the lowering of the football field by more than 10 feet to improve and optimize sight lines from every seat in the stadium, Spear said. This will add approximately 3,600 more seats, and the dome will be able to accommodate more than 20,000 people.

VIP parking will be located in front of the stadium and the north concourse entrance will feature up-dated concessions and a Vandal Hall of Fame. The room will be used to commemorate great coaches and athletes of the past, Spear said.

A 9,000 square foot Vandal Hospitality Club will serve as a place for fans to gather before, during and after games and will be complete with an east end zone terrace that overlooks the field. Just below the terrace, a row of field loge boxes will be built that feature comfortable seating a few yards from the field, Spear said.

The Vandal club section will be located on the 50-yard-line on the north side of the Dome and will consist of more spacious seating. Club loge boxes located directly above the Vandal club section will offer luxury seating for four people.

Finally, six club suites will be added at the top of section 17 and will be equipped with a kitchen, buffet service counter and a flat screen TV with a sound system. The suits will seat 16 people and will be private areas for fans to watch the game, Spear said.

The suites will only be available to fans who donated at least $1 million for the renovation process and will cost an additional $50,000 per season.

“If all goes as planned, we will have an unbelievable home field advantage,” Spear said. “There won’t be a bad seat in the whole place.”

The new remodel will not only comply with safety codes and increase profits but it will also aid to the multi-use nature of the Dome, Spear said.

Even students who don’t participate in athletics should be supportive of the fee increase because of the value of athletics at UI, Kleffner said.

The Kibbie Dome is host to many events throughout the year, including the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, career fairs, concerts and graduation ceremonies. The athletic department also provides more than 100 internship opportunities for non-athletic students, giving UI students real work experience. Money for these internships come from student fees.

“When students pay fees, they are really investing in the entire university,” Spear said.

Kleffner said Vandal athletics brings in roughly $28.3 million to the city of Moscow throughout the year and serves as a marketing tool of the university.

Athletics also help recruit prospective students and promotes diversity, bringing in athletes from across the country.

“It really has a lot to do with recruiting people to UI,” Gaffney said. “A lot of people are attracted to strong athletic programs.”

The Vandal football team played two nationally televised games last season that helped promote the university on a national level and brought money to UI. The Vandal game against the University of Southern California brought in $600,000 in revenue and the game against Washington State University brought in $210,000, Spear said. The football team will play two “money” games next season.

“Athletics is a major marketing arm of the university,” Spear said. “Even if you don’t follow sports, there is a sports page in the newspaper every day for a reason.”

During the student fee hearing, the student fee committee listened to proposals from different groups across campus and met to conclude which funds they think UI needs to increase most. Their suggestions go to President Tim White, who will review them before they are proposed to the student body at 3 p.m. March 6 in the SUB Gold Room.

However, Gaffney said the students will have little control over how much money the athletic department will receive.

“Athletics is tricky. It’s mandated by the state board for how much we have to increase the fees each year,” Gaffney said. “We don’t really have a choice because the athletic fees go up with the rest of the student activities fees.”

Nonetheless, Spear said he hopes students will support the suggested $10 increase because it will in turn benefit all UI students.

“We’re like a stock that has a lot of potential,” Spear said. “You’re going to buy low and the dividends will pay off in the future.”