By Richard Mast

mastr@findlay.edu

The University of Findlay has introduced a $250 fee for its student-athletes with $125 installment per semester in order to participate in their respective sports. The policy, which went into effect this fall, aligns with practices that are already common across NCAA Division II and Division III athletics, according to UF athletic director Jim Givens.

Givens explained that the decision was not about generating profit but rather ensuring financial stability and enhancing the student-athlete experience.

“This has become a common practice for athletic departments all over the country,” Givens said. “We actually are one of two schools that did not charge in our conference. I think everybody understands the financial climate of our world today in regards to higher education. It’s becoming extremely difficult to remain viable in the space that we want to, in this case athletics, because budgets are becoming less and less, but fixed costs are rising.”

The fee, which is applied to all student-athletes regardless of sport, goes into the athletic department’s general fund. There are approximately 669 student-athletes at UF. All athletes have to pay for both semesters since practices and trainings span the entire school year. That’s $250 for 669 student-athletes generating approximately $167,250.

Givens said the that revenue goes into the general athletics ledger and it is marked for post season participation.

“We are responsible for all expense incurred during post season play which is a pretty high number,”  Givens said via email.

According to Givens, the money can also act as a type of “insurance policy,” covering unplanned expenses such as equipment repairs, transportation setbacks, or postseason travel costs.

“You get these unexpected expenses all the time. Something happens and bus breaks down, have to stay another night in a hotel, stuff like that,” Givens said. “That is something that they did not budget for. So, any unbudgeted items that come up throughout the course of the year, that fund is used to try to help offset that.”

Givens emphasized that the cost is modest compared to what other schools tend to charge and that it is meant to add to existing fundraising and discretionary funds.

“I struggle with the word pay-to-play,” Givens said. “Certainly, I understand the context, but really for us, it is a way to continue to enhance our student athlete experience by maintaining what we are doing and even doing potentially a little bit more.”

Grant Hawkins, a sophomore nursing major and member of the tennis team, learned about the fee through an email sent out in July. While initially surprised by it, after considering it, he felt that the fee was reasonable.

“I think it’s fair to, you know, pay to play a little bit,” Hawkins said. “I mean, there’s a lot of things, especially within our sport, tennis specifically, that we have to pay on our own, like strings, oftentimes shoes, and there’s many things that it’s just part of being able to play the sport that’s kind of inherent, and at a fee of only $125, I really see that as, if it’s benefiting the school enough for them to ask us, it’s worth it.”

Hawkins still acknowledges the possibility that the fee could discourage some athletes from lower-income backgrounds. However, after suggesting some alternative models, such as team-based fundraising, he felt that these may demand more time from students.

“That’s just another way of like you’re taking time, time on the weekends to do the fundraising,” Hawkins said. “And maybe that’s more of an inconvenience than just paying $125 a semester.”

Givens also recognized the challenges some students may face in affording the fee. While the payment cannot be covered by scholarships or institutional aid, Givens said that the university is committed to helping students find solutions if a student faces financial hardship. “We have been fortunate to where – to date – we haven’t really had any issue, which is great,” Givens said. “We have a lot of resources on campus that we can use to get them that help if they need it.”

The athletic department plans to review the policy after two years to assess whether the amount is appropriate. Givens remains confident that this decision was the best one the department could make.

“It’s not something that we certainly wanted to do,” Givens said. “But I think it was the right thing to do for everybody involved.”