Boise State Athletics Budget Shortfall: What’s at Stake?

Boise State Football is having one of its best seasons in the new Pac-12. The team is on a bye week, but fans are wondering whether it can afford to compete. The new world of college football is less about wins and losses and more about profits and losses. In other words, the team that play on the Blue is in the red, and it's not the good red.

close up of stacked hundred dollar bills — Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

The Cost of Competing

As we reported here, Boise State confirmed to the Idaho State Board of Education that the new world of athletics will be a costly one. How costly? Boise State Athletics admitted the upcoming deficit caused by NIL, the Transfer Portal, and the move to the Pac 12 will be in the millions.

How Much Is Too Much?

Idaho Education News reports the details of the state board's decision on deficit financing Boise State Athletics. The board approved the propossed eighteen million dollars to keep the program competitive in the new conference. One school board member shared a rather grim assement from Idaho Education News:

Board member David Turnbull described Wednesday’s vote in stark terms. “The option is to basically put a bullet in Bronco sports if we don’t give them this runway.”

What About Monster Trucks and Banana Ball?

The university did detail the additional events have produced revenue, but not enough to offset the assumed deficit. The athletics department has gotten into the events business from hosting concerts, to monster trucks, to Banana Ball.

What Will The Money Fund?

Unlike days past, the money will go to pay student athletes as college sports has become pay to play. Also, additional money will be used to pay for cost of leaving the Mountain West to the new Pac 12.

The Pac 12 is a new league with an old name which means it may take years and years for the conference to attract significant revenue from television and other media rights deals.