Joe Lane
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Last week, The Daily Iowan reported that Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan, proposed a bill that would require Iowa State and the University of Iowa to pay $20 million over four years to the University of Northern Iowa to help fund its Athletics Department.
Johnson said the UNI Athletics Department continually operates at a loss while Iowa State and the UI thrive.
“[UNI] doesn’t have a Coliseum or Kinnick Stadium,” he said. “Those kinds of venues draw in the big dollars. They don’t have the TV contracts; why not share all that?”
I find Johnson’s proposal borderline offensive to the UI (and Iowa State), especially considering that it was not too long ago that the state Board of Regents proposed a funding model that would take away funding from the UI based on its lower overall percentage of in-state students.
When this article was published in the DI, the online edition received a number of comments, some of which accused the plan of being socialist. When socialism and the proposal are stripped down to their most basic principles, the comparison has some accuracy. Johnson’s proposal would have the athletically better-off schools (UI and Iowa State) supporting the poor performing school, UNI.
With the proliferation of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ ideology of “democratic socialism,” socialist views are not the boogeyman they once were; probably for the best.However, there is a reason even Sanders has clung to democratic socialism rather than the full-fledged Robin Hood viewpoint of taking from the wealthy to give to the poor. Such practices are not often successful because those who succeed see the benefits of their success spread to others.
Another important point is Johnson’s comments about UNI’s lack of a premier venue — specifically referencing the Hilton Coliseum and Kinnick Stadium. What Johnson fails to mention is the cost of constructing such a facility. As a point of reference, according to Gophersports.com, TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis — home to the Gopher football team — cost $288.5 million to construct in 2009.
Johnson did not specifically say that he would like to build a facility but the reality is that unless he is suggesting using the money to contribute to lasting growth (such as in the form of a new venue), he is suggesting a temporary fix.
Many argue there are not so much three separate public-college entities, UNI, UI, and ISU, but that all are members of one group, the public institutions of higher education, governed by the regents. This argument would say that “we’re only as strong as our weakest link,” and right now that weakest link is UNI.
This philosophy makes sense when addressing education, such as the complementary programs found at each school (for example, Iowa has a hospital and a strong medical school, while Iowa State has the veterinary and agricultural programs Iowa lacks). But when it comes to athletics, it does not make much sense to operate a program at a deficit and survive only through artificial cash injections that weaken the other schools’ sports programs.
Out of respect for the student-athletes at UNI, I would not suggest eliminating teams from the school but instead making other internal changes. However, out of respect for our athletes, it is not fair to weaken our Athletics Department to strengthen another school’s — even if we are all Iowans.