University of Kansas will use millions in tuition and taxes to pay its student athletes

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For years, KU Athletics transferred money to the rest of the university. Now, with a projected $15 million deficit this fiscal year, that payment is gone.

On July 1, NCAA Division I schools could start paying their athletes just like any other university employee.

The cost is already causing tensions in Kansas, where faculty and staff are fighting to raise their own low pay.

The salary pool is capped at $20.5 million, but schools can distribute it as they see fit.

That money is in addition to any name, image and likeness payments — NIL for short — the athletes may already receive.

KCUR discovered that KU Athletics’ finances are so bad that the new student-athlete payroll is coming out of the university general fund, made up of tuition money and state tax dollars.

Kansas Athletics was $11.9 million in the red last year, and projects a $14.9 million deficit this fiscal year.

Tensions over using general funds to cover Athletics payments came to a head Monday night when the Faculty Senate and University Senate called for a no-confidence vote in Chancellor Doug Girod and university leadership.

“These concerns stem from ongoing arrangements regarding the new football stadium and related development, national policies driving unanticipated changes to the pay structure of student athletes and programs,” an email to senators said.

Senate leadership said it will give the results of the vote to the Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday.

The faculty and staff also called for “an external audit of KU finances.”

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KU Athletics’ financial future may not improve soon. “Athletic funding pressures impacting university support” is listed among challenges facing KU, according to the December Financial Status Update obtained by KCUR.

“Is that an expected expense? No. Is that what we designed for when we prepared for that? Clearly not,” Girod told KCUR.

He also said KU was one of the few schools that actually got money from athletics to cover tuition and other expenses.

But that money disappeared with the new $20.5 million athlete payroll and the costs of rebuilding the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

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