Utah AD expects $50-60 million loss of income with postponement of fall sports
SALT LAKE CITY (BVM) – The Pac-12’s unanimous decision on Tuesday to postpone fall sports, while difficult for some to accept, came as little surprise to most. The loss of a lucrative football season will result in a myriad of challenges for programs across the region.
Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said he knew Tuesday’s decision was a possibility and plans had been made to help offset any immediate impacts. But no amount of early planning could prepare Utah for what is undoubtedly coming.
Harlan said the loss of income, on a $91 million budget, could be $50-60 million.
“That is going to cause us to have to make some very difficult decisions as it relates to the operation of our department this year,” Harlan said on a Zoom conference with the media on Wednesday.
“We know it’s going to be a really tough road ahead. But we don’t hide from the fact it’s going to be a great challenge for us going forward.”
Harlan noted that the athletic department has been consulting with university leadership and the Pac-12 has provided options to explore, but said that there are heavy decisions ahead that would impact a lot of people.
Scholarships will not be affected, however, but Harlan declined to comment on any cuts.
Tuesday’s news came nearly five months to the day after athletes in spring and some winter sports received a similar notification. Harlan said delivering the news to the university’s student-athletes “ranks up there” with some of the hardest things he’s ever had to do as athletic director.
The Pac-12 CEO Group has halted all sports competitions until at least Jan. 1, 2021 to see where things are at with the virus at that point, and despite a gigantic loss in revenue, Harlan understands.
“I’m fully supportive of that decision,” Harlan said. “Every day I think about the well-being physically and mentally of our student-athletes. Certainly this decision falls right in line with caring about all of them.”
