Branding Iron Editorial Staff
Matthew Fabian
Mfabian1@uwyo.edu
In today’s entertainment-driven television markets, sports appear to thrive.
Simply look at the sights of the Super Bowl media coverage in Santa Clara this week. Media members abound as lines of cameras and microphones cover the carnival that is going to be the golden anniversary of the biggest game in America. Sports are an absolute cash cow, and that bears out even here at the University of Wyoming. Basketball and football continually generate large amounts of revenue for their respective sports, the city of Laramie and the state of Wyoming.
Not giving the UW Athletics the State Legislature $8 million matching fund is not a condemnation on the Cowboys and Cowgirls that proudly represent this University. It is neither a condemnation on the job of Athletic Director Tom Burman, men’s basketball head coach Larry Shyatt, women’s basketball coach Joe Legerski or football head coach Craig Bohl. UW Athletes continually represent UW and Laramie with great character, and even give back to the community throughout the year.
But the current economic state of Wyoming has required many departments here at the University to tighten their belts. We have even seen the dire situation of foreign language classes play out. Yet, Athletics is being held to a different standard. They continually expect their matching fund, and coach Bohl even mentioned at his press conference during National Signing Day.
The aforementioned coaches wrote an open letter to the state of Wyoming, claiming the matching fund is needed for nutrition, sports medicine and team travel and recruiting. While we find no fault in this reasoning, the fact of the matter remains that other sects of the University and state could also make effective changes with this $8 million. Why is it left to the state to decide which aspects of the University prosper or fail? Athletics is a self-sustaining organization, and have the backing of the Cowboy Joe Club as well. What about areas that are experiencing rampant unemployment since the most recent depression in the coal industry? What shall we tell students that want to study foreign languages, but are eventually turned away due to lack of teachers and material? Where is their Cowboy Joe Club?
Going to sporting events and rooting for teams that have superior facilities, medicine and nutrition is a luxury item. The state of Wyoming knows what it is like to support a winning effort. The legislature needs to support an effort where people, families and businesses are losing. We encourage our representatives in Cheyenne to rethink the $8 million allocation to UW Athletics, and send this money to efforts that are further reaching than a new wing on the Arena Auditorium.
UW Athletics’ importance to this campus should not be watered down. A new STEM building never brought 20,000 people to Laramie on a Saturday afternoon. Yet, we see no immediate need for this matching fund to go towards Athletics, when other deficiencies need to be addressed elsewhere in Laramie and Wyoming.
