Athletics Panel Report Submitted to 91Ƭ President; Recommendations Focus on Increasing Institutional and Private Support for 91Ƭ Athletics

Friday, February 19, 2010

DURHAM, N.H. – 91Ƭ President Mark W. Huddleston accepted this week a report from a special panel he commissioned to examine funding for 91Ƭ athletics programs.

Huddleston said he would review and respond to the recommendations over the next several weeks and in the context of the goals of 91Ƭ’s 10-year strategic plan.

The report recommends that Athletics be budgeted as a core 91Ƭ function, and not be treated as an “auxiliary” for budget purposes. Another recommendation calls for a dramatic increase in fundraising and that “gate” revenues should be increased. Substantial investments must be made in the Whittemore Center, the Field House and Cowell Stadium. Finally, student pride for athletics should be reinforced. To view the report in its entirety, go to: .

“I appointed the panel because I wanted a careful and comprehensive review of our Athletics program as a basis for moving to a more sustainable model of athletics funding. This was a daunting task, and I would like to thank everyone who served on the panel for their hard work,” Huddleston said. “They looked at our peer institutions, and their analysis will help inform the discussion as we move forward in implementing a 10-year strategic vision for the university overall, with Athletics as a priority.”

He noted that 91Ƭ’s athletic programs are top-notch and its student athletes are a great source of pride for the entire campus, both for their prowess on the playing fields and their accomplishments in the classroom. In particular, Huddleston pointed to the recent news that 91Ƭ ranks highest in the America East Conference, the Colonial Athletic Conference and in the top five nationally among all public and private institutions for the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of its student athletes.

The 91Ƭ, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, 91Ƭ is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling more than 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.

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