Professor James M. Krueger submitted the following document to Faculty Senate Executive Committee for discussion and comment.
UPDATE November 10, 2020: This document and all faculty comments were presented to President Schulz on October 27, 2020. We requested President Schulz provide an official response, which we received today and is linked below.
President Schulz Response to James Krueger Proposal
Whereas chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a common condition caused by playing football and is associated with life-long brain damage and cognitive disabilities.
Whereas as an institution of higher education our highest goal is to enhance the cognitive abilities of our students.
Whereas joint injury is caused by playing football and often creates a life-long disability.
Whereas football is a form of entertainment, not an academic pursuit, and its entertainment value is not part of the WSU mission.
Whereas the WSU Athletic Program is greatly in debt, approaching $100,000,000, and this debt continues to increase.
Whereas in 2021 there will be no WSU football season due to SARS-CoV-2 and the PAC 12 cancellation of intercollegiate games.
Whereas the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has substantially harmed WSU financial prospects, and this will likely continue into 2022.
Whereas athletic donations barely cover the cost of football scholarships.
Whereas diversion of funds to the athletic program diminishes the WSU academic program and thereby falls under the purview of the WSU Faculty Senate.
We hereby submit that WSU:
- Put all employees associated with the intercollegiate football program on indefinite furlough.
- Start the process of removing WSU intercollegiate football from the WSU athletic program.
- Continue to pay scholarships to the football players promised such until they graduate, but not initiate any new football scholarships.
- Request the WSU Faculty Senate develop position statements related to the incompatibilities of football with any institution of higher education.
It is anticipated that the financial savings to WSU will be substantial and thereby enhance our academic programs.
It is anticipated that WSU will be recognized as a national leader in higher education by eliminating harm done to our students for the sake of entertainment.
James M. Krueger, PhD, MDHC, Regents Professor
I totally support this proposal.
I totally agree. Knowing that our student are hurt by the activity should be enough said.
I support this proposal with the caveat that further discussion is needed regarding how it will be implemented, how it will change the University going forward, and how we, as an academic, alumni, and other communities will best negotiate the shift.
Support is easy, the hard part will be determining whether University leadership, at all levels, will be committed to the change called for here. Arguably, universities are designed to resist change. The current situation calls for change. This proposal speaks to that calling. Next: the hard part: implementing change.
This proposal has my support. The fallout from ceasing football would be disruptive, we would have to leave the Pac-12 conference and lose access to media contract disbursements. However, the Pac-12 network is on a path to become a burden rather than a revenue stream, so looking out of the well-being of our students now would put us ahead in both moral and practical terms.
It should be noted that since this proposal was put forward, the PAC 12 decided, against all reasonable public health advice, to re-instate the 2020 football season. At the minimum, the University should be refusing to put students at the additional risk of COVID-19 infection by withdrawing their participation in this season. We should not be risking our students’ lives for the sake of entertainment under any circumstances, but particularly not now when that risk is further elevated and completely avoidable.
I fully support this proposal. Thank you for being brave enough to put it forward. WSU could be on the right side of history with this issue to protect student athletes and promote Universities as institutions of higher learning, not modern day gladiators.
I support this proposal and agree with the comments above.
I fully support this proposal.
I support this proposal. I think very important to also note the impact of playing sports in poor air quality and that wildfires in the west coast are expected to increase in their frequency and intensity. These athletes should also NOT be training outside in unhealthy air quality. Indoor air quality is often not good during these extreme events, either, despite our best efforts.
I fully support this proposal as a health care professional and faculty member. I look forward to the discussion.
I support this proposal as a health care professional and faculty member.
I fully support this proposal.
I support this proposal. I believe that it is unconscionable to ask young men to go butt heads ‘for the glory of WSU and to improve our brand’. As an educational institution, any activity that actually hurts our students’ mental performance is not compatible with our main purpose.
I strongly support this proposal.
I support this proposal. This reminds me the movie “Concussion”. Anyone who is still enjoying watching football games should watch that movie. We should put our students’ health and safety as our first priority.
I fully support this proposal. WSU should be developing and improving our student’s minds, not harming them. On average, only 1.2 WSU football players per year were drafted into the NFL over the past decade. And according to the NFL Player’s Association, the average career length of an NFL football player is 3.3 years. WSU should be preparing our students with skills for a long, productive life, not creating the potential for chronic brain injuries.
I fully support this proposal! Increasing students’ tuition and decreasing graduate students’ RA or TA salary rate is not the solution to support football game.
I support the proposal. I enjoy sports in general, but intercollegiate sports have gotten completely out of hand with regard to human and monetary costs. When Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act to establish land grant universities to provide opportunity to the working class, I doubt he envisioned sports programs with coaches making more than 10x the salary of the President of the USA.
I support this proposal. Its discussion in Faculty Senate is paramount so that the value and long-term costs of the football program are fully transparent, and an informed decision can be made.
I have supported these types of efforts since 1989, and will continue to do so. I have been associated with 3 US universities and the athletic program was a drain of every one of those university budgets, even with the gifts to the university.
Faculty senate leadership has collated all the comments and sent to the Office of the President. Leadership will follow up with President Schulz on Oct 27 and will post a follow-up then.
I support this proposal, especially given the cuts to all departments it is reprehensible that the athletics program has been allowed for so many years to rack up such large debts. It is clearly an unsustainable model. There is no proven benefit to the university in having an athletics program. I’m yet to meet a student that says the academic program played any role in their choosing to study at WSU. College sports is an outdated anachronism!
I support this proposal. Let’s invest in making Washington State University great for some other reason.
I support this proposal. Lets invest in education at this university!
I support this proposal. Giving academic money to the athletic program is like supporting a sinking ship. It would be better to cut the head football coach’s salary by $3mil than give the same amount from academic funds. If the athletic program can function as a separate financial entity (using something like an enterprise fund) then I am OK with the program continuing. But is cannot continue to suck funds from the university’s academic mandate.