Louisiana Illuminator: Congressman seeks inquiry into college athletics spending impact on students

The chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce is calling for an inquiry into how college athletics spending impacts student fees.  

U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office seeking the inquiry. According to his letter, 92% of NCAA Division I athletics programs rely on student fees and institutional support. Many profitable athletic programs, such as Ohio State University and the University of Georgia, collect student fees, according to publicly available data published in the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics database. 

Walberg noted federal student aid provided under Title IV of the Higher Education Act covers the costs of tuition, fees and other education related expenses.

“The data on spending on college athletics raises distinct questions about how schools fund their athletic programs and the extent to which Title IV student aid subsidizes these costs through students’ tuition and fees,” Walberg said. 

While some NCAA Division I athletics programs bring in more revenue than they spend, not all schools within powerhouse conferences report profits. That’s true within the Southeastern Conference. Although LSU is typically profitable, it reported a deficit in the last full budget cycle. 

No Division II programs are profitable, according to a 2022 NCAA report. 

LSU does not currently have a student fee supporting athletics, but it might be forced to consider implementing one to keep up with peer programs. 

Walberg, who was selected to chair the committee in January, has raised concerns as to how university budgets will be impacted by the upcoming settlement in the court case House v. NCAA. The lawsuithas opened the door for direct payments from schools to college athletes, maxing out at up to $22 million per year.