The University of Southern Indiana’s Board of Trustees will decide today (Mon) whether to seek a switch from Division Two to Division One athletics. WNIN’s John Gibson reports:
The board has scheduled a special meeting in Carter Hall Monday afternoon.
The agenda states the board will “discuss the potential application to the National Collegiate Athletic Association for reclassification from Division Two to Division One.”
The board is scheduled to hold an executive session in the President's Suite before the public meeting at 1 p.m.
An exploratory committee provided its findings to the board last month, saying USI is ready to make the jump -- if the university is ready to spend the money.
The university currently spends about $6.6 million a year on athletics. School officials have said that budget would need to nearly double -- to $12 million – to move to the NCAA’s top division.
The two largest funding sources would be student fees and private donations.
A proposal would gradually increase student fees by $475 a year at the end of four years.