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January 31, 2003

Cyclone operating budget still Big 12's smallest

by Linda Charles
Football generates about $5.5 million for the city of Ames during a six home-game season, athletic director Bruce Van De Velde told the Faculty Senate this month. The city and state receive another $500,000 through sales tax.

Following are other highlights from Van De Velde's talk:
  • Iowa State has the smallest annual athletic operating expenses among the Big 12. Iowa State spends $23.4 million for 18 sports, while the average Big 12 expenditure is $32 million for 18.5 sports.

  • Iowa State women athletes receive a higher proportion of athletically related student aid than men student athletes. In FY2000, women accounted for 38.9 percent of the student athletes and received 42.1 percent of the athletically related student aid; in FY02 they accounted for 43.2 percent of the student athletes and received 47.5 percent of the athletically related student aid.

  • Student athletes do well academically at Iowa State in a variety of majors that span seven colleges. In spring 2002, 42 percent of the student athletes earned a grade point of 3.00 or above (23 percent had a 3.50 or higher). Team grade point averages were: men's basketball 2.82, women's basketball 2.88, football 2.49, men's golf 3.14, women's golf 3.28, gymnastics 3.00, soccer 3.24, softball 3.05, women's swimming 3.28, tennis 3.35, men's track 2.78, women's track 2.94, volleyball 2.96 and wrestling 2.21.

  • Fifty-eight percent of the student-athletes who entered ISU in 1995-96 had graduated by 2002, compared to 64 percent for all students who entered that year. Men student athletes had a 53 percent graduation rate that year (compared to a 62 percent rate for men students overall). Women student athletes had a 65 percent graduation rate (compared to a 66 percent rate for women students overall).






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