First Article

AUSTIN, TEXAS - A cool, crisp September morning, 6:00 A.M. All is quiet on Lady Bird Lake except for the rhythmic splash made by the University of Texas Women’s Rowing team, and coach Carrie Graves’ encouraging voice. At the same time, Mack Brown sits in his huge office in Darryl K. Royal Stadium and quietly reviews game tape from the past Saturday’s game. Two completely separate worlds, both connected by one money making machine: Texas Athletics.

Of the 120 Division I college athletic programs, only 22 made a profit in the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Of those 22, no athletic program brought in more money than The University of Texas. The Longhorns’ revenue was a staggering $153 million last year according to the school’s budget report released to the NCAA. Running the biggest athletic program in the nation does not come cheap, however. For the same year, UT Athletics spent nearly $134 million on its program, $10 million more than any other school in the nation. This includes salaries, facility costs, scholarships, and other sports operations costs.  According to UT tax records, the athletic department spends nearly $220,000 on each individual athlete by way of scholarships, travel, and apparel. Still, Longhorn sports teams turned $19 million in profit. 

In Texas, it is said that, “Football is King.” This holds true for Texas Athletics. Nearly all the program’s profits come from the football program. They have massive endorsement deals with Nike. A 100,000 seat stadium that sells out every game. Also, a TV contract with ESPN that has no precedent. All of these factors lead to Longhorn Football profiting on average $65 million a year, a number that some athletic programs don’t reach in total revenue. 

This profit that is made by the football team is the backbone of the entire athletic program. 

Of the 18 varsity sports at Texas, only three make a profit: football, men’s basketball, and baseball. Some of the secondary sports work hard to attract fans to improve ticket sales. However for some teams, like the women’s rowing team, garnering attention away from the primary sports has proven difficult. 

So, how can these programs afford to exist, let alone travel, and provide top of the line equipment for all of its athletes? 

It all comes back to the “King,” Texas Football.

Head football coach Mack Brown when asked about the athletic program’s approach to dispersing money between the teams responded with this capitalistic mindset, “We’re not here to pull down the sports who make a lot of money to the one’s who can’t. Our goal is to bring the one’s who can’t up to us. We want our entire program to be first class, for each individual to have a great experience.” 

Is spending on average $220,000 per athlete exorbitant though? Brown doesn’t hesitate, “In my opinion, when we make the money, it is up to us how to spend it. This is how it has always been in the U.S.A.”  

This approach may not be received well by everyone, but one person who appreciates Brown and the football contributions is head women’s rowing coach Carrie Graves.

Brown and Graves were both hired by Texas in 1998. Brown, to restore a once nationally dominant football program to relevance, and Graves to build a nonexistent program from the ground up. Immediately, Brown began laying the groundwork to help build all sports at Texas to where they are today. 

“I’m not sure where we would be today without Coach [Brown]. At the beginning of our program, we struggled to find members. Recruiting was tough due to a lack of funds, and when we did find rowers, we couldn’t provide sufficient equipment for them,” said Graves. “Mack was a huge help. He took a personal interest in our athletes. He wanted the best for them. He was determined to make this program great,” Graves responded when asked about Brown’s influence on her program. 

After Brown took over, the monster that is Texas Athletics began to take shape. Due to his immense success -- 13 winning seasons and two national championship appearances -- Brown and the Texas Football program began making immense amounts of money. Yet, Brown kept true to his word to Graves and the rest of the athletic programs at Texas.

As the money started to roll in, the secondary sports began to reap the rewards of the football team. 

“Once the football team started winning again, we couldn’t help but notice that our financial situation was improving,” said Graves. “We began being able to afford better equipment and team uniforms. We had enough to build our own boathouse on Lady Bird [Lake]. We even ramped up our recruiting efforts because we had the funds. I’ll say again, I’m not sure where we would be today without Coach [Brown].” 

Today, Texas Rowing is a nationally competitive program. They have access to a 5,300 square foot boathouse equipped with lockers, a changing room, showers, and an indoor training facility. They own twenty top of the line shells (rowing boats), and sculls (oars) for nearly 75 athletes. 

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Hannah Moon, a sophomore rower from Kent, England. “I have rowed for the Junior Great Britain National Team, and the facilities and equipment here at Texas are just as nice, if not nicer than back home.”  

Moon is one of ten international students that Graves has recruited over the past few years. With the excess funds provided by the athletic program, Graves can afford to visit prospective Longhorns all over the world, and bring in the best of the best. 

“I never expected to come to school in America, let alone in Texas. But when Coach Graves showed me what the school could offer me, it was hard to pass up,” said Moon. “I feel like a celebrity.” 

The Texas Athletic Program has even spilled its funds over to the academic portion of the University. Though it operates as a self sustaining entity, each year Texas Athletics give on average $6 million back to academics. This money goes towards multiple facets of academics including academic scholarships, endowments for the English department, even a $2 million dollar donation to create new faculty chairs in Philosophy and Physics.

At Texas, football may be King, but this King has a way of providing for all of its subjects. 

In a time where funding is being cut, jobs are being destroyed, and tuition rates are going up, the University of Texas may look to its athletics department to take on a bigger role in providing funds for the school. 

It seems that the Longhorn sports teams are up to the task.

According to a projection released by the school to the NCAA, revenues for this upcoming fiscal year may increase by $20 million dollars. Bigger responsibility could lead to bigger profits, and in Texas, bigger is always better.