Longtime Gophers coach John Anderson raises questions about future of U athletics
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John Anderson has been part of Gophers athletics for 47 years. In other words, he’s seen a lot, including now a pandemic.
KSTP sports director Joe Schmit talked to Anderson about what the future of the Gophers athletics department could look like on the other side of this.
***Click the video box on this page to watch Schmit’s story from Thursday’s Nightcast***
Anderson is set to begin his 40th season as baseball coach in 2021. He wonders if schedules become way more regionalized, whether the ‘U’ can support 25 teams, and more.
Gophers director of athletics Mark Coyle and deputy AD Rhonda McFarland presented a series of preliminary impacts the athletics department faces over the next year at last week’s Board of Regents meeting.
John Anderson will start his 40th season as Gophers baseball coach next year. He has concerns about the future of college athletics.[Zoom/Joe Schmit]
The impact includes: a roughly $10 million revenue loss if games return in the fall; a $30 million hit if there are no fans in venues or if there are shortened seasons this fall; a $75 million blow if there are no sports through the rest of 2020.
The Gophers athletics department has an annual budget of $123 million, eighth in the conference. They have the fourth-most sports in the Big Ten. Unfortunately, it seems like something will have to give when the pandemic is over.