Matthew Miller

mrmiller@lsj.com

Alumni of Michigan State University are about to lose a little-known and little-used perk.

For decades, the university has allowed its graduates free access to recreation facilities on campus, the swimming pools and basketball courts and racket sports facilities in the Intramural Sports buildings.

Starting in January, they'll have to pay. The prices have been set tentatively at $180 a year for recent graduates, $360 a year for those who have been out of school for five years or more, with additional charges for access to the fitness centers and fitness classes.

"No other Big Ten school permits free access to their alumni and a couple of them prohibit alumni because they don't have enough space," said Rick McNeil, director of recreational sports and fitness services at the university.

He has been shopping around the idea of a fee for the last couple of years. Part of the rationale is economic. The university's general fund covers less than $1 million of his department's $2.7 million budget, which supports operations at the IM Sports East and West facilities, the recreation-oriented operations at IM Circle and Demonstration Hall and the university's sailing center on Lake Lansing.

"We're trying to nickel and dime to improve facilities," McNeil said.

Part of it is a matter of space.

"Most of our facilities were built when the campus population was 25,000 students and less," he said. "It's now doubled, and we don't have any more footprint."

It seems unlikely that the program would bring in much money. Fewer than 350 alumni take advantage of it now. McNeil estimated that it might bring in $10,000 in its first year, maybe more.

But it has roused a bit of ire.

"We've got quite a bit of money invested in Michigan State University and then they come down with a policy that your health is secondary to our pocketbook," said Tom Garvale. He's a 1971 graduate of the university. His wife and two daughters and one of his sons-in-law are graduates, as well.

Garvale, who lives in Okemos, has been using MSU's racquetball courts regularly since 1989. It's a freebie he's come to count on.

"It's a textbook example of who can we tax the most who is underrepresented or not represented at the university," he said.

But it's a change that's supported by the MSU Alumni Association. Executive director Scott Westerman said most alumni he's spoken to "have understood and support the rationale."

"While I wish that we could continue to provide alumni access to MSU IM facilities under the current system, I'm also aware of the financial resources associated with maintaining and staffing it," he said.

New policy coming in January

Starting in January, MSU alumni will have pay to use the Intramural Sports facilities at the university. For decades, graduates of the university have been able to use the swimming pools, basketball courts and racket sports facilities at no charge. The new rates have been set tentatively at $180 per year for recent graduates and $360 a year for those who graduated more than five years ago. There will be additional charges for the use of fitness facilities and fitness classes.