David Jesse

Detroit Free Press

News that Eastern Michigan University is working on a plan to spend $35 million on new athletic facilities came as a shock — and not the good kind — to the school's student government. In response to a Detroit Free Press article revealing the plans, the student government is demanding the university's board not spend any general fund money on new athletic buildings.

"Student Government will not support any renovations to the athletic facilities as a part of this $35 million plan, outside of the Rec/IM, that involve a single cent of university dollars," an open letter from student government president Tanasia Morton and student government vice president Joshua Starr said.

Eastern Michigan officials are finalizing plans to spend $35 million on improvements to athletic facilities that will include a new building containing a practice field that football and soccer teams could use, the Free Press reported last week.

Athletic department officials have been quietly raising funds for the improvements and have $9 million of the total cost committed already pending board approval of the entire project. That amount includes $6 million from one, unnamed donor, which would be the largest cash gift ever given to the university. How the remainder would be funded hasn't been determined yet, but students are worried it will be largely from general fund money. The general fund's revenues come largely from student tuition.

"Over the course of the last several years Eastern Michigan University has been forced to make a series of incredibly tough cuts to many academic and student programs," the student government letter said. "Meanwhile, the athletics department has enjoyed generous increases to its budget. These priorities are misplaced. Therefore, if the Board of Regents was or is able to locate any general fund dollars to support the renovation of athletics facilities beyond the Rec/IM, then we insist that those funds be re-invested in the academic and student affairs programs and services that have been cut or under-funded in the past years."

Eastern Michigan spokesman Geoff Larcom said the school will work with student leaders as plans are finalized. The Board of Regents has yet to approve the plan

"We appreciate their diligent efforts on the Intramural/Recreational Building proposal and other initiatives," Larcom said in a statement to the Free Press. "We will continue to work with student leaders as planned improvements to Eastern's campus, which primarily focus on academic and student-focused initiatives, are discussed and refined."

The plans currently call for the outdoor track to be removed from around the football field. The existing soccer fields would be reoriented in direction and a new track placed around it.

The existing football building in the far end zone of Rynearson Stadium would be torn down. In its place would be a new 70,000-square-foot building that would have a turf field inside for the football and soccer. There would also be a 300-meter indoor track and improved weight room, big enough for entire teams to train at one time. The building would also allow the university to have nine or 10 suites facing the football stadium. The current 68 premium seats in the stadium are sold out. A new scoreboard would be added to the stadium.

A new 22,000-square-foot building for wrestling and gymnastics would also be built, allowing them to move out of Bowen Fieldhouse and Warner Gymnasium. That space would then be available for academic programs and intramural sports to use, most likely, board member Michell Crumm said last week.]

The student government said they are hopeful to have money to improve recreation and intramural sports.

The plans comes as the football team comes off its best season in decades, including a trip to the Bahamas Bowl. But there also has been a renewed debate about athletics at Eastern Michigan in the past year, including an HBO Real Sports segment on athletic department spending that was critical of Eastern Michigan. A number of faculty and students have called for the university to drop out of Division I football — either completely dropping the program or moving down in division, which would decrease the cost. In recent years, Eastern Michigan, with about 21,000 students, has spent more than $27 million a year from the university's general fund on sports.

Many of the issues with Eastern Michigan's spending have centered on football, which has had poor performance and low attendance for years.

Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter:@reporterdavidj