Dear Beaver Nation;
I'd like to take this opportunity to give you an update on Oregon State
Athletics as we continue to deal with the COVID-19 crises.
In all my years as an intercollegiate athletics administrator, I have
never been more proud of the work that is being done by our coaches and
staff to ensure the wellbeing of our student-athletes. I also am amazed
by the outpouring we have received from our donors and fans as we
navigate these uncertain times. Thank you for reminding me how special
Beaver Nation is.
The cancellation of the spring sports schedules and the winter sports
postseasons have had a significant financial impact on our department.
Our revenue shortfalls are coming from multiple levels including local,
Pac-12, and NCAA revenue streams. We are doing everything we can to
mitigate these losses without directly impacting our student-athletes.
Here are a few significant short term measures we will be implementing
immediately:
- Head Football Coach Jonathan Smith, Head Men's Basketball Coach Wayne Tinkle and I will donate 7% of our annual salaries over the next year
- Athletic Executive and other select staff members and all other
head coaches will donate up to 5% of their annual salaries based on
salary level over the next year
- We will have a mandated spending freeze for all non-essential items for the remainder of the 2019-20 fiscal year
- Annual Facilities debt will be restructured to reduce 2020 debt service payment
- A selective pause on new hires will be in place until further notice
Our young men and women have had their lives turned upside down, yet
their commitment continued in the classroom where they achieved a
cumulative 3.25 for Winter Term. Our academic team has done a phenomenal
job with the latest technologies and our student-athletes have adjusted
quite well – 35 percent of our nearly 500 student-athletes made the
Honor Roll last term. During this current academic term, where all
classes are being taken remotely, we have continued to offer academic
support, tutoring, and mentoring through online platforms. We've
transitioned many of our student-athlete clubs, Student-Athlete Advisory
Committee (SAAC) leadership meetings, and professional development
workshops to Zoom conferences.
The Sports Performance staff has spent countless hours producing workout
instructional videos for our student-athletes to access online
platforms. They have shipped equipment packages, adhering to Pac-12
Conference regulations, to each of our young men and women. We've also
sent nutrition guidelines and recipes through our portals from our
sports nutritionist.
On a brighter note, the response from Beaver Nation regarding our new head wrestling coach
Chris Pendleton
has been off the charts. I'm excited to see what he brings to the mat
once we return to normalcy. I'm also ecstatic about the rate of renewals
for football season tickets for the 2020 season; your commitment is
vital to the success of OSU Athletics.
Due to your exceptional generosity, we have many donor-funded facility
upgrades that continue to progress, including at our soccer and softball
complexes. The Completing Reser Stadium project continues to move
forward prudently with the upgrades to the west side.
In closing, we will get through these tough times together. I am
grateful and proud of the coaches and leadership staff for stepping up
with me and showing their generosity in support of our current
departmental situation. We will play games as soon as possible and bring
Beaver Nation together again. I'm excited about the fall sports season,
particularly with what Coach Smith and his staff are doing to move us
forward.
Stay healthy, be safe, and we look forward to seeing you on campus as soon as possible.
Go Beavs!
S.
Scott Barnes
Vice President & Director of Athletics
Oregon State University
