UNC Athletics could potentially lose up to $52 million in revenue if fall sports seasons and the men’s basketball season are shortened or canceled, athletic director Bubba Cunningham said on Thursday.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused major shifts throughout the landscape of college sports. The beginning of the pandemic saw the NCAA Tournament canceled, as well as spring championships across all sports.
After months of planning, colleges are preparing to move forward with fall sports despite ongoing health concerns. This year, UNC and other ACC football teams will play 10 conference games and one non-conference game. Additionally, fall sports such as field hockey and soccer will have condensed seasons.
An update from me to the Carolina Community about the state of Athletics in this challenging time. #TogetherWeWin #GoHeels https://t.co/AlYXBWP7Zz
— Bubba Cunningham (@BubbaUNC) August 6, 2020
Cunningham said UNC’s athletic budget for the 2020-21 sports year was slated to be $110 million before the virus struck.
“Our department budget, slated to be about $110 million for 2020-21 before the pandemic hit, relies mainly on ticket sales, television revenues and private donations,” Cunningham said. “Those are funds that we count on to fund our sports programs, pay our staff, and provide scholarships and important services to our student-athletes (including academic, medical and nutritional support).”
UNC has already announced that it will limit fan capacity in Kenan Stadium for the fall season, although the specific number of fans allowed in has not yet been determined. In his letter to the community, Cunningham outlined how much this loss of revenue could cost Carolina.
“We face a $15 million loss in ticket revenue and a potential $30 million loss overall, even if we are allowed to fill Kenan Stadium at 30 percent capacity for football and the Smith Center at 50 percent capacity for men’s basketball (capacities have not yet been set),” he said. “If Fall sports seasons and the men’s basketball season are shortened or cancelled, we could lose up to $52 million in revenue, including ticket sales, sponsorship and television revenue, conference distributions and concessions sales.”
Within the athletics department, significant changes have already been made to reduce spending amid the pandemic. Cunningham said sports budgets have been cut by 10 percent, non-essential travel has been halted and 16 full-time open positions within UNC Athletics have been left unfilled.
The university previously announced that football season tickets will not be distributed for the 2020-21 season. Fans who purchased season tickets will have the option to donate the purchase as a potentially deductible gift, roll over the purchase to the 2021 season, or receive a refund. An individual ticket request system will be used for the fall football season, with all tickets distributed digitally to ensure contact-free entry to UNC athletic games.
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