USU Among Most Economically Efficient Athletic Departments in the Nation

For the second year in a row, Utah State University has been nationally recognized for having one of the most efficient Athletic Departments in the nation. Utah State placed third for the Excellence in Management Cup, presented by Texas A&M’s Laboratory for the Study of Intercollegiate Athletics (LSIA) it was announced Wednesday [July 7, 2010].

 

USU won the national championship in 2009.

 

The purpose of the Excellence in Management Cup is to determine which athletic departments win the most championships while at the same time have the lowest expenses. Kent State won the national championship in 2010, followed by Western Kentucky, Utah State, Central Michigan and Middle Tennessee.

 

“I take great pride in the continued accomplishments of our student-athletes and coaches,” said USU Director of Athletics Scott Barnes. “Finishing third nationally out of more than 120 institutions confirms their dedication and talent. This award is one measure of the wonderful return on investment that our university community, students and stakeholders receive in exchange for their support of Aggie Athletics.”

 

During the 2009-10 academic year, Utah State won Western Athletic Conference championships in men’s cross country, men’s basketball, men’s indoor track and men’s outdoor track, and finished second in the WAC in women’s cross country, women’s soccer and women’s indoor track.

 

For the second year, the EM Cup results have shown that major universities may not be running as economically sound as their smaller counterparts. Nine of the top ten universities in the final standings are from non-BCS affiliated universities. The highest ranked BCS program, Texas A&M of the Big XII Conference, is ranked number seven.

 

The scores are calculated in formula that accounts for total athletic department spending, number of sports played and the number of conference and national championships won by each Division I (FBS) university. Because of the difficulty of winning national championships, the formula was adjusted to place more emphasis on programs that exceeded on the national stage.

 

For a complete list of results and additional information of the Excellence in Management Cup results, visit the Laboratory for the Study of Intercollegiate Athletics’ website.

 

Additional Aggie sports news is available at the Athletics homepage website.