Today that pride we feel for the University of Minnesota as its teams compete on the field is threatened by discord and financial challenges off the field. Over the next five years, intercollegiate athletics expenses are projected to outpace revenues by $31 million. The University’s institutional support of its athletic departments, already the highest in the Big Ten, would have to grow further given projections for even higher deficits in future years.

This comes at a time when the University is raising tuition and cutting costs in response to growing state budget deficits and declining public funding for higher education. Tough choices will need to be made, and top priority must be given to improving the undergraduate experience, supporting University President Mark Yudof’s five strategic academic initiatives, and positioning the U as one of the top public research institutions in the country. It is clear that the University needs to take action to restore accountability and fiscal responsibility to its intercollegiate athletics departments.

Over the past months, the University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s national board of directors and its advocacy committee have gathered input through dialogue at meetings with key University officials and informal discussions with alumni leaders. Many alumni clearly are frustrated with the financial situation in intercollegiate athletics. It is an especially tough issue for the alumni association because many people on the national board are passionate supporters of athletics at the University. We are proud of what has been achieved in women’s and men’s athletics and are concerned about the potential negative impact of steps that will need to be taken to restore fiscal health to athletics. Yet we recognize that there is a problem and that we must deal with things as they are, not as we wish them to be.

Solving difficult problems and making tough choices is what a president is hired to do. President Yudof has earned our trust. Thanks to his strong leadership and clear vision, the University is enjoying a positive momentum the likes of which has not been experienced for some time. The national board of the alumni association supports the president and the Board of Regents in making the decisions necessary to put athletics on a more solid and independent financial footing. We expect a solution that supports the highest levels of academic and competitive excellence, ensures the goals of gender equity are met, and restores accountability and fiscal responsibility throughout intercollegiate athletics.

Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric Corporation and one of the great "coaches" of the business world, identified a key to success that he called "boundaryless" behavior. It meant breaking down internal walls between departments, external walls between suppliers or other companies, and less visible walls of race or gender to find and develop great ideas. It put the team ahead of individual egos. Solving the athletics budget issue while maintaining competitive excellence will require this kind of sharing of ideas and resources.

Alumni and supporters want to feel proud of their University and its athletic programs. One of the hallmarks of many great teams is great teamwork—the power of ordinary individuals working together to accomplish the extraordinary. Given the extraordinary challenges faced by intercollegiate athletics, it is time coaches, administrators, and University supporters work collaboratively to generate ideas that are good for University athletics as a whole and that will ensure that the legacy of excellence in Gopher sports continues.