At the SGA meeting on Oct.1, John Hartwell, director of the ULM Athletics Department, proposed adding a new athletics fee to student accounts starting next fall. The fee would be $10 per credit hour.

Hartwell said most of the funding would go toward building a new practice facility near the football stadium.

“It’d be used for football primarily, but every one of our student athletes would use it, and we’d have the opportunity for students across campus and other campus groups to use it, too,” Hartwell said.

Hartwell also explained that the funds would be used to purchase a four-sided Centerhung scoreboard for Fant-Ewing Coliseum and video boards for the baseball and volleyball fields.

During the meeting, some SGA members suggested how the fee might be adjusted.

Elizabeth Moon recommended gradually increasing the fee every semester to $10 per credit hour. 

Drake Prunty proposed capped fees at a certain point so that full-time students all pay the same amount.

In a follow-up interview, Hartwell explained that the ULM Athletics Department has a lower budget than other universities in the Sun Belt Conference. 

“It’s no mystery to most folks that our budget for ULM Athletics is like $20.9 million, which is the lowest in our football bowl subdivision of 134 schools,” Hartwell said. 

Hartwell maintained that he is willing to work openly with SGA to determine how to implement the fee.

“I don’t take lightly at all that this is something we’re asking the students to do that will increase the cost of their attendance,” he said. “But I think you could also make the argument that a successful athletics program is a significant part of student life in general and your experience as a college student.”

The student body will vote on the proposal once SGA senators work with ULM Athletics to adjust the fee.

 SGA Vice President Hannah Habisreitinger mentioned that the fee could appear on the ballot during Mardi Gras court elections in the spring.

Corrected:  An earlier digital version of this story inaccurately reported that in his presentation, John Hartwell, athletic director, said that LA Tech is entering the Sunbelt Conference.  In fact, Hartwell conjectured, “If LA Tech joins our conference, right now, from a recruiting standpoint, because they are great salespeople, they can say, well, we are in the Sunbelt.  The Sunbelt is an undeniably better league than Conference USA.  All of a sudden, if we are in the same league, and they are in the same footprint as us, you do not have to look very far, … they blow us away in facilities.”  Additionally, the athletics budget is $20.9 million not $29 million as previously quoted.  The Hawkeye apologizes for these inaccuracies and any confusion or hardship derived from them and works to quickly correct all mistakes.