$1 billion stadium renovation plans hit roadblocks after FSU and 3 power schools struggle to manage revenue sharing model
Stadium renovations are one of the largest parts of the financial sheet for college athletics as teams try to create the best experiences for the fans and the players. However, it has become a bit of an arms race.
Three power five schools (Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles and UCF Knights) are feeling the pressure, as well as the USF Bulls in a non-power conference, as they are pursuing more than a $1 billion renovation product for their football stadiums.
It has become more of an issue after the House vs. NCAA lawsuit, as the NCAA is asking the conferences to take less of their payouts. These schools are far from the only ones to have issues, as North Texas and Mississippi decided against upgrading their facilities.
University of South Florida Bulls athletic director Michael Kelly discussed how things could be changing in college athletics and that the university cannot be the only group that feels the pressure.
"You can see the alignment and the support from the university. The university can't do it all. It's going to take a village. We're going to be only bound by what we can garner from the university and what we can get from our supporters." h/t Tampa Bay Times
While facilities could lead to drive more revenue, like Ben Hill Griffin Stadium expecting to double the revenue with its recent renovation, it could be a way to see more money flow into the athletic program.
However, it appears that the universities don't want to be the ones shelling out money for the projects right now.
What does it mean for college athletics going forward?
The decrease in facility spending could have a significant shift into what happens in the future for collegiate athletics.
While things are likely not going to change for the premier programs, as they will still see a significant amount of revenue, the lower programs could begin to bleed money that they were banking on and now losing from House vs. NCAA.
With money becoming more of an issue for the universities, they may take it out on the athletes by not upgrading facilities as often and making things a bit more difficult. However, the elite programs will find ways to continue doing so, like Penn State's renovation project continuing on.
Overall, it will force universities to become a bit more creative and focused on their budget.