First round of Division I sports-related fees kick in this fall at USI

EVANSVILLE − University of Southern Indiana students will pay a new $60 fee per semester to help fund athletics beginning in August.

The fee comes along with USI's move to NCAA Division I sports which took effect this month. USI now competes in the Ohio Valley Conference after spending the past 44 years as a member of the Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference.

The athletics fee is the first in a four year plan to increase funding to a level needed to sustain a Division I presence. It is set to increase an additional $60 in each of the next three years. Student fees and donations have been identified as the two major sources of revenue.

"It's just one piece of the revenue needed and it could go up or down a little depending on needs," said Steve Bridges, vice president of finance and administration.

More:What to know about USI moving to NCAA Division I sports

USI has been spending about $6.6 million on athletics annually, according to school officials, who have said that budget would need to nearly double − to $12 million − for the move to Division I. Student fees and donations were previously identified as the major sources for the necessary funding increase to meet that goal.

Last week, USI's Board of Trustee's approved $119 million annual operating budget for its 2022-2023 fiscal year. It includes approximately $900,000 to assist with personnel costs related to the Division I transition, he said.

While there will be some hiring in the first year of transition, Director of Athletics Jon Mark Hall said it will be mostly administrative.

"The main focus is on student athlete scholarships," he said. "In the first year we are not going to add a lot of coaching staff."

New hires will include an NCAA compliance officer, an academic advisor, an assistant trainer and a strength and conditioning trainer, Hall said.

Apart from that, the funding also is being used to extend the salaries of many employees on 10-month annual contracts to 12-month contracts, he said.

More:Now July, the University of Southern Indiana officially begins a new era in Division I

Along with its state appropriation, student tuition and fees are the major revenue sources for the university. In addition to approving its budget, the board reviewed and approved student fees and other mandatory fees. The athletics fee was the only new fee added, with no increases in other miscellaneous fees.

Overall, the 2022-2023 operating budget will increase $280,814 over last year's operating budget and includes money for 3 percent merit raises for all university employees, Bridges said.

Resident undergraduate tuition, charged per semester hour, will increase $5.55 to $280.51 while non-resident undergraduate tuition will increase $14.10 to $681.99.

Mark Wilson covers education and environment at the Courier & Press. Contact him at mark.wilson@courierpress.com.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: USI student fees will increase this fall as school moves to D1 sports