The Texas Senate Finance Committee is working to restructure the funding scheme for the state’s universities.
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On Wednesday, the revenue-centered committee reportedly voted to changing how universities are funded, with each university set to lose anywhere from six to 10 percent of its state-provided budget.
This is different than earlier drafts of the Senate budget, where some schools would lose over half of their state funding, but a second report by the Texas Tribune shows they may have more than enough.
According to the estimates, the largest eight universities in Texas spent a combined $525 million on athletics from 2014-2015, and the breakdown is just as staggering:
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Unsurprisingly, football is the top revenue-producing sport among the sample size, with men’s basketball trailing closely behind, but a majority of the eight schools are still spending more than they earn – at least from sports.
If the Legislator ultimately does decide to make the funding cuts, especially in lieu of raising taxes, sports may actually save the state.