Consultant: UHart should explore dropping athletics to Division III

Remaining in Division I is “not sustainable” for the University of Hartford given a $13 million athletic department budget deficit, according to a study commissioned by the university and announced publicly on Thursday.

The report, prepared by CarrReport, led by former UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway, recommends the school drop to Division III to better “align with the university’s mission.”

“This financial reality ... conclusively shows that Athletics’ current Division I funding model is not viable, nor does it achieve the goal of becoming more self-sustaining,” the report says.

In reaching that conclusion, the report, which was released publicly Thursday, outlined three possible scenarios:

Hartford could remain in the America East Conference, as part of Division I, an option that would stress the school’s finances.

The school could explore joining another Division I conference more suited to its profile.

Or it could drop to Division

III and cut its athletic budget accordingly.

Although UHart has made no decision, Hartford president Gregory Woodward, in a series of emails to a university professor that were inadvertently released to the public, looked to be rallying support for

the move. The university’s board will discuss the study in the near future, while its athletic programsproceed— andrecruit — with anuncertain future.

Here is what to know about the three scenarios outlined in the report:

Option 1: Remain in the America East Conference

The report lists several advantages of remaining in the America East Conference, including “security and familiarity,” as well as exposure through the ESPN+ app.

On the other hand, the study notes, Hartford is the only private school in the America East Conference, does not spend as much or maintain comparable facilities to some of its peers and has not been particularly successful in the league. Meanwhile, the report says Hartford’s competitiveness in America East could be hurt by a planned reduction in athletic spending over the next four years.

Ultimately, the report concludes that if Hartford remains in America East, it will continue to face a difficult financial future.

During the 2020 fiscal year, the report says, Hartford’s athletic department spent about $15.3 million and drew about $2.2 million in revenue. The study projects that in the 2022 fiscal year the school will spend $15.4 million and take in $2.3 million as part of the America East — resulting in a considerably steeper cost than if the school dropped to Division III.

Economists note that these figures are often imprecise and depend heavily on howscholarship costs are tabulated.

The report finds that Hartford has spent increasingly on financial aid to athletes, with a projected discount rate offtheschool’s sticker price of 94% during the 2020-21 fiscal year.

“Athletics’ expenses along with UHart’s student-athlete financial aid discount rate [around 94] percent, are inconsistent with UHart’s institutional size and operating capacity, and run significantly counter to the University’s general student population discount rate,” the report says.

Option 2: Remain in Division I, find a new conference

Instead of staying in America East, the report suggests, Hartford could consider a new league within Division I, such as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference or the Northeast Conference.

Nearly all members of these conferences are private schools, and many have similar academic profiles to Hartford, according to the report, as well as comparable athletic facilities. Plus, Hartford might be positioned to develop a rivalry with Quinnipiac in the MAAC or Central Connecticut State in the NEC.

However, the report notes that this option would require Hartford to pay an exit fee to America East and an entry fee to its new league — and that the school’s athletic department budget would still rank near the bottom of either conference.

Ultimately the study concludes that neither membership in the MAAC nor in the NEC is “a viable or sustainable option for UHart.”

Option 3: Drop to Division III

The report ultimately lands on the option that has sparked outrage in recent days: that Hartford move from Division I to Division III.

The report projects that Hartford would incur about $4.9 million in annual expenses as part of Division III, offset by $1.1 million in revenues. In this scenario, the athletic department still would not be financially self-sustaining (as very few in college sports are) but would not cost the school so much annually.

The key savings, the report says would come from no longer paying scholarships to athletes; from reducing compensation for coaches and staff from $5.5 million to $3.6 million; and from reducing operating expenses from $3.6 to $1.25 million.

The report suggests three conferences for Hartford to consider: the Commonwealth Coast Conference, the Little East Conference and the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference.

All three would accommodate most of Hartford sports and would feature opponents comparable to Hartford in size, with considerably smaller at hletic department budgets than are typically found in Division I.

Downsides, the report says, include exit and entry fees, plus the likely loss of athletes and coaches and “potential public relations issues with moving to Division III.

The report concludes t hat t he CCC and NEWMACare“very viable” options for Hartford, while the Little East is a “viable” option.