To aid in the acquisition of funds for the various athletic teams at Nicholls State, President Stephen Hulbert has formed a committee to look into different ways of bringing in money from resources outside of the University.The 24-member committee is comprised of different community leaders, business leaders, former and current student athletes, student government members and faculty members.

Nicholls ranks last in the Southland Conference in athletic budgets with just over $3 million, while Texas State University has a budget of more than $9 million.

“It’s very challenging to try and compete with universities that have such large budgets when we don’t get as much money as some of the other schools in the conference,” David Boudreaux, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, said. “It’s even tougher when you’re the lowest-funded university in the state, concerning athletics.”

In the first meeting of the committee, members were shown the economic impact that Nicholls athletics has on the surrounding areas. “It has a tremendous impact on both the University and community,” Boudreaux said. “By just being student athletes, they are helping bring in some of the money that filters throughout the area.” In the past, athletic programs have brought in as much as $38 million dollars to the local economy.

To help bring Nicholls up to speed with the rest of the schools in the conference and state, the members of the committee have been asked to come up with recommendations as to how money can be raised effectively.

“We’ve asked them to look at the possibilities and realities of what’s available in this region to support athletics,” Boudreaux said. “After looking at those recommendations, we’ll see how we can implement them best.”

Upgrades to the facilities on campus are a concern, and the committee hopes to take the proper measures to see the improvements happen. “Things like the football field and stadium renovations are just some of the things that are going to be looked into,” Boudreaux said. “We got lucky with FEMA helping out with the floor in Stopher Gymnasium because if we didn’t have that, we would have paid for that.”

The regional make-up of the committee board covers most of the southern region and could grow even larger in the future. “There is both regional and cultural diversity on the board itself, and the committee can expand, but it depends on the results,” Boudreaux said.

Boudreaux maintains that Nicholls State is an academic institution first, but says that athletics still play an integral part in higher education.

“We’re not seeking to take anything away from the academic budget, but we’re trying to find reasonable ways to bring more dollars into the programs,” he said.